15 pages • 30-minute read
Bag of Bones
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“The War Works Hard” by Dunya Mikhail (2005)
A poem by Dunya Mikhail on the horrors of war, from the 2005 poetry collection of the same name. One of two companion pieces presented with “Bag of Bones” in the NPR feature on the poet.
“Yesterday I Was in a Hurry” by Dunya Mikhail (2005)
The third poem included in the NPR feature on Dunya Mikhail, “Yesterday I Was in a Hurry” reflects on an exile’s sense of loss and displacement, and draws upon Mikhail’s personal experiences as a former refugee from Iraq.
“The Iraqi Nights” by Dunya Mikhail (2013)
A war poem that explores the cycles of violence and war in Iraqi history, from the 2013 collection The Iraqi Nights.
Further Literary Resources
Dunya Mikhail: Poet’s Website by Dunya Mikhail (2021).
The official website of Dunya Mikhail, featuring a wealth of material including interviews, reviews, and translations of her work.
“Revisiting Iraq Through the Eyes of an Exiled Poet” by NPR (2013)
An NPR interview with Dunya Mikhail from 2013, in which Mikhail discusses her former life in Iraq, and her experiences of war and life as a refugee who fled Saddam Hussein’s government. A highly relevant interview for any reader who wishes to understand how Mikhail’s life influences poems such as “Bag of Bones.”
“Dunya Mikhail: Flashed through Exile” by Guernica Magazine (2014).
An interview with Guernica magazine, in which Mikhail discusses her writing style and the production of her work in terms of inspiration and translation.
Listen to Poem
Machine Reading of “Bag of Bones” on Poem Hunter
A machine reading of “Bag of Bones” on Poem Hunter. Clear and easy to understand, but limited in terms of expressiveness and emotional range, for obvious reasons. No other audio recording of this poem currently exists online.
Dunya Mikhail reads her poem, “The War Works Hard”
In this audio recording for NPR, Dunya Mikhail reads the title poem from her poetry collection The War Works Hard (2015), the collection to which “Bag of Bones” belongs.
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