Böcker av Arroyo Seco Press

I know this is usually where the editor writes an extensive introduction that contextualizes the project, and argues for why this particular book, at this particular moment, feels especially vital. But the truth is this collection is based on an idea too simple-and too enduring-to necessitate anything more than the following: movies are awesome. That's been true for over a century, and my guess is it will still be true a century from now. Without further ado, then, enjoy this book, and enjoy these writers. -Kareem Tayyar, Southern California, September, 2023

On January 27, 2017, the 45th President of the United States issued Executive Order 13769. Protests, airport chaos, and legal resistance quickly followed. The order is titled, "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States," but is more commonly known as "the Muslim ban." Citizens from the following 7 countries were, in effect, barred from entering the United States: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. On February 9, 2017, a temporary restraining order against the ban was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On March 29, 2017, the ban's replacement, Executive Order 13780, was halted by an indefinite preliminary injunction. It has been determined that both bans violate the constitution of the United States. The pages of this anthology contain the voices of Iranian, Iraqi, Libyan, Syrian, and Yemeni, as well as Egyptian and Moroccan poets. All the proceeds from this book will go to the American Civil Liberties Union.