The varying poetics of both ancient and modern Arabic poetry inflect this book-long exploration of the materiality of the body, negotiating the terrain of love and its denials.Zaher explores the landscape of life fraught with disappointments and occasional triumphs through fragments, lyrics, metatextual pauses, stutterings, translations of ancient poetry, and the occasional late-night email. This epic foray into fraught emotional territory is alive with Zaher s particular gift of keen observation, deft whimsy, and superb intelligence."