Words in the Dust (22 page)

Authors: Trent Reedy

BOOK: Words in the Dust

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While all novels, especially first ones, are very special to their authors,
Words in the Dust
means a lot to me because it also represents the fulfillment of a wartime promise. Therefore, I feel a profound sense of gratitude toward all the people who have helped make this book a reality. Special thanks go to my agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, who gave this novel its first acceptance letter and who connected me to the great people at Arthur A. Levine Books. To my editor, Cheryl Klein, for her belief in this story as well as for her patience and guidance. To Dr. Thomas Gouttiere and the people at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Afghanistan Studies for their insights into the Dari language. To Jaime Knipfer, for helping me keep up with checking papers in my classroom and for helping to direct the school play while I worked on this book. To Dr. Miriam Gilbert, who helped make me a lifelong English major. To my mother, brother, and sister for their love and support. To the soldiers with whom I served in Farah, Afghanistan, especially those members of the GSC; you know who you are. To Sergeant Matthew Peterson, who taught me The Cowboy Way, and whose leadership and friendship kept me sane through my time in the war. To Khalid Siddiq, for answering hundreds of questions about Afghanistan. To the wonderful community of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, especially the gloriously talented Cliffhangers, double especially to Mari Talkin, Patti Brown, and Carol Brendler. To all of my VCFA instructors: Rita Williams-Garcia, who was patient and helpful through the first draft; Jane Kurtz and David Gifaldi for their guidance in-between; and Margaret Bechard for getting me to graduation and for ask
ing the important questions. To Katherine Paterson, whose wonderful stories reminded me of beauty and hope during a time when both were in short supply. Finally, my deepest love, gratitude, and admiration goes to my wife, Amanda, who always believed in The Dream, even and especially when I didn’t. Amanda, you are my life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trent Reedy became fascinated with Afghanistan when he served there with the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2005. Upon his return to the States, he enrolled in the Writing for Children MFA program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where he wrote the early drafts of this book. He recently published a second novel, STEALING AIR, that draws upon his youth in small-town Iowa. Trent and his wife now live in Washington state. Visit him on the web at
www.trentreedy.com

Yusuf and Zulaikha
retells the story of Joseph (Yusuf) and Potiphar’s wife, who is named Zulaikha by tradition. Their story is included in the sacred books of all three major Western religions, in the Holy Quran at Surah Yusuf 12:21-34, and in the Torah and the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 39. The excerpts here (in
Chapter 5
,
Chapter 12
,
Chapter 15
, and
Chapter 18
) are taken from the poet Jami’s version, one of the seven books in his
Haft Awrang
, or “Seven Thrones.” Jami, the pen name of Nur ad-Din Abd ar-Rahman Jami, was born in Afghanistan in 1414 and wrote more than eighty books of poetry, history, and Sufi religious studies before his death in 1492. While no modern translation of
Yusuf and Zulaikha
is widely available, an 1882 translation by Ralph Griffith can be found on the Internet and in the public domain.

The
Shahnameh
(quoted in
Chapter 10
) describes the founding of the Persian Empire in the area we now know as Iran. The title literally translates as “The Great Book,” but as “Shah” means “king” in Persian, it is commonly known as the “Book of Kings.” An epic poem with more than fifty thousand couplets, it was written by the Persian poet Firdawsi over the course of thirty years, from 977-1010 A.D. Hak
m Abu’l-Q
sim Firdaws
T
s
was born in the city of Tus around 935. Many stories surround the poem’s early reception, as the sultan for whom it was written at first refused to pay the sum promised to Firdawsi; but after the poet’s death in 1020, it was recognized as both a masterpiece and the national saga of Persia. The translator Dick Davis recently published a full translation of the epic in combination prose and poetry, with several abridged versions available.

The excerpts here were newly translated especially for
Words in the Dust
by Roger Sedarat, a professor of poetry and translation at Queens College in New York City. Please visit his website at
www.sedarat.com
.