Fountain of Youth

by Nada Faris

Concerned with endings, resonances, and aftermaths, Fountain of Youth explores the mediation of an Arab female poet on the brink of change, documenting moments of transformation from adolescence to adulthood, from the immature stage of a mental disorder to its mature form, and from post-colonial conditions which led to the creation of a comfortable welfare state to globalization and its repercussions. Specifically, Fountain of Youth questions what it means to be human after the global triumph of neoliberalism—and how our revision will help us rethink our ideas about youth/growth in the Middle East.

Genres: Poetry

90 pages, Paperback

Published December 19, 2016

About the author

Nada Faris is a writer and creative writing teacher from Kuwait. In 2018, she received an Arab Woman Award from Harper’s Bazaar Arabia for her impact on Kuwait’s creative landscape. She is an Honorary Fellow in Writing at Iowa University’s International Writing Program (IWP) Fall 2013; and an alumna of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) April 2018: Empowering Youth Through the Performing Arts. Faris holds an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry & Literary Translation) from Columbia University. She is, furthermore, the author of multiple international books in different genres. Her shorter works have appeared in: The Norton Anthology for Hint Fiction, Gulf Coast Journal, Indianapolis Review,​ Nimrod, Tribes, One Jacar, The American Journal of Poetry, and more.
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Website: www.nadafaris.com
Twitter: @thenadafaris
Instagram: @thenadafaris

Reviews

[Jassim Al Enezi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book a lot and I'm so proud to be a friend of the author! My favorite poem is Mother. Every page made its way to my heart and got me emotional.

[Huda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how nostalgia was a recurring theme, the entire collection is beautifully sawed. My favorite pieces include ‘Residue’ and ‘Dear Paul Gauguin, from Vincent Van Gogh’. Interpretation of poetry can be done in two ways: you either spend hours trying to decipher the metaphors and references the poet has used trying to figure out what EXACTLY the poet is trying to communicate or you make up an analogy of your own based on personal experiences. I tend to go for the latter. Both poems, for me, took a personal hit. It truly is a wonder how words can bring people together. I find myself reaching for this book so often these days that I’m this close to memorizing the entire book hahaha. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who has a liking towards modern poetry!

[Theresa Milstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

These all have a surreal quality I appreciate. One of my favorites is Mother and Lover's Rock. Growing Up Solid in Kuwait had a powerful juxtaposition of a person in two stages of his life. Day Fifty-Seven poignantly expressed the repression of cultures/religions and their implications. Nada Faris's poems need a few readings to pull the nuances.

[me · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a friend awhile ago though I wasnt a fan of poems generally i’d go for fiction or what not, but after getting a chance of having a copy my views has changed. My favourite one has to be ‘End of an Era’ though all of them are just as amazing but I found my self being fond of it. Fountain of youth is my poem reading debut and i dont regret that decision at all.

[Debarun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review at:
https://newfound.org/2017/01/15/nada-...