I'm in Seattle, Where Are You? : A Memoir

I wanted so bad to really like this book, but I struggled to get into it, especially at first. The author’s prose and the back-and-forth combined to make the narrative hard to follow sometimes. I didn’t know where he was going with a lot of it. That said, the end was quite well-done.

When an American soldier gets stationed in Iraq and falls for a native, the question becomes clear (sort of): how can those lives and worlds ever reunite? They try, by planning for the chance that the Iraqi gets to the USA. If that happens, then what?This is the story of healing from the trauma of war and hoping for something better. It’s the story of many kinds of education, and the story of how one’s eyes can be opened to hidden truths, which are often screened by the harder, more brutal realities of social expectations and traditions. It’s the story of taking chances for reasons that may evolve as the risk taker understands the world and its wrinkles a little better.This story is about how Seattle is seen and known to a newcomer, and how the newcomer navigates the city he finds, and not the city he hopes or dreams to find.Lastly, and least important, this is the story of gay love in at least two very different societies. There is pressure added to characters’ lives and complexity unknown to others, and that alters the characters’ experience, but not so much that the underlying hopes and dreams are unrecognizable to any generous reader.

The Gulf War with Iraq was a time of confusion, for the US and its citizens. Why were we there, and was Saadam Hussein responsible for 9/11. Within this confusion we find the author, Mortada Gzar, in Iraq. He was a gay man in a country that killed homosexuals. He had met a soldier from the US., fell in love, instantly , and wanted a life together. His soldier’s time was up and he left Baghdad for the US, Seattle, in particular. This is Mortada’s story about that time. He decides he must travel to Seattle to find his lover. He does find Seattle and the US full of anti-gays. The story is about the characters he meets, the places he goes , and his experiences.I must preface this review by saying, this book is one of the most confusing books i have read. I am still not sure what occurs, but i think i have the jest of the storyline. The book goes back and forth from Iraq to Seattle, from childhood to his introduction as a gay man, to the people he knows to the people he meets and greets. The book was translated, so that may be part of the issue. Who knows? I read several chapters twice, and realize the culture gap may be part of the confusion. The confusion and the writing are a real problem for this book.Not Recommended For Me. prisrob 03-01-2021

PROS: No time is wasted in getting right into the story line of this book. The agenda is right up front and you better be ready for it. The illustrations alone tell the story which actually after reading just the first few pages while skimming the rest make this a book that I will go back and read cover to cover. Oh LASTLY: The artwork alone is enough to purchase the book.CONS: Definitely different agenda than mine, but at the same time I am accepting of other peoples views on life. And what a life the author has lead.I would recommend this book to anyone who has an open mind and is accepting of other lifestyles which might not be their own.

I've read few books written in another language and translated to English, and as I was reading I found myself intrigued by the shifting between portions that seemed as though they had been originally composed in English and some that presented thoughts and images in unfamiliar ways. Was this due to the authors native tongue having different rules and patterns than mine, or to his thoughts flowing in a way unique to himself?I enjoyed the unexpected transitions from fairly straightforward descriptions of events to thoughts, perceptions, or imaginings, and the frequent melding of the them that left me sometimes uncertain if what I was reading was factual, perceptual, or imagined.As a middle aged, white male heterosexual U.S. citizen I cannot truly understand the experiences of violent persecution and cultural rejection for sexual orientation, the experience of living in pre and post Saddam Iraq, of having a foreign army invade and occupy your country, of having to leave it in fear and immigrate to the very country that invaded yours. But I can relate to the love story that connects all these elements, to the deep loss, fear, indignation, hope, anger, joy and acceptance the author describes. Our common humanity makes us not so very different at all.

I was deeply touched by the themes in this book even though the author and I have different lived experiences. Being queer, one can often feel like a stranger wherever they go, whether at home or in another country. As a gay man, I relate to this theme. I also loved how he wrote about Seattle (my hometown) with a mix of love, affection, and wonder. Seattle is a lovely place that can also foster its unique sense of loneliness and isolation.I was honored that the author shared such intimate, difficult details of growing up in Iraq as a queer artist. I also liked how he never let the reader pity him and allowed the people in his life to be often three dimensional. Skilled writing, poetic imagery, and lovely drawings make this a must read.

This autobiographical work traces the author’s search for his true love with perceptive memories of his life in Iraq that include factual happenings and lyrical fancies as well as persecutions of himself and others due to homosexual orientation. It is a tale of survival and success in spite of momentous odds. The story tells of collecting shell casings to earn money as a child to being kidnapped and tortured as well as being an immigrant in the US. The drawings are amazing. The story provides glimpses into Iraqi life and culture.

I have heard of Mortada Gzar through Words without Borders, but this is the first book if his that I have read, and a very good read it turned out to be. A very talented man, and also a homosexual so this is his story of living and growing up in Iraq, and then emigrating to the US and living in Seattle. Along with this the author has given us some of his art creations, which are all pen and ink, and although some of these are more straightforward, a number of them are surreal, at the same time though being witty.For most of us we do not really care what sexuality someone is, at the end of the day it comes down to whether a person is nice or not, and we do not judge them on their sexual proclivities unless they are of something such as abusing children. But of course, there are a lot of people out there who seem to have problems with people who love those of the same sex, usually citing religious reasons. Here then we find out about the author’s first gay friendship and what happened when they were found out, with abuse and humiliation. This was when Saddam Hussein still had a grip on Iraq, but as we see, what followed after he was deposed was probably much worse, as rival religious groups started to arise, with more strict and fundamentalist ideals.We thus read of what life was like in Iraq under Hussein, and then after the liberation, with the sorts of jobs that some had to do to make ends meet, and so on. It is interesting to see how the rest of the country was treated, with Baghdad given certain dispensations as such, as we read of students residing next door to brothels. Growing up and becoming a university student are then quite prevalent here, as we meet certain characters who are classed as misfits as such, due to their eccentricities or proclivities. Contrasted with this is life in Seattle, where things are different in many ways, but not in all, after all in one country you are demonised due to your sexuality, in the other due to your colour and ethnicity.This then makes for a very interesting read, and one that although not going into too much graphic detail of death, torture and sex makes for a read that will give you pause for thought. It is also interesting to see where the word homosexual can used for other meanings, such as terrorists being called such as that can be the only reason that they are like they are, Jews, and so on. The contrasts between two different cultures makes this great for an insight into Arab and Iraqi ways, as well as showing how religious fundamentalism can gain a grip, and as we see here, it was not the toppling of Saddam as such that caused it in Iraq, but the power vacuum that was left behind.At the heart of this though is a journey, of a man trying to find the love of his life, who was an American soldier. This journey eventually comes to an end as we find out about the soldier, Morise.

Mortada Gzar is a novelist born in Basra, Iraq and this is his memoir.Mortada has an unusual writing style for his memoir. He goes back and forward in time and between his life in Iraq and America. He tells his story to the reader as though he is telling his life story to another person or object. His memoir is centred upon his falling in love with an African American soldier he meets in Baghdad and later moves to Seattle to make a life with him.I liked Mortada’s story highlighting the cultures within Iraq and Seattle. He makes a big story about his homosexuality and the differences between gay culture in Iraq and America. However his memoir is very easy to relate to regardless of your gender or sexuality. Love of all types happens between people and his book is essentially a love story. The tension slowly but steadily builds as Mortada searches high and low around Seattle to find the love of his life Morise. In the final pages there is a surprise ending that simply tugs at your heart.I liked how Mortada explained his teenage life around Basra collecting scrap metal from battles staged in the desert, observing an abandoned tank shake and meeting a three legged woman.I liked reading about Mortada’s university life in Baghdad, where he met Morise and their relationship flowered. I liked the historical perspective of his memoir when Mortada wrote about the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003. He explained the cultures and prejudices within Iraq, not just the looking down at the people of Basra by the people of Baghdad but the differences between Shi’i and Sunni Muslims.I liked his observations of the gay scene in Seattle and the colourful and lively people he met. I also liked his use of nicknames and how he shared a house with the Three Monkeys and was befriended by the Three Monks.I am pleased that I read a copy of I’m in Seattle. Where Are You? - I was irritated by the backwards and forwards in time. I think Mortada wrote his memoir in this format to hook the reader in early with the love interest but I feel this was unnecessary as there were so many varied and enlightening things that happened to him before he met Morise. With his rambling story telling writing style it was so easy to forget this was a memoir/true story and think I was reading a regular mystery novel. As memoirs go, I’m in Seattle was not an inspirational read but an interesting and personal insight into another world. I found this to be a NICE read but I found nothing special or outstanding. Looking through the highlights I made on my Kindle, I found there was not a memorable quote I could use in my review. When I finished reading this book I felt as though I had met Mortada and got the measure of the man. It was a case of “nice to have met you” and I think that I’m in Seattle is an OKAY 3 star read.

This book is different from others in the way it has been written. Sometimes I found it difficult to follow because it moved back and forth so much between Iraq and Seattle. What it does record is the horror and devastation of the Iraq war and what it did to the population there. It was so dangerous and confusing for ordinary people because of all the conflicting religious groups, militias as well as American forces. It was so difficult for anyone to get out and when the main character did succeed he found it equally as difficult to leave the past behind.

Rather disappointed that this book wasn't written in a style that appeals to me, it's a question of taste, I know, but sadly, not for me. I did try to persevere, and might try again but after reading about one third of it had had enough. Turned it off and started a different book. Sorry.

This is at the same time an illuminating story with lots of disturbing facts about mistreatment. There lots of very profound statements that make one stop and think.I am so glad I read it but also I am very sad about the attitudes that must exist in religiously controlled societies towards various minorities.An education.