A Head for the Emir

by William T. Vollmann

William T. Vollmann is my favorite author, although searching back through my blog, it would seem I've never written about him before.  I believe that when I last finished one of his books, this blog did not yet exist, although it's hard to imagine going more than a year without reading something from him, seeing as he is so prolific.  I am currently reading his newest book, Imperial, but seeing as it is some 1500 pages long, it's going to be a while before I write about it on this site.

Anyway, it was with great pleasure that I discovered Vollmann had an article in this issue of Harper's.  In it, Vollmann writes about his travels in Kirkuk, Sulaimaniya, and other places in the Iraqi part of greater Kurdistan, a nation that exists in the hearts of its inhabitants, if not on any recognized map.  Kirkuk is too dangerous for an American journalist to stay in, so Vollmann repeatedly makes the journey there for the day, each time increasingly pushing his luck, especially as he continues to travel in the same car, and boldly, eat in the same restaurant.  His fixer and his interpreter become increasingly nervous, and probably rightly so, as they have more knowledge of the kidnappings that occur in that region than Vollmann does.

Vollmann paints an interesting portrait of a people who have come through hard times, and who are continuing to suffer under ethnic strife and the almost constant interference of their neighbouring nations, particularly Turkey, Syria, and Iran, none of whom are willing to concede the right to existence of a greater Kurdistan.

Vollmann does keep his prose much more under control than is typical for him.  This is a relatively objective and flat piece of reportage, almost lacking in his typical flourishes and stylistic foibles (for example, there is only one footnote).  The usual Vollmann does shine through on occasion though, such as when he describes a young machine-gun bearer guarding the Kirkuk Security Directorate of the Kurdistan Democratic Party: "all in all, he seemed dressed for the weather of Kirkuk, whose meterorologists must sometimes report light showers of lead, steel, or concrete fragments."

As usual, when reading Vollmann, it is a wonder that he stumbles his way through his surroundings intact.  His optimism and faith in the goodness of people often comes across as blindingly naive, yet he's still journeying through some of the most dangerous places on Earth, and living to tell us all about it.