Khaled Hosseini (Author of of The Kite Runner & A Thousand Splendid Suns) on Lefke Automatic/Destiny of Love: "This is lovely, moving work, with a sense of mystery, and the possibility of unexpected discovery, forever at hand. At times open ended, elusive, and abstract, Yusuf Misdaq 's poems can also be bold, emphatic, and unafraid."

As the above quote indicates, this 6th installment of Yusuf Misdaq's poetry series takes a completely unexpected turn. The book begins as a poetic travelogue of a journey to the small Mediterranean village named in the books title; there Misdaq visits a living Saint of the Sufi tradition. The literary and poetic descriptions of this amazing and mysterious man are lively and enticing, leaving the reader feeling like Misdaq's travel partner, if not intimate friend. For anyone who has ever returned from a holiday feeling uplifted, inspired and refreshed (and is aware of the precious, fleeting nature of this lovely feeling) then this book surely enters into must-have territory. Not only is the brief (15 pages or so) description of the journey itself cataloged in rich language, with evocative colors, emotions, history and culture (there is even a glossary of terms and preface), but most inspiring of all, the author tries relentlessly to extend that special 'post-holiday high' in the second half of the book which takes place after returning home (or, "Back to the fake real world," as Misdaq puts it).

At this point each poem (and occasional 'song') becomes more and more vivid than the last, and the dazzled reader will be left wondering how on Earth this poet is capable of conjuring up such unexpectedly metaphysical meanings from everyday city phenomena like cigarettes, tissue paper, mobile phones, parking spaces and trains. Finally, the 'Destiny of Love' mentioned in the title is indeed a poetic love story, that of falling in love just as the Spring of 2010 arrives. It is a perfect and well-described backdrop to fit the themes of the work.

Lefke Automatic is clearly Misdaq's best attempt yet at catching the butterfly of life's beauty in his madly foraging, relentless, style-shifting net. At once the calmest, most personal, and deepest of all the previous books, this magic edition is for anybody truly interested in implementing spirituality and inspiration in their daily lives.

An ecstatic sequel to the Afghan author's more somber book, 'Into Solidity, ' 'The Butterfly Gate' is a bright, explosive and georgeous collection of poems / hilarious illustrations by a slightly crazy writer who, despite operating on a totally mysterious and euphoric level, kindly makes us feel completely welcome as we navigate his sensual-spiritual stream of purple, laughing consciousness. As with the other works in this series, the readers will find themselves inundated with very human, unpretentious poetry that is ultimately, as the foreword informs us, a documentation of the soul as it attempts to break free from the body, without any proper 'guidelines'. To this end, the British-born author finds himself almost haunted by an impossible to place, 'East' which comes along every once in a while and teases, releasing scents of possible solution. The short stories included are in equal parts liberating, funny and mystical; much like the rest of the book, they leave us with a feeling of awe at our own unique human existence; happy strangers to our own skin, curious tourists to the possibilities of our own, fresh hearts. Inspirational, alive and, like a baby, softly kicking- 'The Butterfly Gate' is a wonderful depiction of sensual, problematic, delicious human LIFE

With a foreword from mathematics genius and Music professor Ernest G. McClain, Spilling Kingdoms finds Misdaq the poet in full 'Englishman-in-America' mode, making for a journey both humorous and touching. Tinged with more than a little spiritual-searching, this fourth part is the deepest and most well-rounded of the series thus far, featuring poems that are at times fresh, fleeting and impressionistic, and at other times, heavy with a thundering and solid intent. What's it all about? Looking at a world from the eyes of a journeying traveler, realizing how alien you are to it, and yet, magically and imperceptibly, coming to the realization that it (and everything, everyone) is as closely linked to you as any 'home' ever could be. Taking place during the election campaign of Barack Obama (featuring quite a few poems on this) and complete with wonderfully abstract sketches (at times on tissue paper, reproduced beautifully) as well as a truly memorable afterword, Spilling Kingdoms leaves you literally itching for the next chapter in the series.

The second book of poems by the Afghan author and artist Yusuf 'Yoshi' Misdaq, featuring a foreword from prominent Rumi translator Raficq Abdulla, MBE. Filled with simple profound metaphor poems, and some astounding (and shocking) prose pieces, 'Into Solidity' deals with, "an icy estrangement and detachment from this world, leading to the dissolution of the morale- and its subsequent attempts at reformation," and is described right at the outset as being suitable for those considering suicide. True to its promise, it is heavy-going at times, however the emotional journey of vivid and rhythmic movements eventually unfolds towards a light, resulting in a deep-rooted optimism in existence which is both inspiring and spiritual.

The Beautiful / Palace Prayers (5th in the series of poetry books from Misdaq) offers the most rhythmic, urgent and yet 'beautifully' abstract assemblage of words thus far. As the call to walk away from the material world and its enticements becomes ever more solid, so does the calling towards some sort of 'path' become ever more pronounced, and so do the words themselves seem to take on a new magic. New shifts and subtle lights produce truly fresh angles, supplying meanings that one oft-cannot be sure are intended or unintended, and yet, are nonetheless felt somewhere real, primal. To be sure, this is 'pure' poetry (with less of 'the poet'), all water, all clear mirrors reflected at the sky or the Divine. Fittingly then, we witness here a definite shift away from the more dry wit and reportage journalism-style sometimes present in the previous 4 books. Galactically serious, freshly spiritual, and yet rooted in the honesty of the everyday streets (of Washington DC) at the very same time. Cellular, biological and metaphysical worlds of sheer SEARCHING, meet with hip-hop flows so undeniably present in the rhythm of these poems that you might even find yourself bobbing your head to a beat you think you hear. The genius is that you DO hear it. This earnest, honest collection also includes (like its predecessor 'Spilling Kingdoms') a document of poems written daily during the month of Ramadan, as well as three remarkably unique and experimental short stories, and finally, illustrations of 'The Beautiful, ' in all of their forms- peppered throughout the handsome, royal text.Extracts from the foreword by Christopher Reiger: "No doubt, the author, laughing, singing, eyes wide and sparkling, would appear mad to many of his fellows. This is to their discredit. They have forgotten (or failed to learn) how to look... As Douglas Thorpe writes, " love] demands of us a new way of being in our old world." Religious mysticism is a love affair with The All. It's not always easy but religious attunement can turn each day, each hour, or each instant, into, "a new way of being." Reading Yusuf's poetry, I'm reminded that every step is a psalm, every directed gaze is a prayer."