Darkly funny and beautifully written. So well-researched that you're inspired to do your own homework to distinguish what's true and what's embellished (or outright fabricated). In a 2016 interview with Brad Listi on his otherppl podcast, Kobek mentions that (actual) Atta's 150-page architectural thesis has been locked away by his supervisor and has never been seen before by those not involved in its composition, though the argument of the thesis is known, and is demonstrated by Kobek in the excerpt that appears immediately after Atta has made himself resonant with the 2 prongs of New York's tuning fork.

Kobek's depiction of Atta's Travis Bickle-like hatred for Western empire and its cultural exports instantiates itself in several laugh-out-loud funny moments:

"Brother," says Atta, "The film functions on two metaphorical levels. The first is more obvious. It is a critique of Western commodity culture. Imagine a world in which Christmas has nothing to do with Isa but rather the flow of green American dollars. We live in this world. The film takes this idea to its extreme, employing the icon of commercialization. Santa Claus murdering literally is only a poetic demonstration of the reality. Secondly, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a metaphor for the manner in which the West treats the Islamic world. Amreeka smiles like a friend, a trusted acquaintance, and then, after your back is turned, strikes you from behind. This film is very subversive, brother. It demolishes the myth of Santa Claus and uses the slasher genre to provide an explicit, angry critique of American foreign policy."

"Brother," says Marwan, "You can find the secret meaning of anything."

I think Kobek himself leaks through a few times, like in this eerily relevant stab on page 46:

"Brother," says Marwan, "Gore will be better for Muslims."

"Don't be foolish," says Atta. "Gore is like Bush, two heads attached to the same monster. Only the name is different. Remember when we thought Clinton supported Palestine? Look how that ended... These Americans are the slaves of Israel. Each bends over backwards in genuflection. There is no difference between Bush and Gore."

Overall a great read; will be checking out more of Kobek's stuff.

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Atta The Whitman Of Tikrit

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"You hear it. The humming. You ignore this humming all of your life."

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