Guantanamo Voices - The Library of the Uncommons

208 pages

English language

Published Jan. 3, 2020 by Abrams, Inc..

ISBN:: 978-1-64700-120-9

An anthology of illustrated narratives about the prison and the lives it changed forever

In January 2002, the United States sent a group of Muslim men they suspected of terrorism to a prison in Guantánamo Bay. They were the first of roughly 780 prisoners who would be held there—and 40 inmates still remain. Eighteen years later, very few of them have been ever charged with a crime. In Guantánamo Voices, journalist Sarah Mirk and her team of diverse, talented graphic novel artists tell the stories of ten people whose lives have been shaped and affected by the prison, including former prisoners, lawyers, social workers, and service members. This collection of illustrated interviews explores the history of Guantánamo and the world post-9/11, presenting this complicated partisan issue through a new lens.

An anthology of illustrated narratives about the prison and the lives it changed forever

In January 2002, the United States sent a group of Muslim men they suspected of terrorism to a prison in Guantánamo Bay. They were the first of roughly 780 prisoners who would be held there—and 40 inmates still remain. Eighteen years later, very few of them have been ever charged with a crime. In Guantánamo Voices, journalist Sarah Mirk and her team of diverse, talented graphic novel artists tell the stories of ten people whose lives have been shaped and affected by the prison, including former prisoners, lawyers, social workers, and service members. This collection of illustrated interviews explores the history of Guantánamo and the world post-9/11, presenting this complicated partisan issue through a new lens.

2 editions

Literally Graphic reviewed Guantanamo Voices by Omar El Akkad

Review of 'Guantanamo Voices' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Besides her own trip to Guantánamo Sarah Mirk highlights Mark Fallon: Former Chef of Middle East Counterintelligence Operations for NCIS, Matthew Diaz: Former Navy Judge Advocate General Corps Officer (Lawyer) and 20-Year Veteran, Moazzam Begg: Educator and Guantanamo Prisoner 558 February 2003 to January 2005, Thomas Wilner: Attorney Representing Guantanamo Prisoners, Colonel Morris Davis: 25-year Air Force Veteran and chief prosecutor for Guantanamo Bay military Commissions September 2005 to October 2007, Mansoor Adayfi: Guantanamo Prisoner 441 February 2002 to July 2016, Alka Pradhan: Human Rights Lawyer and Attorney for Guantanamo Prisoners, Shelby Sullivan-Bennis: Attorney for Guantanamo Prisoners, and Katie Taylor: Deputy director at Reprieve and Coordinator of the Life After Guantanamo Project.

As far as art goes the variety of artist does mean that it varies a bit, but not very noticeably. Everything is semi realistic with minimal lines and …

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Besides her own trip to Guantánamo Sarah Mirk highlights Mark Fallon: Former Chef of Middle East Counterintelligence Operations for NCIS, Matthew Diaz: Former Navy Judge Advocate General Corps Officer (Lawyer) and 20-Year Veteran, Moazzam Begg: Educator and Guantanamo Prisoner 558 February 2003 to January 2005, Thomas Wilner: Attorney Representing Guantanamo Prisoners, Colonel Morris Davis: 25-year Air Force Veteran and chief prosecutor for Guantanamo Bay military Commissions September 2005 to October 2007, Mansoor Adayfi: Guantanamo Prisoner 441 February 2002 to July 2016, Alka Pradhan: Human Rights Lawyer and Attorney for Guantanamo Prisoners, Shelby Sullivan-Bennis: Attorney for Guantanamo Prisoners, and Katie Taylor: Deputy director at Reprieve and Coordinator of the Life After Guantanamo Project.

As far as art goes the variety of artist does mean that it varies a bit, but not very noticeably. Everything is semi realistic with minimal lines and expressiveness. The colour scheme was apparently planned ahead of time, Mirk said she was going for a sunset feel to counteract the harsh nature of the material. I felt like some of the typographical colouring was a bit off but honestly Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me also did this so this is not very unique.

As far as gender and sexuality, neither was a particular focus of the book but there are some pretty hard working apparently woman IDing people highlighted in this volume.

The social constructs of race and citizenship were highlighted in this volume because of the ways it effected people's ability to get out of Guantanamo. We also see some examples of the ways immigrating from "western" countries back to your family's country of origin is feared by those in charge of this whole thing. Obviously racism is at the heart of the entire US response to 9/11, and the number of times that people in charge of this whole thing assert that no one could be innocent is terrifying.

Class was also not a focus of the work, and I feel like being locked up in Guantanamo removes you somewhat class hierarchy, into a new dreadful hierarchy. At least according to this book people's treatment mostly went back to their citizenship and race more so then class.

The one intersection I feel like more could have been done with is the ability vs disability. Torture is pretty hard on the body and on top of displacing these people even after they leave Guantanimo I'm sure it has pretty measurable physical and mental impacts on how people continue to live. There's some hints of that, but I would have appreciated more frank discussion. That said, the parts of the book covering prisoners appear to follow what they wanted to talk about so that's a limitation I can't really argue with.

Similarly I was a bit surprised that Omar Khadr was not covered as he was a minor held at Guantanimo. That said, perhaps he did not want to be involved, which is legit.

Back in 2018 I did read a book also about Guantanimo Bay entitled Aaron and Ahmed. Apparently I never reviewed it, so I should probably re-visit that. There's also a graphic novel entitled Guantánamo Kid : the true story of Mohammed El-Gharani that I should aim to pick up soonish.

But circling back to Guantanamo Voices, I'll be honest that I was perhaps a bit skeptical that this might turn into another liberal both sides "objective" journalism thing but, at least by my measure (which is not the be all end all) it did go beyond. Opening with a historical overview about the military base and Mirk's own experience visiting, the evolution of what we knew about torture before the "war on terror" that got thrown out the window, and how convinced so many people were of the guilt of all the prisoners. The fact that those people (even after it's proven they have no right to hold them) are fearful to release these people because they might take revenge... The critical lens is strong with this one. This book is very well timed in how we got so close to closing and now these last few people are still arbitrarily detained even as the "issue" has fallen into the background because so much crap is going on.