Afghan Arts and Letters

It seems Americans’ perception of Afghanistan these days revolves around words like “stronghold” and “surge.” I only have a vague sense of what everyday life is like there, so a new Library of Congress exhibit of letters written by Afghans to Radio Azadi, the Afghan branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is especially welcome.

Since Radio Azadi launched in December 2001 — part of a post-9/11 democracy-building effort by the U.S. Congress–Afghan listeners have sent more than 15,000 letters to the station, many of which wend their way, by foot or donkey, to Kabul, then on to RFE/RL’s headquarters in Prague.

Sending a letter in Afghanistan has its challenges– rugged terrain, non-functioning post offices among them–but the station’s correspondents appear undeterred. Teachers write of overloaded classrooms; others ask for intervention with government officials ; some write only to request a song.

“We really don’t know why the government is daydreaming,” writes one man from Kabul, wondering why promises of food aid haven’t materialized. “Do we have a government or not?”

While you could read the exhibit as a literary town hall meeting– enlightening in itself–Voices From Afghanistan also succeeds on artistic merits. Many of the letters are embellished with intricate floral and animal illustrations, carrying on a centuries-old Afghan tradition of illuminating texts and poems , and highlighting the culture’s reverence for the written word.

The writing itself–in Dari or Pashto–is charmingly formal: missives open with a greeting or wishes for a “happy Eid” to the staff of Radio Azadi, followed by a few lines of poetry or words of advice.

The exhibit notes that listener e-mails are on the rise as Afghanistan becomes increasingly wired, but one hopes the art of letter writing, as Afghans practice it, won’t soon be replaced.

Voices From Afghanistan runs through May 8 at the Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.