Humming the Blues: Inspired by Nin-me-sar-ra, Enheduanna's Song to Inanna

Poetry. Cass Dalglish translates the cuneiform of Enheduanna, a powerful Sumerian princess in 2350 BCE. Nin-me-sar-ra-the first signed poetry in history-begs the goddess Inanna (who entered the underworld and returned) for help overcoming a usurper. Adopting a jazz aesthetic, Dalglish improvises on her translations, re-examining the cuneiform through feminist lenses. Giving fresh interpretations to the originals, these poems form rhythmic riffs-like jazz musical improvisations-that carry the reader back to the lands of ancient Iraq during the time when gods were women. Cass Dalglish is a poet and novelist who studied Sumerian hieroglyphs to find women's earliest writing. She holds a PhD from Union Institute and is associate professor of English and chair of women's studies at Augsburg College. She was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award for her novel Sweetgrass and is the author of NIN.