# How to Make an Algorithm in the Microwave with Poet MAYA SALAMEH

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Podcast: [AI & The Future of Humanity:  Artificial Intelligence, Technology, VR, Algorithm, Automation, ChatBPT, Robotics, Augmented Reality, Big Data, IoT, Social Media, CGI, Generative-AI, Innovation, Nanotechnology, Science, Quantum Computing: The Creative Process Interviews](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ai-and-the-future-of-humanity)
Published: 2025-09-21T14:12:34+00:00
Episode link: https://www.creativeprocess.info/ai-the-future-of-humanity/maya-salameh-2hfrk-ms2m3-3w4my
Audio file: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5745d9f137013b9d0a627c60/t/68d0095835054d672c198110/1758464371422/Maya+Salameh++SPEAKING+OUT+OF+PLACE.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2306

## Resource

Poet Maya Salameh explores the intersection of technological surveillance and diasporic identity in her award-winning collection. The discussion examines how the language of computing and the reality of being Arab-American in America inform a new poetic grammar.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Technology and computing structures serve as a metaphor for the surveillance experienced by Arab-American communities
- Practical takeaway: Using specific, localized textures—like street names and apartment numbers—can ground abstract themes of displacement in tangible reality
- Failure mode: Avoiding the trap of romanticizing a homeland one does not inhabit by focusing on lived, domestic experiences instead
- Main idea: The tension between the 'imperial core' and the impact of global warfare on the individual's psyche and creative purpose
- Practical takeaway: Poetry can act as a site of resistance by finding the 'tender and the quotidian' amidst global political disaster

## Topics

Poetry, Arab-American Identity, Surveillance Technology, Syrian Civil War, Diaspora Literature, Digital Linguistics, Social Justice, Creative Process

## Chapters
- 1:00 — New Lexicons for Modern Life: An introduction to the themes of reproduction, desire, and the linguistic innovations found in Salame_meh's work.
- 3:40 — Surveillance and the Arab-American Experience: Salameh discusses growing up under the shadow of 9/11 and how technological advancements have intensified the surveillance of Muslim communities.
- 6:20 — Roots and Displacement: A reflection on family history in Syria and Lebanon and the formative moment of writing her first poem during a return trip.
- 9:10 — Literary Influences and Formal Innovation: Exploring the impact of influential poets and the use of symbology to shape the book's tone and structure.
- 14:40 — The Structure of Digital Poetry: A technical look at how glossary terms and HTML-inspired structures are integrated into poetic forms.
- 17:20 — Animate and Inanimate Characters: Discussing the juxtaposition of historical figures, religious icons, and everyday objects within the collection.
- 22:40 — Data Colonialism and AI: Reflecting on the parallels between data extraction and imperialist structures in the modern age.

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## Transcript

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