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

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/tech-innovation-and-society/how-to-make-an-algorithm-in-the-microwave-with-poet-maya-salameh.md
Podcast: [Tech, Innovation & Society - The Creative Process: Technology, AI, Software, Future, Economy, Science, Engineering & Robotics Interviews](https://stenobird.com/podcast/tech-innovation-and-society)
Published: 2025-09-21T14:05:47+00:00
Episode link: https://www.creativeprocess.info/technology-innovation-society/maya-salameh-2hfrk-wmgcw
Audio file: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5745d9f137013b9d0a627c60/t/68d008219648c6075bc6b5d7/1758464060182/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 coding structures and linguistic innovation can reclaim agency in an era of digital monitoring and global conflict.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Technology and surveillance serve as a lens to examine the lived experience of Arab-American communities
- Practical takeaway: Using specific, localized textures—like street names and apartment numbers—can ground abstract political themes in authentic personal history
- Failure mode: Avoiding the romanticization of distant homelands in favor of honest, lived experiences in the diaspora
- Main idea: The use of technical lexicons and 'broken' languages can create a new, resistant grammar for poetry
- Practical takeaway: Writing for a specific community (e.g., Arab American women) can foster a deeper, more authentic connection with the intended audience

## Topics

Poetry, Arab-American Identity, Surveillance Technology, Diaspora Literature, Digital Colonialism, Linguistics, Political Activism, Creative Process

## Chapters
- 1:00 — New Lexicons for Modern Life: An introduction to the themes of reproduction, desire, and the linguistic innovations found in Salameh's poetry.
- 3:40 — Surveillance and the Arab-American Experience: Salameh discusses how growing up in a surveillance state influenced her interest in the structures of computing and technology.
- 6:20 — Formative Memories and the Syrian Civil War: A reflection on childhood summers in Damascus and how the outbreak of war shaped her poetic voice.
- 9:10 — Literary Influences and Textual Innovation: Exploring the impact of specific poets and the use of symbology in her recent work.
- 14:40 — Coding Poetry: HTML and Structure: A deep dive into how the structural elements of computing and glossaries inform the architecture of her poems.
- 17:20 — Animate and Inanimate Characters: Discussing the juxtaposition of historical figures, religious icons, and everyday objects within her writing.
- 22:40 — Data Colonialism and AI: A conversation on the political implications of AI and the concept of data as a new form of empire.

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## Transcript

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