I Had to Tell Someone That I Was Here

The book “I Had to Tell Someone That I Was Here” is a collection of essays by Ali Motamedi. These essays are divided into five sections or concepts, all experienced or formed during the author’s fourth decade of life. These sections are narratives about “absence,” “loneliness,” “seeing,” “home,” and “loving.” Ali Motamedi offers an experiential and tangible definition of each concept at the beginning of each section, followed by several essays about his experiences related to that concept. Each section or essay can be read and understood separately; however, their continuity reveals connections to other parts of the book, enhancing the pleasure of reading “I Had to Tell Someone That I Was Here.” Another enjoyable aspect of flipping through this book is the photographs taken by the author of various cities and places, appearing at the beginning of each essay with details of the year and location. In these essays, the author becomes the narrator of his personal life, sharing layers of his subconscious and experiences at particular life moments. Most events described take place in New York, the author’s current city of residence, but he also recalls his childhood memories. A prominent feature of these reminiscences is that they allow the reader to perceive them as shared experiences during reading. The author discusses subtle points of life or feelings that we may have once understood, moved past, and forgotten. However, reading these essays revives lost and forgotten emotions and experiences. He talks about watching a movie or going to the cinema, capturing a memorable frame of a landscape he holds in his mind, and his thoughts and plans to return to Iran. Some of the essays in “I Had to Tell Someone That I Was Here,” such as “Swimming Class,” “My Passport Photo,” “My Name is Alex,” and “Yesterday I Saw Jim Jarmusch,” have been previously published in English-language magazines.