Check out this interview with German scholar Angelika Neuwirth on enlightenment in Arabic and Islamic cultures ! Some highlights: On Enlightenment: “The claim that Islam lacks an Enlightenment is an age-old cliché. Pride in the Enlightenment–even though this pride has died down somewhat–continues to lead people to believe that Western Culture is way ahead…
My academic training is in Arabic literature. By literature, I don’t mean written materials alone. I mean instead the manipulation of language in all of its various forms (whether stories, poems, rhymes, etc.) to reach an audience–expressing feelings, communicating experiences, asking questions, offering advice, and so on. When I first studied in Morocco, I had to…
Today we have some computer-based exercises. With your partner, run through the following in any order you choose: Visit this image, click on it to zoom in, and answer the following questions. If you get stumped, raise your hand for help. ١ – شو هذا ؟ ٢ – Write some of the names, and any…
Dear Barbara Dick and other sci-fi fans: Check out this page for the sci fi salon that will be kicking off the annual Nour Festival of Arts. Their announcement features a great piece of art by Murat Palta depicting Star Wars as a traditional miniature painting. The artist also has miniatures of movies such as…
بتحكي عربي؟ بتحب الادب؟ عندنا فرصة لمناقشة الادب(العربي خاصةً) بالعربي بأي نوع (المصري، الشامي، المغربي، إلخ..) مرة كل اسبوع يوم الأحد 3:30 – 4:30 مساءً (Eastern Standard Time) على Google Hangouts اتصل بي للمشاركة احنا بنقرى “الساق على الساق” للشدياق حالياً
Bonjour! As you may know, I’m helping lead a discussion on GoodReads about The Time of White Horses by Ibrahim Nasrallah. Then my husband recently introduced me to the music of Nolwenn Leroy, a French singer inspired by Breton and Celtic culture. I enjoyed this song so much, that I ended up translating it (video…
Here’s a shout-out to all my favorite book dealers… مدبولي Madbouli Bookshop 6 Talaat Harb Sq. – Cairo, Egypt الأزبكية Al-Azbakeyah open market for used books – Cairo, Egypt ديوان Diwan bookstores – Cairo, Egypt دار الشروق Dar El Shorouk 1 Talaat Harb Sq. – Cairo, Egypt دار الهلال Dar El Hilal 16 Mohamed Ezz El Arab St. – Cairo, Egypt…
Tarif Khalidi posted this with the intriguing comment that it’s “from an anthology of Arabic literature, ancient & modern, verse & prose, all my own translations, which should be completed in a couple of years or so.” Happy Saturday! ~ m. Al-Buhturi (d.897) The Poet and the Wolf What a night! Dawn at its tail-end…
Today I attended the dissertation defense of my friend Ben Koerber. His book-in-progress is titled: The Aesthetics and Politics of Rumor in Egyptian Public Culture Although he identifies many kinds of rumors, they are all kinds of tales that are unauthorized by authorities–they are disturbances in symbolic systems (such as a political order). Rumor is…
YA Arabic Fantasy Fiction I recommend anything by Ahmed Salah Al Mahdi, a bright new talent in the Arab World. I’ve dedicated another post to his work here. Adult Arabic Fantasy Fiction ‘Warrior’ by Matt Leines Historical/Classical Selections: Science Fiction: Speculative fiction fans, tune in to these two Intralingo Spotlight interviews with author Dr. Monther…
