There is a particular pleasure in finding an author who writes in a style/genre that you learned to like in another language first. Helping someone else with such as discovery is just as fulfilling! The following inquiry came from a friend who teaches Arabic in a U.S. university. Her first language is English, but she…
I’ve been pondering what my “10 for Libraries” list would look like ever since M. Lynx Qualey and Ursula discussed “Where to Start” (reading Arabic literature) on the Bulaq podcast, and as I’ve been seeing the various “10 for Libraries” lists posted on Arablit.org (first in the series here). 1. Novel: The Open Door by…
I’m happy to announce the new free Arabic teaching module co-created by myself and Laila Familiar on Khallina.org available here. In this module, we investigate transnational social issues in the Arab World through literature and graphic art. These issues include: refugees and refugee camps, fleeing violence, immigration, cultural challenges for immigrants, studying abroad, and making…
I’m just wrapping up a late summer group read of: The Green Bicycle By Haifaa Al Mansour This is a light, fun read if you enjoy YA literature and you have any interest in what it would be like to grow up in Saudi Arabia. The text flows easily, and the main character is a…
Arabic Language Resources by Dialect ~ مصادر بالعربي I. Egyptian ~ مصري MelodyTV I’m loving Netflix’s series, “Secret of the Nile” (the Egyptian adaptation of Spanish “Grand Hotel,” from Ramadan 2016) Old favorite films Egyptian units by William Fawzy – and “talk show archives“ 2020 addition: a new blog & podcast called Bilmasri II. North…
This article translated from Moroccan press by Melanie Magidow (Hespress April 28, 2018, Wail Bourchachene) Abdelfattah Kilito, Moroccan writer and literary critic, deplored that his Masters students in the last several years before his retirement “really read nothing.” In an interactive lecture at Ibn Tufail University in Kénitra, he stressed that the students were not…
I’m teaching a new introductory Arabic community class at The Collective. We had a great time last night at the first session! The remaining four sessions are on the following Thursdays (all 7-8 pm at The Collective): Th. 2/22, Th. 3/1, Th. 3/8, and Th. 3/15. Here is a recent article about a beginning Arabic…
Some Favorite Quotations in Arabic Literature On art, literature, and writing Horses, night, and the desert know me And the sword, the spear, paper, and the pen – a famous line of poetry by the poet Al-Mutanabbi (known for his bragging!) from 10th century Baghdad On education What I want is knowledge of how things…
Update 2020: For remote Arabic study options, see here. Update May 2019: For advanced Arabic study (such as CASA), apply for this scholarship! If you teach, tell your students. Bravo to Industry Arabic for this important support! For any other study abroad needs, feel free to contact me for case-by-case information. I intent to update…
Having started to translate my first novel from Arabic to English, I’ve been inspired to make a post here about translation. It’s a science and an art–tedious, but also very satisfying when you feel that you’ve succeeded. Here’s a great article about translatability and the work of the translator. For Arabic-to-English translation, see the premier…
