I’m opening a space here for connections to more information about languages and cultures that neighbor Arabic: Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew to start. Feel free to send me any recommendations!
For Persian culture / art / history, see Caroline Mawer’s blog. For literature in translation, Words without Borders (July 2013) has an issue dedicated to literature post-(1979) revolution.
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…
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…
A few months ago, I picked up Black Water Rising (2009, 1st in the Jay Porter series by Attica Locke) and I was plunged into a world of daily struggle–the struggle to survive, to stay true to one’s principles, to take care of one’s family–often against the odds. I don’t find myself in the perspective…
For English speakers beginning to learn Arabic, the most popular and most effective book is Alif Baa by Brustad, Al-Batal, and Al-Tonsi. Based on the order of its vocabulary, here are some materials that I like to use for providing cultural input in Arabic class: Unit One Salam‘alikum by Jil Jilala from here Unit Three…
I write this from Rhode Island, which lays claim to numerous historical pirates such as Thomas Tew. Piracy was part of the historical international economy that was powered by sea transport. Yet it came to color stereotypes of particular nations. Such misperceptions and their effects are long-lived. This post offers a quick look at how…
I have a new translated short story online at K1N here ! The author, Somaya Ramadan, and I discussed its publication ages ago. It’s nice to have it see the light of day at last. This story comes from a fun volume titled Qalat al-Rawiya / قالت الراوية / What She Said, which consists of…
