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The Green Bicycle
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…

Love & Poetry
One of the most inspiring couples I know of in contemporary Arabic literature are the writers Mourid Barghouti and Radwa Ashour. So it was hard when Radwa Ashour passed away in 2014: I would miss her writing and her activism. And I could only imagine how much her family would miss her. One of her…
Books for Arabic Learners
What’s fun to read if you’re learning Arabic? (And if you like shopping during the winter holiday season, you can think of these for a friend who is learning Arabic)… The following are my personal favorites and go-to reads for Arabic learners and those interested in the Arab region: Non-Fiction Dreams of Trespass: Tales of…

10 For Libraries
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…
Alice Walker, Writing from Gaza
Image: Alice Walker speaks in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. Lazar Simeonov TEDxRamallah Because I have studied Arabic for a long time, people sometimes ask me for my analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I usually let others steer the conversation, not because I have no ideas or opinions, but because sometimes…

Cultivating the Pleasure of Extensive Reading in Arabic (Part 2 of 2)
In the current climate, audio and video sources are on the rise, but reading remains a key skill for language learners. For those learners who already love to read (in any language), extensive reading can be a powerhouse for their progress toward increased proficiency in Arabic. This 2-part series is based on research in language…