Adventure!
Here’s to travel, expanding one’s horizons, and taking on new challenges! My friend Barbara Romaine recently published a series of poems here, including the following celebration of roaming (Arabic here).
Teaser
Here is a tiny teaser excerpt from my Work in Progress translation of the epic Sirat al-Amira Dhat al-Himma/سيرة الأميرة ذات الهمة from Arabic to English. (This translation project is funded by a grant from the NEA.) Note: I’m playing with the name of the main character. She was born Fatima, but is known as…
Arabic Epics
As I talk with people about my current translation project, more and more people want to know about Arabic epics. These epics (Arabic: سيرة / sira) are long adventure tales that recount the exploits of a group of heroic characters and villains. Siras draw on historical events, although they are not to be considered conventional…
Quotes
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…
NEA Grant Recipient!
Melanie A. Magidow Receives NEA Literature Translation Fellowship Fellowship will support the translation into English of The Adventures of Dhat al-Himma (the Arabic epic Sirat al-amira Dhat al-Himma) Washington, DC — Today, the National Endowment for the Arts announced that Melanie Magidow has been recommended for an NEA Literature Translation Fellowship of $12,500. Magidow…
Nominated for Prize!
Mortal Designs has been nominated for the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation! More details here. See review of the book here. “…couldn’t put the book down. I felt richly immersed in a culture and atmosphere I barely know. The characters are so alive! I love how you left some words untranslated and…
Arabic Programs
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…
Arts of the Arab World II: Popular Culture & Verbal Art
Image of Bayad playing his oud Music Some of my favorite contemporary Moroccan artists: Nass El Ghiwane – see Brownbook post Oum – see Brownbook post Nabyla Maan See here for a concert of psalms sung in Arabic, performed by Lebanese Catholic nun Sister Marie Keyrouz. Poetry and Oral Compositions…
Arts of the Arab World I: Material Culture
I have read a lot about the glorious accomplishments of “the Arabs” or “the Muslims” in the distant past. Instead of focusing on some mythic golden age, this site includes any material culture that I find beautiful and noteworthy. So while some examples are historical, some are contemporary. For some incredibly beautiful historic art and…
Returning to Ourselves
A poem for spring–for thawing out, for growth, for warmth, for vacation. My husband and I recently learned that we are expecting a son in the fall. Facing the prospect of motherhood is complex for me: I don’t picture myself as a mother yet. Aren’t parents all grown up? This poem does a nice job,…