*Using gender to define the core of what makes us human creates huge contradictions: it requires us to define men and women as fundamentally different from each other and yet also as full human beings. – *Johnson, The Gender Knot, 58
Juha and Donkey
Just as women appear in limited and occasional historical events universally, so the popular Arab folktales of Juha the trickster portray his wife in a supporting and marginal role.
I am delighted to announce my latest Special Project, developing the first English anthology of Moroccan Malhun poetry, building on my PhD dissertation and fieldwork and time spent in Morocco on and off, over more than a decade. Mbarek Sryfi, poet and professor at The University of Pennsylvania, is co-translator. Growing up in Morocco, he is a long-term fan of Malhun. The NEA is helping to fund our work (details here).
In this chilly winter season, here’s a list of Arabic shows and movies with something for everyone to enjoy…
Justice
Secret of the Nile
Wadjda
Justice | Netflix | UAE | Crime / Courtroom TV Show | about a young woman lawyer (I liked it!)
Secret of the Nile | Egypt | Netflix | Mystery, Drama, Romance | a beautiful reinvention of the Spanish telenovela Grand Hotel (one of my favorites!
Ghada Abdel Aal’s hilarious blog, عايزة أتجوز / I Want to Get Married was turned into a book, which has been translated into several languages. It was also adapted to an Egyptian musalsal / TV show. You can see it here. There are reviews of the book in The National here and on Muslimah Media Watch here.
Hind Sabry
I heard Ghada Abdel Aal speak in Austin, TX in 2010, and she seemed extremely intelligent, witty, and articulate.
This month, for a change, I’m just sharing a poem here. Maya Angelou’s Human Family reminds us of our connectedness. I had the honor to hear her speak in Austin, Texas. For me, she provides the voice of one our collective grandmothers, like a lighthouse in the distance or a signpost on our collective journey. Enjoy! Audio here:
Human Family I note the obvious differences in the human family. Some of us are serious, some thrive on comedy.
Cover art – The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman: The Arabic Epic of Dhat al-Himma
I’m delighted to announce the publication of my new book, The Tale of Princess Fatima, Warrior Woman: The Arabic Epic of Dhat al-Himma. This handy book contains carefully selected episodes from the longest extant Arabic epic, and the only one named for a woman. Below is a photo of the seven volumes that comprise the original Arabic text.
Photo of Thomas Tew from Wikipedia
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 piracy became a key element of American perceptions of North Africa.
Having posted Kids & YA book recommendations last month, this month I’d like to share some of my favorite MENA-related fiction and non-fiction selections that I read roughly in the past year. If you want to learn more about MENA and/or participate in a community of readers, check out the MENA Lit Group on goodreads.com .
Fiction
A Recipe for Daphne, Last Train to Istanbul, What Happened to Zeeko *A Recipe for Daphne by Nektaria Anastasiadou | *A delightful mix of lighthearted comedy and weighty issues of identity and history in Turkey.
Hisham al-Gokh gave a stunning live performance of this poem – see here. When this poem first came out, several years ago, it captured my attention with its simplicity and its brave criticism. He points the finger of blame at authorities in the Arab region, but there is also a note of self-criticism.
Hisham al-Gokh’s live, televised performance of Al-Tashira / The Visa
It’s time to post a new translation of this poem now because this is a powerful poem about tackling problems in one’s own society, owning up to the failure of childhood dreams and empty ideologies, and giving voice to the dreams that live on and provide hope for a better future for all.
The winter holiday season is an excellent time for revisiting favorite classics that continue to entertain and intrigue us year after year. One of my all-time favorites from classical Arabic literature is the travel account of Ibn Fadlan. (Especially during this social-distancing time, this selection offers fun reading AND a chance to travel virtually!)
The envoys of Byzantine Emperor Michael II are received by Omurtag the Bulgar ruler – Wikicommons
