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…
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…
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…
Here in Rhode Island, we have had fairly warm weather. So many people receive it with trepidation, citing global warming. They worry what this means for the future. In other locations, people worry about an influx of refugees or an exodus of the most educated and skilled workers. Nearly everyone worries about violence, whether in…
In response to the recent violence in Beirut and Paris, I offer this video featuring the music, philosophy, and singing of Sister Marie Keyrouz, a Lebanese Catholic nun who sings in Arabic. For more, see her website. Also, I recommend this article: A Muslim Woman’s First Thoughts After the Paris Attacks by Hasnaa Mokhtar. She…
Here’s a sneak peak from my new translation I have coming out this December. The following two excerpts introduce the three main characters in this social comedy / drama… Excerpt 1 Captain Murad’s house was crammed full of antique furniture and relics, like the Egyptian Museum. As Hazim’s eyes roamed the villa, he felt…
Happy Labor Day (in the U.S.) ! My favorite labor day quote, by philosopher Olfa Youssef of Tunisia from here (my translation) : “It’s not so important for workers to have a holiday. The important thing is for work to be more like a holiday. That won’t happen until humans stop exploiting other humans. You…
Egypt has prioritized its film industry more than any other Arab nation, and it shows in the quantity and quality of its output. (It also shows in the predominance of Egyptian Arabic throughout Arabic media internationally.) The following films stand out to me for their entertainment value and also for their intellectual contribution to social…
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…
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…
