Egypt

…All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind Don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky It slips away, and all your money won’t another minute buy. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind… — from Dust in the Wind, lyrics by Kansas This post focuses on how the significance of a twelfth-century poem has shifted over time and geography according to its audiences.

In this post, I want to bring together information and resources regarding children’s literature in Arabic. The primary impetus for this post is to inform and assist librarians and teachers, in public libraries and schools, particularly in the United States, who want to purchase and provide books in Arabic for kids and their families. Context First, we need to introduce one key linguistic concept: diglossia. Diglossia refers to the existence of multiple levels of language usage within any given language.

Our concept of seasons is formed in part by where we live. In Rhode Island, we had four fairly equal seasons (reflected in the lineup below). Since moving to Minnesota in 2022, our seasons and weather vary dramatically. Change, sometimes very fast, is key here. What do seasons mean to you? If your seasons differ from New England, adjust accordingly (for example, if you’re in New Zealand, reverse them for below suggestions).

I lived in Cairo 2004-2005, attending the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA) program and interning at the UNESCO Cairo Office. Toward the end of my time in Cairo, a story I wrote in Arabic won first place in a writing contest. I’m sharing it with you here, with elegant English translation by Lily Sadowsky. Check out the PDF copy here for the original Arabic and the English translation together. Enjoy!

Houston | Photo by Vlad Busuioc 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 of a Black man providing for his family very often, but this opportunity to view the world through someone else’s eyes for a time is a gift.

In this post, I’m delighted to introduce you to some embroidery textile arts happening today and some of the people who are currently at work in these fields in the SWANA/MENA region (Southwest Asia and North Africa/Middle East and North Africa). We’ll be looking at Palestinian, Egyptian, and Moroccan examples, in that order. This post is not comprehensive – feel free to contact me if I’ve failed to include a person or topic you’d like me to add!

In this post, I’m delighted to introduce you to a major textile art happening today: Khayamiyya (Appliqué) of Egypt. Next month we’ll follow up with embroidery arts. Let me know if there are other arts you’d like to see in future posts. For example, anyone here want to write or read about caftan fashions of Morocco? Another topic familiar to those who knit or crochet is “Tunisian crochet.” As far as I know, this technique and its name have nothing to do with Tunisia (source here), but tell me if you know better!

Bassiouney with Tutankhamun, wearing Fatimid-era dress Nov. 2022 From the first time we worked together (on the translation of her novel Ashiyaʾ raʾiʿa / Wonderful Things, published in English as Mortal Designs, AUC Press 2016), Reem Bassiouney and I have maintained a shared understanding of the role of literature in society; the role of creativity in an individual’s life; and the role of imagination in the mind of the readers and all those of us who are re-envisioning our lives and the world around us.

This post presents a new translation of an old poem, a qaṣῑda from classical Arabic literature. The poet is Abu Nuwas (who lived c. 757-814), but this is not a typical Abu Nuwas poem. Instead, it provides a nice example of a standard and celebrated praise poem (essential for poets to make a living in this time). Enjoy! PDF copy of this post available here for easy printing or to save for later.

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.