Frankenstein in Baghdad: A Novel for Our Present Dystopia
An NYU professor who has frequently taught this Iraqi novel finds that two months into Trump 2.0, its significance has shifted considerably.
Book Reviews
Insurrection of the Spirit: Algeria’s Resistance Poet Anna Gréki
Gréki’s poetry expresses her deep love for Algeria while also serving as a powerful tribute to resistance against colonialism.
Resistance and Revolution: on Ghassan Kanafani
Two new books reissue the writings of the heralded revolutionary, Ghassan Kanafani. Required reading for today.
Illustrating Intimacy: Zeina Abirached Remasters The Prophet
In making sense of her own relationship to a globally beloved text, Abirached provides opportunities to experience "The Prophet" in new ways.
The World After Gaza—a Review
Technology, rational division of labor, and deference to authority enabled ordinary people to contribute to acts of mass extermination in Gaza.
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza—a Review
In his new book, Peter Beinart proposes a single state solution that would balance equality for all Israeli and Palestinian citizens within it.
Palestinian Equals Arab Equals Human: on Najwan Darwish
The poetry of Najwan Darwish is “at once anti-nationalist yet profoundly and personally invested in the Palestinian cause."
Omar El Akkad & Mohammed El-Kurd: Liberalism in a Time of Genocide
What two new books from Omar El Akkad and Mohammed El-Kurd tell us about the war on the Palestinian people.
Resilient Cartographies: Histories of the Persian Gulf
History writing opens the door for the writers and their readers to see the Persian Gulf as a connecting point rather than a delimited void.
Memories of Palestine through Contemporary Media
Malu Halasa reviews a psycho-social-virtual memoir of Palestine of both emotional and geographic proportions.
Yassini Girls—a Powerful Yet Flawed Account of Historical Trauma
Natasha Tynes reviews a Palestinian novel that thoughtfully examines intergenerational trauma, making it an insightful and worthwhile read.
No Place to Be: On Wadih Saadeh’s A Horse at the Door
Alex Tan reviews the new chronology of poems from Lebanon's bard of war and exile, Wadih Saadeh, translated by Robin Moger.
Radwa Ashour’s Classic Granada Now in a New English Edition
Ashour’s "Granada" trilogy arrives during the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, and a long arc completes a circle of horror.
In Killing Gilda Yahya Gharagozlou Tells an Intriguing Iranian Tale
A review of a book that offers a portrait of a royal dynasty whose decline has significantly shaped the modern world.
Art History and the United Arab Emirates
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf challenges misconceptions that an authoritarian government precludes politically-critical cultural production.