The Archaeology of War
All the pasts of war are still contemporary, and continue shaping the present, killing its denizens, and erasing their memories.
Essays
The Ongoing Nakba—Rasha Al-Jundi’s Embroidery Series
Exile retold through embroidered Palestinian stories, by documentary photographer and visual storyteller Rasha Al Jundi.
Vera Tamari’s Lifetime of Palestinian Art
Taline Voskeritchian extolls a Palestinian's lifetime commitment to art as a powerful testament to human resilience.
In Praise of Khaled Khalifa—Friend, Artist, Humanist
Robin Yassin-Kassab pays tribute to late Syrian writer and humanist Khaled Khalifa, who died at the age of 59.
Forging Peace for Artsakh—The Debacle of Nagorno Karabagh
The latest breach of a cease fire agreement in Azerbaijan left Armenians in Artsakh with nothing to rely on, writes Seta Kabranian-Melkonian.
Edward Said: Writing in the Service of Life
Academic and novelist Layla AlAmmar interrogates her life's creative and scholarly achievements against the teachings of Edward Said.
The Vanishing of the Public Intellectual
Public intellectuals no longer exist, argues Moustafa Bayoumi; they have been usurped by "influencers."
Editors’ Picks: Public Intellectuals
The editors of The Markaz Review made the difficult choice of selecting just two of their go-to public intellectuals.
The Contemporary Literary Scene in Iran
Salar Abdoh reports from Tehran on the beauty and complexity of Iranian literature that thrives despite warring factions.
In and Between Languages: Writing on the Fault Line
Nektaria Anastasiadou writes about her decision to pen her works using the historically fractured language of the Istanbul dialect of Greek.
The Task of the Public Intellectual? Translation
Deborah Kapchan calls for public intellectuals who can speak in many registers amidst the rise of attacks on intellectualism everywhere.
Why Fawwaz Traboulsi?
Twenty years ago, argues Amal Ghandour, it would have been Edward Said. It’s Traboulsi, his best translator, in 2023.
Fairouz: The Peacemaker and Champion of Palestine
In her new book, Dima Issa argues that the influence of Lebanese vocal artist Fairouz on the Arab diaspora has been profound.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah: Political Prisoner and Public Intellectual
Yasmine Al Rashidi on writer-thinker Alaa Abdel Fattah who advocates for the rights of those without platforms to campaign for themselves.
Art Curators as Public Intellectuals
Naima Morelli talks to Rose Issa, Sara Raza, Farah Abushullaih and Alia Al-Senussi about art and intellectuals.