Stories From The Markaz, Stories From the Center
TMR's literary editor introduces the 2023 double summer literary issue.
TMR 33 • Stories From The Markaz
If pictures are worth a thousand words then short stories are worth a thousand-and-one. The Markaz Review’s double 2023 summer literary issue features short stories, memoir, plays, a graphic novel, and creative nonfiction, some of which appears in English for the first time, translated from Arabic or Persian, with wide-ranging themes, from from domestic abuse in Egypt to multiracial relationships in London and queer life in Beirut.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
A moving testimony to life, death, and the human condition by an Egyptian journalist who was blessed, and cursed.
“Here, Freedom”—fiction from Danial Haghighi
A small town couple have a brutally honest conversation about marriage in light of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests.
“The Cactus”—new fiction from Mohammed Al Naas
Can a man who loves a woman prove his mettle by taking proper care of a cactus that stings him with its spines?
Arrival in the Dark—fiction from Alireza Iranmehr
Away from prying eyes, two lonely people pass time together under the state of emergency that has become Iran.
“The Agency”—a story by Natasha Tynes
A shrewd businesswoman runs a matchmaking agency in Amman that finds brides for male clients based on a virginity scale.
We Saw Paris, Texas—a story by Ola Mustapha
In Ola Mustapha's new story, a man falls for the seduction of a film and it becomes the blueprint for love, life, and even death.
Rich and Poor People—fiction by Farah Ahamed
After her controlling husband dies, a wealthy woman obsesses over the neighborhood crows until her maid decides to take matters into her own hands.
Being Without Belonging: A Jewish Wedding in Abu Dhabi
Deborah Kapchan's introspection on belonging and faith on attending the first officially recognized Jewish wedding in the United Arab Emirates.
“My Mother is a Tree”—a story by Aliyeh Ataei
Aliyeh Ataei's new story centers on a young woman exploring herself as a writer while choosing life in Paris.
“The Afghan and the Persian”—a short story by Jordan Elgrably
An Afghan refugee, survivor of a shipwreck, washes up on the shores of southern France and applies for asylum in Montpellier.
“The City Within”—fiction from MK Harb
In MK Harb's latest story, a man steps out of his home in Beirut after two years of living in isolation to a life-changing encounter.
Zahhāk: An Etiology of Evil
Omid Arabian recounts the legend of the serpent king from Ferdowsi's epic "Shāhnameh," exploring human psychology and the roots of tyranny.
Rebels of the Alpujarras: a House in Granada
Nestled in the old Arab quarter of Granada lies a house with an exceptional Morisco history, the Carmen Aben Humeya.
“The Burden of Inheritance”—fiction from Mai Al-Nakib
In Mai Al-Nakib’s new short story, a woman makes a Herculean effort to preserve the memory and artwork of her late husband.