From Pawns to Global Powers: Middle East Nations Strike Back
Former ambassador Chas Freeman, Jr. argues that we have entered a new era in which players are shifting on the geopolitical chess table.
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Rebecca Makkai’s New Novel Makes Us Question What We Know
Deborah Williams reviews the new literary thriller from Rebecca Makkai that makes us question everything we know.
The Invisible Walls, a Meditation on Work and Being
Arab writer Nashwa Nasreldin reflects on her work experiences at home and abroad, and on the meaning of everything.
Squire, the Provocative Graphic Novel That Channels Edward Said
Katie Logan reviews a familiar coming-of-age story elevated by deep thinking about the nature of history, empire and narrative.
When a Country is not a Country—the Chimera of Borders
Writer-photographer Ara Oshagan mediates on the borders between North and South Korea and the blockaded enclave of Artsakh.
In Luxor, Egypt Projects Renewed Tourism Economy
Art historian William Carruthers explores the modern city of Luxor and the ancient site of Thebes along the Nile.
Hanging Gardens and the New Iraqi Cinema Scene
Laura Silvia Battaglia, on the set of Hanging Gardens, explores the burgeoning Iraqi film scene in Baghdad.
Fiction: Inaam Kachachi’s The Dispersal, or Tashari
An excerpt from Inaan Kachachi's novel that laments the scattering of Iraqis across the world as a result of war and political oppression.
Sabyl Ghoussoub Heads for Beirut in Search of Himself
Adil Bouhelal reviews the new novel from the author of "Le Nez Juif" with its exploration of Lebanon from 1975 forward.
Sudden Journeys: Israel’s Intimate Separations—Part 1
In a new three-part travel series on Israel/Palestine, Jenine Abboushi lays bare the surveillance state.
Palestinians and Israelis Will Commemorate the Nakba Together
The co-directors of Combatants for Peace, ex-Palestinian and Israeli fighters, invite readers to attend on May 15th.
Fairouz is the Voice of Lebanon, Symbol of Hope in a Weary Land
For April's column, music critic Melissa Chemam looks longingly at the legend of Lebanon's diva.
The Conspiracy to Conceal Conspiracies
Every warm-blooded Arab loves a good conspiracy theory — so, it turns out, do many Americans, observes cultural critic Mike Booth.
The Displaced, the Unwanted, by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel "The Sympathizer," remembers where he came from and how he began his writer's journey.
Electronic Music in Riyadh?
Music journalist Melissa Chemam turns in the first column as part of a new monthly series in which she'll explore icons of Arab music and how they influence music production around the world.