The Crash, Covid-19 and Other Iranian Stories
Malu Halasa reviews the new graphic novel by former political prisoner and editorial cartoonist Mana Neyestani, released in 2021 by IranWire.com.
All Articles
Allah and the American Dream
Rayyan Al-Shawaf reviews The Bad Muslim Discount, the second novel from Syed Masood, but isn't sure he likes its happy ending.
Two Poems for Truth by Ammiel Alcalay
Two new poems by Ammiel Alcalay, "Kashoggi or Kashog-ji?" and "Translation Theory", explore versions of the truth.
The Short, Happy Life of Shirley Thompson
Novelist Preeta Samarasan believes that the greatest truths reside more often in fiction than in fact.
Poetry Against the State
Gil Anidjar reviews A Bibliography for After Jews and Arabs, and suggests that "our problem is that we have stopped listening to the poets."
Poet in Pakistan: the Flamboyant Carolyn Kizer
Biographer Marian Janssen reveals the big, brash, blonde feminist writer and poet Carolyn Kizer, who fascinated and shocked Pakistanis—and introduced the ghazal to America.
Censorship by Assassination: the Danger of Reporting in Afghanistan
Independent journalist Charlie Faulkner files a chilling story from Kabul on the lethal campaign to silence Afghan reporters.
In Yemen, Women are the Heroes
International aid worker and writer Farah Abdessamad has been traveling to Yemen for work since 2014. This is the first time she has written about her experiences there publicly.
Faïza Guène’s Fight for French Respectability
Melissa Chemam considers the sixth novel by France's former teen sensation Faïza Guène and whether she is now part of the literary canon.
Decolonizing Art for Art’s Sake
Culture critic and filmmaker Mara Ahmed deconstructs three versions of an opéra-ballet to get at the heart of western racism in mainstream dance performance.
To the Light—Remembering Lawrence Ferlinghetti: 1919-2021
Ammiel Alcalay remembers an American original, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who was also the publisher and doyen of City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco.
The Hidden World of Istanbul’s Rums
Rana Haddad interviews Istanbullu novelist Nektaria Anastasiadou about the little-known Rum community of Istanbul featured in her new novel.
World Picks, February-March ‘21
Travel the world, meet people, see great places, without ever leaving the comfort of your screen…welcome to the pandemic!
Revolution Viewed from the Crow’s Nest of History
Columnist Melissa Chemam argues we ought to take the long view on the Arab uprisings and remember the many French revolutions by way of precedence.
Hanane Hajj Ali, Portrait of a Theatrical Trailblazer
Nada Ghosn talks to Beirut's powerhouse Hanane Hajj Ali who receives an international theatre award from League of Professional Theatre Women out of New York.