Editorial: Animal Truths
TMR's November issue deliberately eschews the binary and inspirational relationship between the proverbial “man and beast."
TMR 46 • ANIMALS
“Habib”—a story by Ghassan Ghassan
A bombing in Gaza destroys an entire family except for the protagonist of the short story and his beloved dog.
Lin May Saeed
The November 2024 featured artist is the late German-Iraqi sculptor Lin May Saeed, much of whose work celebrated the animal world.
Beyond Our Gaze: Rethinking Animals in Contemporary Art
Naima Morelli introduces four artists who showcase the role of animals in art as symbols, actors, or something altogether different.
“The Man Who Loves Ducks” from Freedom, Only Freedom
An inmate in Manus prison who suffers the inhospitable conditions with the rest of the inmates finds solace in befriending animals.
“The Ballad of Lulu and Amina”—from Jerusalem to Gaza
Can Izzeldin Bukhari bring the cat his sister loves to her wedding in Gaza? Only the IDF and Hamas stand in his way.
“Gazelles Leaping”—a story by Shadab Zeest Hashmi
In this Sufi tale, poet Shadab Zeest Hashmi explores the worlds inhabited by gazelles Sahel and Sahara, between the twenty-first century and eternity.
Artists & Animals: Adham Faramawy, Tarlan Lotfizadeh, Ouma & Mohammad Shaqdih
Four artists choose their animals, birds and fish as inspiration, cautionary tale, or metaphor.
“A Market for Titles”—fiction from Laila al-Othman
A dog gets back at its abusive owner when she sends him out to steal several prestigious titles on offer at the market.
The Felines that Leave Us, and the Humans that Left
An Iranian writer and translator in the heart of Tehran unexpectedly becomes a cat woman, attached to her pets well into adulthood.
Pigeon Love
When Yahia Lababidi finds a bird egg in a flowerpot on his balcony, he ends up raising generations of wild pigeons, bonding with their young.
The Palestinian Gazelle
Artist Manal Mahamid shares the evolution of her exhibition, The Palestinian Gazelle, reflecting on the paradox of colonialism.