Big Laleh, Little Laleh—memoir by Shokouh Moghimi
Who knows what drives anyone mad? For a sister who loves her big sister and emulates her, the mystery will perhaps never be resolved.
The Imagination Interviews
“The Devil’s Waiting List”—a story by Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi
A solitary bachelor, seeking success as a writer, wonders what he has to do in contemporary Cairo to get ahead.
Where to Now, Ya Asfoura?—a story by Sarah AlKahly-Mills
You can run from grief and death until you lose your mind, but life is reserved for those who fight for it.
Poetry as a Form of Madness—Review of a Friendship
Youssef Rahka introduces us to his Egyptian friend Maged Zaher and his seventh volume of poetry, composed in English.
American Theocracy and Failed States
Ani Zonneveld, leader of a progressive Muslim organization, argues that the United States is sliding perilously toward theocracy.
Tunisians On the Couch in “Arab Blues”
Mischa Geracoulis reviews the film in which a Paris-trained shrink analyzes fellow Tunisians suffering from mental maladies.
Women and Literary Madness
Shahd Alshammari, a scholar of illness and disability, has written an extended study of literary madness.
War and Trauma in Yemen: Asim Abdulaziz’s “1941”
Farah Abdessamad considers generations of survivors in Yemen's first experimental film.
Lebanon in a Loop: A Retrospective of “Waves ’98”
Youssef Manessa reviews a short film from Ely Dagher that speaks to his generation of Lebanese born in the '90s.
Between Illness and Exile in “Head Above Water”
Tugrul Mende reviews Shadh Alshammari's brave account of fighting MS and abelism.
“Disappearance/Muteness”—Tales from a Life in Translation
A writer born into both Arabic and Hebrew linguistic traditions finds herself writing in English but longing for Arabic.
Abd el Kader at the Mucem: a colonial vision of the Emir
Pierre Daum opines that despite a French museum's best effort, an exhibit on Algeria and France can't escape its colonial bias.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah—the Revolutionary el-Sissi Fears Most?
Fouad Mami on hunger striker Alaa Abd El-Fattah's new book, "You Have Not Yet Been Defeated."
Poems of Palestinian Motherhood, Loss, Desire and Hope
Eman Quotah reviews the new poetry collection from Palestinian poet Maya Abu-Alhayyat, translated by Fady Joudah.
“The Peacock” — a story by Sahar Mustafah
A Palestinian woman battles both the patriarchy and the occupation to free herself from the toxic jurisdiction men have claimed over her.