Eyeliner: A Cultural History by Zahra Hankir—A Review
Nazli Tarzi reviews a book that challenges the uncritical view of eyeliner as a mere “exercise in vanity” and probes its use across many societies.
Arab culture
Edward Said: Writing in the Service of Life
Academic and novelist Layla AlAmmar interrogates her life's creative and scholarly achievements against the teachings of Edward Said.
A Day in the Life: Cairo
The writer's visit to a Cairo internet store to renew her internet service proves to be an out of body experience.
Sudden Journeys: Paris Arabe
Jenine Abboushi wanders from Paris' chi-chi 16th to the quartiers populaires of Barbès-Rochechouart and the Goutte d'Or.
End of an Era: Al Saqi Bookshop in London Closes
Malu Halasa surveys the legacy of Al Saqi while also lamenting the end of Banipal Magazine and the retirement of the British Museum's Venetia Porter.
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.