Three Artists, Five Writers on Mother Tongues
TMR asked a group of writers and artists how they negotiate identity between a mother tongue and other languages.
Language and the Mother Eternal
A reflection on how multiple languages in a family become a perfect conduit for grief and acceptance.
Culture Got Your Tongue
A writer questions whether physical ailments — numbness, stuttering, uncontrollable trembling — may in fact stem from a cultural silencing, in this case of Turkish identity and belonging.
Ojalá: Toward an Illiteracy of Liberation
In the wake of Gaza genocide, a Palestinian American loses her words — until she finds her way back to language in another tongue.
English and My Mother’s Ghost
A writer traces the circuitous journey of a mother tongue, English and not Arabic.
“Sorry about the Typos”—two poems by Hajer Requiq
Two poems explore the contradictions within language and how they influence and reshape our perception of the world.
“Urdu,” a poem—Language as Heirloom
A poet of Pakistani heritage raised around Arabic and English longs for deeper expression of her mother’s tongue.
New Poems: “bey-zubaan; without a tongue”
A collective poem offers counter-narratives to dismantle the disaster narrative mapped onto Afghan lives.
“Sara”—a short story
Palestinian writer Majd Aburrub dissects the exquisite loneliness of losing one’s mother tongue.
“Words That Don’t Sink”—a short story
A simple debate over a spoon opens a space in which a group of Syrian migrants reclaim an identity on the brink of erasure.
Tasting Tongues—recipes and more
Acclaimed chef Anissa Helou reflects on the delights of eating tongue, and shares a few of her recipes for the ideal ways to enjoy it.
Setting History Right in All That’s Left of You
A new Palestinian drama set in 1948, 1978, 1988, and 2022 sets aside Zionist myths and recognizes historical injustices.