Abundant Middle Eastern Talent at the ’22 Avignon Theatre Fest
Nada Ghosn revels in the artistry of Palestinian, Iranian, Lebanese, Afghan and other playwrights and performers in Avignon this year.
exile
Leaving One’s Country in Mai Al-Nakib’s “An Unlasting Home”
Rana Asfour reviews Mai Al-Nakib's debut novel, in which the protagonist always thought she would leave her country.
Sarah Kahly-Mills: “The Salamander”
In this magical tale set in Lebanon and on a mysterious Mediterranean island, people dream of escape while a biologist seeks an elusive salamander.
Fragmented Love in Alison Glick’s “The Other End of the Sea”
Nora Lester Murad reviews a "far-fetched" story of a marriage between a Palestinian Muslim and an American Jew.
Arguments Toward a Universal Palestinian Identity
Palestinian Israeli Maurice Ebileeni looks at the Palestinian experience within and beyond the homeland.
Egyptian Comedic Novel Captures Dark Tale of Bedouin Migrants
Saliha Haddad reviews the third novel in English translation by Egyptian writer Hamdi Abu Golayyel.
The Art of Remembrance in “Abacus of Loss”
Sherine Elbanhawy lives in the pages of a memoir in verse and finds herself reluctant to leave, identifying with how its author unpacks the complexities of exile, home, family and love.
Taming the Immigrant: Musings of a Writer in Exile
Former prisoner and Egyptian writer in exile Ahmed Naji contemplates what it means to be a "brown writer" in exile in America.
Refuge, or the Inherent Dignity of Every Human Being
TMR's editor reflects on the experience of seeking home and refuge.
Meditations on “The Ungrateful Refugee”
Rana Asfour shares her thoughts on the widely-celebrated book from Dina Nayeri, who writes that escaping and becoming a refugee preoccupied her life for more than 20 years.
Heba Hayek’s Gaza Memories
Shereen Malherbe reviews a new book from a first-time Gazan author based in London.
World Picks: May — June 2021
Travel the world, meet people, see great places, without ever leaving the comfort of your screen…welcome to the pandemic!
The World Grows Blackthorn Walls
A new poem by Sholeh Wolpé from the forthcoming collection, Abacus of Loss, University of Arkansas Press 2022.
World Picks: April — May 2021
Travel the world, meet people, see great places, without ever leaving the comfort of your screen…welcome to the pandemic!
Dismantlings and Exile
On my recent trip to the Mission at San Luis Obispo, I recognized the abandoned base where in the past the statue of Junipero Serra, had stood in its glory.