The Editor’s Letter Following the US 2024 Presidential Election
The Markaz Review responds to the results of the 2024 US presidential election, in which Donald Trump prevailed over Kamala Harris.
Lebanon
The Haunting Reality of Beirut, My City
Roger Assaf's poetic script for Jocelyne Saab's 1982 film about the siege of Beirut puts one in mind of today's stark reality in Lebanon.
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.
Witnessing Catastrophe: a Painter in Lebanon
Tom Young's art raises important questions about studying images and the lasting impact of colonialism in the Arab world.
Everything Has Changed, Nothing Has Changed
A Beiruti interrogates her country's perennial condition with its neighbor in the aftermath of October 7 and the bloodcurdling aftershocks.
The Last Millefeuille in Beirut
As Beirut anticipates a military invasion, MK Harb's short story about two friends sharing a slice of cake unfolds.
Lebanon’s Holy Gatekeepers of Free Speech
When religious fanatics in Lebanon aren’t fighting one another, they make the best war comrades against modernity, secularism, and freedom of expression.
Meditations on Palestinian Exile and Return
The essence of Palestinian resilience, survival, and resistance is rooted in dispossession, as noted by Dana El Saleh.
Ripped from Memoirs of a Lebanese Policeman
True reflections of a former officer of the law in Lebanon from his hit memoir, translated by Lina Mounzer.
Creating Community with Community Theatre
A community theatre company working in Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine empowers women who often are not professional actors.
Is Amin Maalouf’s Latest Novel, On the Isle of Antioch, a Parody?
Farah-Silvana Kanan questions whether, in this novel, the Franco-Lebanese master is at the height of his powers, or is having us on...
Wajdi Mouawad’s “Controversial” Wedding Day
Al Jadid editor Elie Chalala finds that Lebanese intellectuals’ defense of expat director Wadji Mouawad contrasts with state chokehold on freedom of expression.
What Kind Of Liar Am I?—a Short Play
An original short play by playwright and theatre maker Mona Mansour: "a short, dark confession in a time of catastrophe."
Omar Naim Exclusive: Two Films on Beirut & Theatre
Omar Naim set out to create a film about the Lebanese theatre scene where stage honesty clashes with street deceit.
Palestine, Political Theatre & the Performance of Queer Solidarity in Jean Genet’s Prisoner of Love
"Prisoner of Love" acknowledges the limitations of language in capturing the reality of the Palestinian revolution, writes Saleem Haddad.