Middle East/North African Lit discussion

Hi Cincinatus, Eileen, and Jean! it's great to have you all on board. Again and again i am struck by how amazingly international this group is. i love it!

A Thousand Splendid Suns is an amazing book, I cried I laughed, I cried again, though it concerns what it means to be a woman in pretty extreme circumstances it does challenge you to think about what it means it to be a women in any culture. I am sure you will enjoy it.

Thank you for the welcome. I just participated in the Palestinian group read poll and have ordered a couple of them online. I seem to have missed a few interesting countries. With the long weekend coming up, I think I'll read a few of them to start with.

Recommendations, anyone? The Yacoubian Building and Memory in the Flesh caught my eye.

Jean , we will be looking forward to that too :)

Marieke , yes ...I love the group !!

Thanks Eileen , I can't wait to read it :D so much books !

Cincinnatusc , I am glad you managed to vote , this was the last day ! :)...hmmm , Recommendations; I do not know what is the kind you prefer , but we addd a huge collection to the bookshelves , you can check them and ask ny question you like .(The Yacoubian Building ) will give a very good idea about the background of the Egyptian revolution (you can check its discussion) :)

(Memory in the Flesh) is a poetic piece full of nostalgia and you will know more about Algeria by it .

BTW , we did not close any threads , you can post in any thread at any time you read the book :)

Hi Everyone,

I just joined this group. I read many of the posts of people introducing themselves - their background and interests. I find that I have quite a different background than most of you. I am a 52 yo first generation American. My mother was from Germany, my father from England. My experience in the Middle East includes many trips to Israel as well as two trips to Turkey, spending most of my time in Izmir (with my then bf's family). I also spent two years working in Israel as a Psychologist. This was a very mixed experience for me in terms of politics. I found it (and still find it) difficult to reconcile my positive feelings about Israel with my very negative and heart-breaking feelings about The Occupation. I also did not fit in well in any group in Israeli society. I am not religious as are most Americans in Israel. And, of course, I am not Israeli. And this brings me to one of my chief reading (and life) interests: the immigrant/emigrant experience, dislocation, cultural/ethnic identity, etc. I look forward to exploring these themes with all of you.

Hi Anne,
I so much understand your feelings of being positive about Israel and negative about the Occupation. It is so very comforting--I really don't know of any other word--for those of us expats who lived long in Arab lands--to be reminded that not all Americans who are pro-Israel are pro-Occupation. Funny--pro-Israel sounds okay to me, whereas pro-Israeli smacks of supporting the system.

I'm glad to see you here, Anne!

Israel/Palestine is a really touchy, charged thing and i'm very happy to see members discussing openly and sharing their experiences. :D

Marieke: Yeah, it is touchy. That's why I thought I'd just put it out there from the start. Hope that's okay. Not trying to get political (tho everything about Israel is political) but as Jean (Hi Jean) points out - just the term Israel or Israeli sets off feelings. And no wonder. But there are a lot of Israelis who would understand how you feel. I know them, I know how they feel and how they vote.
I also know a lot of Jewish Americans who have never been to Israel because they can't stand what is going on there. I have Swiss and German friends who used to take me to task for going there. Ditto a Palestinian/American friend and his best friend, my ex-Turkish (Arab) bf.

we had some problems when we first got this group revved up. some offense was taken that we would even include Israel. there are a lot of viewpoints and i'm one of those people that believes in talking and listening...we're not here to actually solve the problems, but if we can all learn a little more about viewpoints other than our own, maybe some progress will be made...?? i want members to feel comfortable talking about these things, especially since we'll "be there" in May and June. :D

Yeah, we'll be there with the Oz book, which I think is fab. He is also fab re; his political work/ideology, so if there is any Israeli author to start with/read he's the one.

Anne wrote: "Yeah, we'll be there with the Oz book, which I think is fab. He is also fab re; his political work/ideology, so if there is any Israeli author to start with/read he's the one."

i think Oz is also excellent because his family pre-dates Zionism/mass European immigration, is that right? i can't wait to start that book again!

yes, that's right. Well, "Zionism" is another one of those "hot" words.The idea of Zionism is much older than the end of WW11 when mass immigration to Palestine started. Oz's family did come before WWII, but they came to get away from the pogroms in Poland. Poland and Russia encouraged Hebrew schools and Zionism (going to Palestine, not the idea of a Jewish state) in order to get rid of their Jews.

Anne wrote: "yes, that's right. Well, "Zionism" is another one of those "hot" words.The idea of Zionism is much older than the end of WW11 when mass immigration to Palestine started. Oz's family did come befo..."

the history and development of Zionism is definitely something i want/need to learn more about...but we can have that conversation in a different thread that is not for introductions. ;)

Sure. Tho I'm no expert. I just pick up bits and pieces here and there.

Welcome Anne :) nice to have you with us . I hope our next stop will be a good Opportunity for us all to learn more .

Thank you for the welcome, Nile daughter.

Ummm I think I'm following the group rules and I'm hoping I'm in the right place :D

Hi everyone! I've read some of the other posts and all I can say is that I'm afraid I dont have an interesting background/travel experiance to share, born and brought up in London :)

Regarding A Thousand Splendid Suns, I have friends that insist it is their favourite book and the best book ever written, but I couldn't really agree with it. A touching story yes, at times the emotions overwhelm you, but in terms of writing techniques I felt it could have been written better. Not to put anyone of it, as it really is an interesting book and gives you plenty of food for thought as you see things from a different point of view.

As for the issue on Israel/Palestine, a Jewish man told me once, 'not every Jew is a zionist and not every zionist is a jew'

Anne , you are welcome :)

Viva :D welcome dear , glad to see you finally in action !

Greetings, I'm am American who has had a deep interest in the Middle East since my first visit to the region in 1980. I ended up minoring in Middle East studies in college and love reading about the region, particularly about history and cooking.

Among my favorite authors through the years has been Elizabeth Warnock Fernea.

I look forward to gaining insights from those of you who frequent this area and for finding new books to explore.

Welcome Andy :D I hope you will like here with us !

I did not read for Elizabeth Warnock Fernea , so thanks for bringing her up , I will check her books.

hi Andy!

i love Elizabeth Warnock Fernea, too! i haven't read everything yet, though. however, i really loved Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village. i have The Arab World but haven't read everything in there yet.

Hi everyone! Someone in another group (Bookish. Hi Marieke!) pointed this one out to me after I likely spent too long yammering about my love of the ghazal.

Currently I am a graduate student in history, but my first love remains comparative religion, to which I suspect I'll return as soon as my Masters is finished. Meantime, the only way I can stay sane after reading all the books I'm supposed to read is by reading all the books I want to read.

One of them being Said's Orientalism, which has been gathering dust on a shelf for the last couple of months. Mostly, I just want to expand my knowledge of the area, as a lot of groups I've encountered here so far seem fairly Anglocentric. I really look forward to catching up with the Cruise--after a cursory browse of the threads there, I had a hard time not adding most of the books mentioned to my TBR.

Hi hesper! It's good to see you here! :)
It seems that Orientalism is gathering dust here, too...maybe you will inspire us to resurrect that reading/discussion. This group picks terrific books and we have lots of avenues for discussing them. I hope you like it here!

Welcome Hesper , glad to have you with us and hope you will like it in here :)

I really wish you can help us move on with Orientalism !

Hi. i realized I never really introduced myself but just jumped into threads about individual books.

I live in Nashville Tn though I grew up on the East coast and lived in the midwest for many years. I have a family (two boys) and work outside the home as a museum administrator - everything that is non-creative in am useum - personnel, security, maintenence, I do.

I have always been an avid reader. I believe that reading stimulates our imagination and imagination can impact our feelings of empathy, understanding, and compassion - important qualities as we move into the 21st c.

This year, I have been in two reading groups - one focusing on work by Mizrahi Israelis (Israelis whose country of origin is other Middle Eastern countries) and the other a study group on Israel/Palestine. Each has been illuminating in different ways.

I am very excited to be reading more Arabic literature and only wish that English wasn't my only language!

Ha ha, that's some serious expectation as regards Orientalism. I still have a few more days left of this semester, including the top of the next week when grades are due (yeesh), but I'll probably be able to start on it soon after. How far along in the book is everyone?

shamefully, i am not very far along at all...some members have finished. we tried to set up a time-table but it didn't exactly work. :(

Hi Lauren--as i'm sure you already know, you are very welcome in this group and i've already enjoyed your contributions very much and look forward to more! :D
i'm a little jealous of your book/study groups!

a hearty welcome to all the "new Ones" :-)

As to Orientalism, I,too have not come very far yet. :)

Though I appreciate Said's ideas I think that he very often chose extensive ways to verbalize his thoughts. I find it to be very wordy. Though his conclusions are often stunning.

Lauren wrote: "Hi. i realized I never really introduced myself but just jumped into threads about individual books.

This year, I have been in two reading groups - one focusing on work by Mizrahi Israelis (Israelis whose country of origin is other Middle Eastern countries) and the other a study group on Israel/Palestine. Each has been illuminating in different ways. ..."

Welcome Officially :)

such interesting study groups ! BTW for Mizrahi Israelis, is it only Mizrahi Israelis or Mizrahi Jews in general ? I have two books about Egyptian Jews but did no manage to read them yet The Dispersion of Egyptian Jewry: Culture, Politics, and the Formation of a Modern Diaspora and The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World .


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Ok Hesper ,
we will be waiting for you :),Orientalism is not going anywhere soon :p

Natalie wrote: "I find it to be very wordy.... Though his conclusions are often stunning"

yes yes yes , he is killing me , I remember Marcia (Orientalism discussion leader) said he simply loves language ! but after all it is an eye opening book !

Mizrahi Jews. It is very difficult to find literature by Israeli mizrahis tranlated into English. We read segments from a wonderful anthology called Keys to the Garden. I highly recommend that although if you read arabic or hebrew you may have other access.

We did read The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit which is a bit like a Mahfouz novel.

I really liked The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit. Did you?

I did but I felt there was a lot missing. I wanted her to go deeper - lots of ambivilence there. But it's a very itneresting story.

Anne wrote: "I really liked The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit. Did you?"

I read The Man in the Sharkskin Suit and really enjoyed it. I'd be interested though to hear more from Lauren regarding the sense of ambivilence it created for her. Another couple of books I have read about Mizrahi Jews (thanks Lauren, I didn't know this term before) was
Last Days in Babylon: The History of a Family, the Story of a Nation and My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq which are both set in Iraq. I found both of them quite fascinating.

I think I wanted more about the mother in MintheWHS. also, I felt like the stuff about her health was unclear. What was she sick with?

I think part of the problem was that some of it was written from a childs point of view and other, from her adult self. for me, it made a disconnect.

But I did really enjoy reading it.

We also read My Father's Paradise.

Orientalism has been on my TBR since college - that's a long time, people! Maybe this year I'll get to it.

Should i make a thread in the Salon for this topic? you're adding to my TBR!
what should i call it? "Mizrahi Jewish Literature"?

My Father's Paradise is on my ever-increasing TBR pile. I'm now reading about Last Days In Babylon which also looks interesting.

Anne wrote: "My Father's Paradise is on my ever-increasing TBR pile. I'm now reading about Last Days In Babylon which also looks interesting."

i've had "My Father's Paradise" on my actual bookshelf ever since i saw the author speak and he signed my book. but Last Days is a new one for me and i've never gotten to Sharkskin Suit for some reason.

My Father's Paradise is on my Kindle, so that counts for being on my bookshelf.

Marieke, I like that topic " you're adding to my TBR." But it might be less confusing to just call it Mizrahi Jewish Lit.

Just to add to you shleves - are they groaning yet - Mongrels or Marvels: The Leventine Writing of Jacqueline Shohet Kahanoff. She was Egytpian, but also lived in the US and Israel. Her ideas about a kind of multiculti Leventinism sound very interesting. It's kind of an expensive academic press book - I'm going to try and get it through inter library loan.

Anne wrote: "Marieke, I like that topic " you're adding to my TBR." But it might be less confusing to just call it Mizrahi Jewish Lit."

HA!

MaraHib! Greetings!
I am American living in Miami. I did Junior Year Abroad in Beirut in the early 70's and travelled ME on business in 80's. I've been to every ME nation except Iraq and still have a great deal to see and learn. I figure I've made over 40 trips. I read and speak a little Arabic. I am particularly interested in ME minority groups: Hazaras, Bahais, Jews, Zoroastrians, Armenians, Kurds, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Melkites, Antiochans,Turcomans,Zaydis, Ismailis, Druze, Alawis, etc.
Fair Warning: I plan to steal all your best ideas and recommendations for use in a book club I moderate in Miami. I already like what I've seen of your book list and love the idea of a literary cruise

but you wish it was a real cruise, don't you?

Welcome aboard, Mike!

Oh my God , a lot of things happened here last night ! what time zone can do !! :p

Lauren wrote: "Mizrahi Jews. It is very difficult to find literature by Israeli mizrahis tranlated into English. We read segments from a wonderful anthology called Keys to the Garden. I highly recommend that alth..."

Thanks Lauren , and I do speak Arabic , I am Egyptian :)

BTW , Join Orientalism club anytime you want , it will be there :p

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Mike wrote: "MaraHib! Greetings!
I am American living in Miami. I did Junior Year Abroad in Beirut in the early 70's and travelled ME on business in 80's. I've been to every ME nation except Iraq and still hav..."

Ahlan wa sahlan :) glad you liked the idea of a literary cruise , it is ok ...hope you like our recommendations ;)

Hello everyone :)
I joined this group about two days ago and already I feel like I'm at home! I'm currently reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran," but I spent this last semester in school reading various Israeli and Palestinian literature. I'm an international relations major with an emphasis on economics and the middle east. I love to run, read, and hike.

Welcome Leslie , hope you like it in here :)feel free to join any thread you like .

Salaams!

I'm glad to find this group. I'm originally from the USA and married to an Egyptian; currently living between Europe and Egypt. Love Love Love to read, and definitely one of my favorite genres is Arab/N. African lit. I look forward to reviewing and reading your recommendations!

Welcome Jummanah , that is so nice , Iam very glad to have you with us ! hope you like staying in Egypt from time to time – sorry can't help it :D

Feel free to join any discussion in the group at any time …

Leslie wrote: "Hello everyone :)
I joined this group about two days ago and already I feel like I'm at home! I'm currently reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran," but I spent this last semester in school reading var..."

I forgot to tell you , I hope by the time we reach Iran , it will be nice if we have a chance to discuss this book :)