Monthly Archives: February 2011

Demonstrations: Cynicism and its discontents

It’s odd–isn’t it?– that more than two decades after the beginning of the perestroika demonstrations (remember those?), we hear the same reserved comments, the same fears, the same platitudes as demonstrators turn the entire edifice of another Arab military dictatorship … Continue reading

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Hagop Oshagan (December 9, 1883-February 17, 1948)

  Մեր գրականութիւնը այն միակ գետինն է, աոայժմ, ուր մեզի ըլլայ ներելի գտնել մեր ժողովուրդը։ ~~ Յակոբ Օշական, Յամապատկեր, Թ. հատոր, էջ 324 Our literature is the sole terrain, for the time being, where we are allowed to find our people. … Continue reading

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Egypt speaks…

What is there to say about the events of the past three weeks?   What is there to utter in the wake of the collective voice of the millions as they wove through the streets of Egyptian cities, their power gaining … Continue reading

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After the last speech, after the last sky…

Where should we go after the last frontiers, where should the birds fly after the last sky? ~~Mahmoud Darwish~~

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French Verbs: Onto the streets

Call it approach; call it method. It makes no difference because when it comes to the encounter with the unknown, with the unfamiliar and strange and unprecedented, we can afford to stumble, make a few mistakes here and there, but … Continue reading

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From my files: When Clothes Were Small by Tamer Fathy

~~This translation of “When Clothes Were Small” by the Egyptian poet Tamer Fathy appeared in the January 2006 issues Words Without Borders, which was devoted to new writing from Egypt. The poem is from a debut collection published in 2005, … Continue reading

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