Summer Reads: ‘The Government Sea’
"When the central government announced a plan to rebuild what the war had devastated, the municipality put forth a request to establish a sea. Unlike other requests, which usually lingered in a state of neglect, tucked away in drawers, the central government responded right away, as they didn’t have any drawers in their offices in which to hide such paperwork." ...
Summer Reads: ‘Solace for the Traveler and Entertainment for the Conversationalist’
"Such compilations were common. At a time when people could not entertain themselves with TV and thumb-wrecking scrolling on myriad social media platforms, compilations kept them company. These works tended to be written in small notebooks easy to carry in one’s pocket or satchel." ...
Summer Reads: ‘The Limping Couch’
"It wasn’t just the Obesity Control Police. Everyone in town constantly challenged my humanity because of my weight. They called me an animal so many times that, for a moment, I thought I’d become one." ...
Summer Reads: ‘How Moroccans Laugh’
"Through it all, Moroccans have maintained their ability to laugh at everything. Do we not have a well-known proverb that says, 'Too much worrying makes you laugh?'" ...
Summer Reads: Sonallah Ibrahim’s ‘Arsène Lupin’
"My father got dressed, brushed off his tarbush with the sleeve of his jacket, and placed it at an appropriate tilt on his head. Then he twisted the ends of his white mustache all the way up to his nostrils. We left the apartment, locking the door behind us, and went down to the street. I noticed we were heading toward the tram stop." ...
Summer Reads: ‘Rice Pudding for Two’
"Take a pinch of cinnamon with one hand and a pinch of vanilla with the other; delicately sprinkle both into the mixture. Now rub your hands together and bring your attention to your neck, patting your palms against it. This detail is essential for a good rice pudding." ...
Summer Reads: Muhammad Zafzaf’s ‘Borges in the Hereafter’
“But, Mr. President,” Borges cut in, “we’re already dead.” ...
Summer Reads: Basma Alnsour’s “The Time Our Friend Forgot His Phone”
"And so it was out of sheer laziness that he decided to go without his phone for the rest of the day. He assured himself it was safe, and that there was no way it could get stolen. In any case, he could use the landline or his dear wife’s mobile if there was an emergency, and he needed to get hold of family or friends." ...
Summer Reads: ‘And We Still Have the Sea’
"yes, the sea changes colors / drinking the yellow of my doubt and distrust / turning as blue as my melody / my songs and ships set sail on its scattered waves" ...
Summer Reads: ‘The Crime of Translation’
"But in a broader sense, crime as transgression takes in a spate of ideas, images, and conceits from Arabic literature." ...
