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Dear Naguib,

I love and admire your work, and I’m delighted that you’re thinking of re-publishing Children of Gebelawi. But why on earth would you seek the permission of Al-Azhar before re-releasing it? Why would you want the preface to be written by a member of the Muslim Brotherhood? When you negotiate your freedom of speech with a clerical body, you endanger it not just for yourself, but for every young author who is trying to make her voice heard. Do not let them tell you what you can and can’t publish.

Yours,

Laila

Christa Case visits Jerada, Morocco, and profiles Aziz Hammouin, a young man looking to immigrate to Europe in search for a job.

Literary Arts is hosting novelists Paul Auster and Siri Hustvedt, as part of its Portland Arts and Lectures series. The event will take place on January 24th. Details and tickets here.

I finally watched the Golden Globes yesterday. (I usually tape award shows and then fast forward through all the boring stuff, all the better to savor idiotic moments–like when Dennis Quaid said that “Brokeback Mountain” was the kind of movie that rhymed with “chick flick,” or when Harrison Ford handed his vodka to Virginia Madsen, as if she were his cocktail waitress.)

There were few surprises, of course, except for this: The Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film went to Hany Abu-Assad for Paradise Now. I’ve written about this great film before, and if you haven’t seen it yet, look for it on DVD starting March 21st.

Those of you in L.A. may be interested in a panel discussion with the director that will take place tonight at the University of Judaism on Mulholland Drive, in Bel-Air. Details here.

If you’ve come to Moorishgirl through the Times of London mention, welcome. Take a look around at the archives: book reviews, the petri dish, book recommendations, news & politics, personal stuff, etc. And, of course, feel free to write me and let me know what you think.