Category: literary life
A profile of novelist Hanan Al-Shaykh appears in Al-Ahram Weekly. Lots of interesting or amusing tidbits about the author, though my favorite is about her obsession with singer Laila Murad (hey, it’s Friday):
“When you’ve read Hikayati Sharhun Yatoul, you’ll know what Laila Murad meant to me then, especially her lips, because of the way she would curl them in the movies. I liked Madam Rachel because I was told that Laila Murad came to her to play the partita,” a gambling card game, “or maybe it was bridge, I don’t remember. Anyway, one day I came back from school and who should I find right there in front of me but Laila Murad. In black, her hair tied back in a bun, no make- up. So I throw my books in the air and charge at her; she must’ve been scared, the poor thing. ‘I love you, my mother loves you, Fadila loves you…’ I just list all those names to her. And later she can’t play because of my excessive attention — I’d bring her water, she didn’t want water; I’d wipe her brow with a handkerchief — just never taking my eyes off her.”
More here.
In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Xeni Jardin argues that, while Google’s agreement to censor search results for the Chinese government has led to public scrutiny, very little attention has been paid to American companies’ sale of censorware to repressive regimes from around the world.
One of our most laudable national goals is the export of free speech and free information, yet American companies are selling censorship. While some advocates of technology rights have proposed consumer boycotts and Congressional action to pressure these firms into responsible conduct, a good first step would be adding filtering technologies to the United States Munitions List, an index of products for which exporters have to file papers with the State Department. While this won’t end such sales, it will bring them to light and give the public and lawmakers a better basis on which to consider stronger steps.
If American companies are already obligated to disclose the sale of bombs and guns to repressive regimes, why not censorware?
Read on.
The March 2006 issue of Boldtype is now available. The theme this time is “competition.”
The 2006 PEN/Hemingway award has been announced, and the winner is Yiyun Li for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. The finalists were Douglas Trevor for The Thin Tear in the Fabric of Space and Daniel Alarcon for War by Candlelight. Runners-up were Jess (not Jeff!) Row for The Train to Lo Wu and Karen Olsson for Waterloo.
Last month, I mentioned the cases of several Arab editors who are facing charges for daring to print the infamous Jyllands-Posten cartoons. Yesterday, the BBC reported that Yemeni editor Muhammad al-Asadi is now facing the death penalty for his actions, which is absolute insanity.
The English-language newspaper has had its licence to publish suspended, although its staff have continued to produce material online.
Prosecutors reportedly requested that the Yemen Observer be closed permanently and have its property and assets confiscated.
The paper’s website reported that the prosecution lawyers cited precedents from Muslim history when the prophet was insulted by a woman and then praised her killer.
I’m curious about this bizarre hadith, because the one I know of reports the absolute opposite reaction. Specifically, it cites the case of a woman who always waited for the prophet as he walked out of his house to preach, in order to throw garbage at him and insult him. When she failed to show up one day, the Prophet went to inquire about her health. So clearly whatever story they’re relying on is not the same one I’ve heard. Proof, once again, that you can use religion to back up just about anything.
Over at The Guardian, Eva Wiseman reports on the curious new trend of Spoetry:
Some spam emails are filled with nonsense. Others simply fill the heart. Recently, under a colourful link to a website selling penis extensions, I found this poetic jewel:
Elizabeth you siren me, coriander. glasswort you alveolus me, chocks.
Dastard you backyard me, colonial cybernetic. risen you begrudge me,
Baccarat rebuke alfresco
This nugget of verse was not created entirely by chance. Bayesian filters, anti-spam programs which rank words in emails according to undesirability, can be fooled when said bad words (Cialis, mortgage, porn) are broken up with arbitrary prose. A message screaming cock pump drug pimp for example, will be filtered out, but if it’s couched with terms such as hawk, seize, hence and triumvirate, the spam will be eluded and your inbox will receive a surreal and striking surprise.
Comparisons with Ezra Pound and William Burroughs follow. (Thanks to David for the link. )