From rallies in Brooklyn to vigils in Chicago, verses composed centuries ago—and decades past—are finding urgent new life in American activist spaces. Scholars, organizers, and spoken word artists reflect on what happens when poetry forged in exile and occupation travels across continents to fuel a new generation's resistance.
Jul 21, 2026
The ghazal, a poetic form with roots stretching back over a thousand years across the Arab world and Persia, is experiencing a quiet renaissance in American literary circles. Arab-American poets are reclaiming this intricate structure, weaving themes of diaspora, memory, and longing into its classical architecture. In doing so, they are demanding that Western literary institutions acknowledge Arabic poetic tradition not as an exotic import, but as a living pillar of American letters.
Jul 20, 2026
Arabic poetry carries within it a musicality, a layered metaphorical architecture, and a grammatical logic that English simply does not possess. When translators attempt to carry these poems across the linguistic divide, something almost always remains behind. Yet a handful of dedicated scholars and poets have found ways to honor the original while making it breathe in a new tongue — and understanding their methods transforms how we read both versions.
Jul 20, 2026