BarakaBits
  • Business
    • Social Entrepreneurship
    • Women-Led Enterprises
    • Youth in Business
  • The Arts
    • Art & Photography
    • Books, Blogs & Poetry
    • Design, Fashion & Architecture
    • Music
    • Theater & Dance
    • TV, Film & Online Video
  • Dailylife
    • Challenge to Change
    • Discovery
    • DIY & Life Hacks
    • Food for Thought
    • Heritage
    • Travel
    • Wellness Inside Out
  • Education
    • #NeverStopLearning
    • Classroom 2.0
    • The VIP Section
  • Environment
    • Green Policy
    • Sustainable Design
    • Upcycling & Recycling
  • Science & Tech
    • Lab to Life
  • #Barakability
    • AMENA
    • Memory Bank
    • Opportunities
    • Portraits
  • Countries
  • Submit a Story
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Subscription Form
BarakaBits
  • Business
    • Social Entrepreneurship
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Women-Led Enterprises
    • Youth in Business
  • The Arts
    • Art & Photography
    • Books, Blogs & Poetry
    • Design, Fashion & Architecture
    • Music
    • Theater & Dance
    • TV, Film & Online Video
  • Dailylife
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Science & Tech
  • #Barakability
  • عربي
  • #Barakability
  • Art & Photography
  • Books, Blogs & Poetry
  • Music
  • The Arts
  • TV, Film & Online Video

Brave New Words–and Cartoons, Stencils and Graffiti–Come Together in “Syria Speaks”

  • June 15, 2014
  • One comment
  • 1 minute read
Total
36
Shares
36
0
0
0
0
0

“Homs is more important than Troy,” poet Aboud Saeed tells his mother in the penultimate section of Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline.

She thinks he’s kidding, and the fact that he’s not is precisely the point—not only of Saeed’s tenderly satirical work, but of the book as a whole. The expansive new anthology, released today by Saqi Books, compiles pieces by over 50 artists and writers as a “testament to the courage, creativity and imagination of the Syrian people”.

As much as it pays homage to their choice to value their own voices, it also bears witness to the power of mutual support. Many of the pieces presented are created by collectives, from the YouTube puppeteers of Top Goon and the satirists of Kafranbel to the “Lens of a Young” photographers’ associations that blossomed in many Syrian cities. True to its populist goal, the book rebuffs hierarchies of rank or genre, with cartoons, caricatures, posters, and graffiti side-by-side with poetry, short stories, essays, interviews, and novel excerpts, by a mix of established, up-and-coming, and anonymous artists.

While the editors are clear-eyed about the disappointments of the last three years, it is exhilarating to find so many touchstones of brave, humane brilliance gathered together in one volume. Though so many lives have been lost or uprooted, the book is a home for their hopes, and a stepping-stone to a freer future.

For more information: Syria Speaks

36
0
0
0
Share 36
Tweet 0
Total
36
Shares
Share 36
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • Aboud Saeed
  • Ali Ferzat
  • Art & Photography
  • art for peace
  • art of protest
  • Arts & Culture
  • Baraka Bits
  • BarakaBits
  • books on Syria
  • caricature
  • cartoons
  • Good News
  • GoodNewsME
  • grafitti
  • Middle East Good News
  • peaceful art
  • Saqi books
  • satire
  • Street Art
  • Syria Speaks
  • Syrian artists
  • Syrian popular art
  • Syrian refugees
  • Syrian satire
  • Syrian writers
Jennifer MacKenzie

Poet, writer and teacher Jennifer MacKenzie grew up on Bloomcrest Dr. in Bloomfield Hills, MI, which inspired her to wonder about places with patterns other than floral. Following her education at Wesleyan University's College of Letters and the University of Iowa's Writers Workshop, she followed a zig-zag course that included a pilgrimage across the top of Spain and a long sojourn in Syria in pursuit of the language of Muhammad al-Maghout and Moudthaffar al-Nawwab. While in Damascus she completed the books of poems "Distant City" and "My Not-My Soldier" (forthcoming from Fence Books) and edited the magazine Syria Today. Her poems and essays can be found in numerous journals including the Kenyon Review online, Guernica, Quarterly West, and Lungfull. She currently lives in New York.

Previous Article
Dubarah Anti-Panhandling Turkey
  • #Barakability
  • Business
  • Social Entrepreneurship

Initiative Launched to End Syrian Panhandling in Turkey

  • June 15, 2014
View Post
Next Article
  • Discovery
  • Lifestyle
  • Wellness Inside Out

Step Aside, Paul the Octopus: This World Cup’s Prediction Master Is a Camel

  • June 17, 2014
View Post

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

You May Also Like
View Post
  • The Arts
  • TV, Film & Online Video

10 Internationally-acclaimed Arabic Movies

  • February 1, 2021
View Post
  • #Barakability
  • Women-Led Enterprises

A Time of Crisis: Lebanon’s Kafala Victims Need You

  • May 4, 2020
View Post
  • Art & Photography
  • The Arts

Planning a trip to the UAE? Here’s a list of the ten best photography locations across the Country!

  • April 7, 2019
View Post
  • #Barakability
  • AMENA
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel

MENA Countries: What to Look for When Touring Uzbekistan

  • December 9, 2017
View Post
  • #Barakability
  • AMENA
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel

Best New York Parks for the Outdoorsy Tourist

  • November 5, 2017
View Post
  • Education
  • Role Models
  • TV, Film & Online Video

AraVid, A Passion For Teaching and Learning Languages

  • November 3, 2017
View Post
  • #Barakability
  • AMENA
  • Heritage

You Know You’re Arab When..

  • October 18, 2017
View Post
  • The Arts
  • TV, Film & Online Video

Hopes are Up for the First Pakistani Horror Movie, Pari.

  • October 16, 2017
1 comment
  1. Pingback: 16. Juni 2014: Baraka Bits review of “Syria Speaks” praises Aboud Saeed — mikrotext

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending
  • 1
    Six Reasons to Invest in Dubai Property
  • 2
    How Does a Sharia Mortgage Work?
  • 3
    Joining the Healthcare Industry with an Online Degree
  • 4
    3 Must-Haves in a Job Listing Post
  • 5
    5 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Dishwasher
Get some good news to your email

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Countries
Libya Yemen Algeria Jordan United Arab Emirates Turkey Iraq Syria Oman Tunisia Egypt Saudi Arabia Iran Morocco Palestine Lebanon Kuwait QatarBahrain
Stay Connected
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube Subscribers
Categories
  • Business
  • The Arts
  • Lifestyle
  • Education
  • Environment
  • #Barakability
Company
  • About Us
  • Archives
  • Intern at BarakaBits
  • Submit a Story
  • Why Advertise With Us?
  • Contact Us
BarakaBits
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Good News from the Middle East

Input your search keywords and press Enter.