Tag: books

all things literary, monthly wrap-ups, reflections8 Comments

Monthly Wrap-Up | July 2020

Neriman K.

As a professional who reads and writes for a living, not sticking with my reading goals used to bother me. A lot. Sort of like leaving a book unread or not finishing a book, you know? I’m sure you know (especially if you’re a bookworm). But as I transition into my new life, I’m learning to find joy in leaving a book unfinished. Continue reading Monthly Wrap-Up | July 2020

all things literary, books + writers, books in translation, Middle Eastern +Unapologetically Muslim Reading Challenge, women's fiction8 Comments

So Long a Letter; So Long a History | Mariama Bâ, Muslimness, and Women’s Rights

Neriman K.

Through Ramatoulaye’s reflections, Bâ highlights the institution of marriage as a structural symbol of the patriarchal system, in which asymmetrical gender relations are maintained and projected as part of the Islamic doctrine. Continue reading So Long a Letter; So Long a History | Mariama Bâ, Muslimness, and Women’s Rights

all things literary, books, quotable8 Comments

Susan Sontag on Compassion

Neriman K.

“Compassion is an unstable emotion. It needs to be translated into action, or it withers. The question is what to do with the feelings that have been aroused, the knowledge that has been communicated. If one feels that there is nothing “we” can do—but who is that “we”?—and nothing “they” can do either—and who are “they”?—then one starts to get bored, cynical, apathetic.” Continue reading Susan Sontag on Compassion