Essays and Features

How ‘Good Old Days’ Nostalgia Enables Neglect and Complacency in Lebanon’s Elite Throughout Countless Crises

By

Al Jadid Staff

When Lebanon is in crisis, and even when it is not, laypeople and some experts rush to use popularized and romanticized explanations suggesting that the country is experiencing something unprecedented. They reminisce and claim Lebanon had a much better time in the “good old days.” If the crises are financial and economic, they proclaim that Lebanon enjoyed economic growth, stability, high employment, and increased incomes in the pre-crisis days.

The Late Khaled Khalifa Hoped for Remedy and Redemption of the Arab Literary Prize Through Transparency

By Elie Chalala

Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa’s sudden death last year in his Damascus home shocked the Arab literary world. The novelist, screenwriter, and poet has enraptured critics through his works, especially with his 2006 novel “In Praise of Hatred,” which was banned by the Syrian government. Khalifa’s passing at 59 leaves friends and acquaintances mourning the many words the writer left unsaid. At the same time, it becomes ever more prudent to heed his words, especially regarding the Arab literary prizes.

Essays and Features

‘Unimaginative’ Digital Age: What Can Arab Cultural Journalism Learn?

By

Al Jadid Staff

The Information Revolution and the spread of the internet and social media have had severe repercussions for cultural services as we know them. The loss of numerous publications remains one symptom of the many changes sweeping across the Arab world, which recently witnessed the closure of another publication, the Qatari cultural magazine Doha.

Grand Prix de la Francophonie Marks Pinnacle of Abdelfattah Kilito’s Profound Impact on Ancient Arabic Literary Traditions

By Al Jadid Staff

Moroccan literary scholar and writer Abdelfattah Kilito’s efforts in spreading recognition for Arabic literature have been honored again in the form of the Grand Prix de la Francophonie, one of two prestigious prizes awarded annually by the French Academy. The award, which marks Kilito’s second prize from the French Academy since he received the French Academy Award in 1996, celebrates the author for his contributions to developing the French language worldwide. A renowned Arabic literary critic, Kilito has authored several books in Arabic and French, devoting himself to safeguarding ancient Arabic literature. His book “Thou Shalt Not Speak My Language” (2002) remains a valuable resource for scholars on the Arabic literary tradition, establishing him as one of the greatest Arab and Francophone writers.

Essays and Features

‘Little Prince,’ Poet and Artist Hassan Abdallah Evoked the Beauty of Nature Through Boundless Streams of Vibrant, Passionate, Paradoxical Language

By

Elie Chalala

After his passing in 2022, poets, intellectuals, and journalists offered their eulogies of the Lebanese poet Hassan Abdallah (1943-2022), who captivated readers with his words. Among those honoring him were Shawqi Bzay, Abbas Beydoun, Jawdat Fakhreddine, Talal Salman, and others. Without exception, Abdallah’s colleagues and friends remember him as a humble man, one who preferred to remain in the shadows and shun the limelight, festivals, and fiery speeches.

Drawing the Curtains on Wajdi Mouawad’s ‘Controversial’ Play: Lebanese Intellectuals’ Defense of Director Warns of State Chokehold on Freedom of Expression

By

Elie Chalala

“Theatrical” perhaps best describes the current state of Lebanon’s performing arts scene, which seems to be embroiled in its own drama in recent days. Early this year, we bade farewell to the director and actor duo Antoine and Latifa Multaqa, pioneers of Lebanese theater’s 1960s avant-garde era and, for a moment, relished in nostalgia for Beirut’s culturally vibrant bygone days. Unfortunately, such rose-tinted memories have little room under the stifling atmosphere overtaking much of Lebanon’s arts and culture.

The Art of Conveying Joy: The Late Latifa Multaqa on the Human Connection Between Actor and Audience

By Naomi Pham

A pioneer of female directors in the history of modern Lebanese theater, Latifa Multaqa has guided generations of actors since Lebanon’s golden age of theater, embodying the art of theater as an actor, director, and teacher. Multaqa, 92, passed away on April 9, 2024, joining her husband and partner on stage, Antoine Multaqa, who left this world a few weeks prior. Since the 60s and 70s, the Multaqa duo have established their reputation as pillars of modern Lebanese theater, opening doors to experimental theater alongside fellow pioneers Muneer Abou Debs and Raymond Jebara. From the legal pulpit to the stage, Latifa Multaqa laid the groundwork for serious avant-garde theater, and in mentoring students even after she retired from teaching, played an invaluable role in fostering the growth of Lebanon’s theatrical talent for generations to come.

Essays and Features

The Tragicomic Lebanese Reality in Raymond Jebara’s Theater: ‘Sarcastic to the Point of Despair’

By

Elie Chalala

“There are clear faces that do not hide anything, as if their features convey the stories of their owners. It is as if every story in the life of its owner left a mark on it. For the Lebanese playwright Raymond Jebara, he wears a face of fatigue mixed with sharp sarcasm and a smile... eyes that describe the man,” wrote the Kuwaiti Al Jarida in an interview with Jebara in 2010.

The Attractive Modernist: The Poet, Playwright, and Critic Issam Mahfouz (1939-2006)

Mohammad Dakroub

Even in his early writings, which were mainly poems, Issam Mahfouz used to “create a sublime and penetrating theater of dialogue,” says Lebanese poet Shawqi Abi-Shaqra about his friend. It is a disservice to Mahfouz to sum up his contributions in generalities. This creative artist made his unique and visionary contributions in different fields: first, in modern poetry, then theater, where his primary and most notable contributions lie, and in literary studies, criticism, and research. He excelled at developing innovative methods for presenting knowledge and introducing creative and cultural works to the Arab reader deliberately and entertainingly. We cannot overlook the rich and distinguished literary page that he edited each Saturday in the Beirut-based An Nahar newspaper, providing the reader a font of cultural knowledge from an authentic modernist and progressive perspective and for reasons we have yet to understand, that newspaper has abandoned this shining weekly literary page, a loss for both the newspaper and the reader.

Antoine Multaqa, Enduring Pillar of Lebanon’s Golden Age of Modern Theater, Exits the Stage

By Naomi Pham

While Arab theater sits at a crossroads amid questions about its path toward the future, another pillar of modern Arab theater exits the stage. Antoine Multaqa, 91, who passed away in his sleep on February 21, 2024, nurtured the development of experimental theater alongside his wife, fellow director and actor Latifa Multaqa (née Chamoun), during Beirut’s golden age of theater. In its current state, Arab theater stands a shadow of its former self, nowhere nearly as celebrated as it was during the 1960s and 1970s when Antoine Multaqa, Muneer Abou Debs, Raymond Jebara, and others ushered modernism to the Lebanese stage. Modern theater was the backbone of cultural life in Beirut. At a time when theater mainly depended on translated works, poets played active roles in writing and translating plays, bringing Western classics by Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Brecht to Arab audiences. Multaqa’s passing is a nostalgic reminder of Lebanon’s theatrical heyday and the dilemma it faces today, caught between modernity and postmodernity.

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