Selected Publications

Books

Faces

The first English translation of one of the novels that helped change modern Arab literature

Mohamed Choukri, one of the most important writers of modern Moroccan literature, grew up in extreme poverty in Tangier and was illiterate until the age of twenty. After learning to read, he realized that “writing could also be a way to expose, to protest against those who have stolen my childhood, my teenage-hood and a piece of my youthfulness.” His vivid portrayals of marginalized people, which had been considered taboo, led to the censorship of his work and a cultural backlash in the Middle East.

In Faces, the third book in his trilogy of fictionalized autobiographical works, he describes gritty events, extreme poverty, prostitution, violence, sexual revelry, deprivation, and abuse. It is through his storytelling that Choukri reflects on human nature, love, and kindness–emphasizing the need for community and collaboration. Faces humanizes those undergoing poverty and places the blame for the violence they encounter squarely on colonial forces and the resulting postcolonial government, while opening literary traditions to a new style of writing.

Choukri’s friendships with Tennessee Williams, Paul Bowles, Jean Genet, and other writers brought him attention in his lifetime. But Faces—his last novel, which was originally published in Arabic in 1996—has remained untranslated until now. In English for the first time, Jonas Elbousty’s translation allows Choukri’s work to reach wider international discussions of contemporary Arab literature.

Tales of Tangier

The complete short stories of acclaimed Moroccan author Mohamed Choukri, translated into English and collected in one volume for the first time

Mohamed Choukri’s vivid stories invite the reader to wander the winding streets of Tangier, the ancient coastal crossroads between Europe and Africa, and to meet its denizens at markets, beaches, cafés, and brothels. Choukri’s Tangier is a place where newborns are for sale, swindlers hawk the Prophet’s shoes to tourists, and boys collect trash to sell for food.

These thirty-one stories, in one English collection for the first time, are translated in a simple, straightforward manner. Choukri privileges the voices of those ignored by society: alcoholics and addicts, the mentally ill and the physically disabled, abused single mothers and abandoned orphans. He could not write about the “milk of birds” or of “angelic beauty,” Choukri said. “Writing is a protest, not a parade.”

Bursting with intensity and conjuring daily life in stunning detail, these stories are at once vibrant local vignettes and profound reflections on the lives, sufferings, and hopes of Choukri’s fellow Tangerines.

Aswat Mu'asira

Aswat Mu’asira introduces advanced level students to contemporary short stories from across the Middle East. Fifty-five stories in Arabic from twenty countries engage students with current topics and literary approaches that open the door to discovering both established and emerging authors and literary traditions. The book includes voices from often overlooked Arabic-speaking countries and peoples, giving readers the opportunity to broaden their understanding of Arabic cultures.

While most Arabic literature textbooks include only excerpts of longer works, the short stories in this collection are designed to be read in one sitting, giving students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a complete piece of literature. Stories are organized into chapters based on their country of origin. Each story is preceded by an author biography and followed by exercises to help students practice vocabulary and comprehension, explore the literary tradition, and master literary analysis.

Scholars of Arabic literature will also welcome these new stories, many of which are available outside the Middle East for the first time in this collection and expand the understanding of the short story and of contemporary literature from this important region.

Media Arabic: Journalistic Discourse for Advanced Students of Arabic

Media Arabic provides advanced students of Arabic with a range of engaging texts on controversial and contemporary topics that reflect the current social and political environment in the Middle East. Divided into ten thematic modules, each module includes three units based on a selection of authentic newspaper articles that dive deep into topics as diverse as climate change, racism, and corruption. Each unit contains comprehension and discussion questions as well as vocabulary lists, translation exercises, and creative writing exercises. Each topic also benefits from a curated selection of authentic news videos

Advanced Arabic literary reader: for students of modern standard Arabic

Advanced Arabic Literary Reader is a truly representative collection of literary extracts from across the Arabic-speaking world. Extracts from each country in the Arab world have been carefully selected, with a balance of both male and female writers and prominent and emerging voices, providing a unique window into the Arab world. Suitable for both class use and independent study, each extract is supported by an introduction to the author, pre-reading activities, comprehension questions and discussion questions. These activities are designed to help learners expand and reinforce their vocabulary, develop their oral and written proficiency and stimulate further exploration of the cultural and historical background of the texts. Written entirely in Arabic, the Advanced Arabic Literary Reader is an essential text for advanced students who wish to further their reading, speaking, and writing ability in Modern Standard Arabic.

Vitality and Dynamism: Interstitial Dialogues of Language, Politics, and Religion in Morocco's Literary Tradition

Post-colonial theory recognizes that European and American scholars have traditionally defined the themes that are of interest in literary criticism; in Moroccan studies, these themes have tended toward questions of migration, identity, secularism, and religious fanaticism typically questions regarding Morocco in its relationships with colonizing nations. This book intends to re-define the themes of interest in Moroccan studies, looking toward more local themes and movements and relationships of sub-cultures and languages within Morocco. Questions in this volume regard concepts of the self, conflicting discourses, intersections of self-identity and community, and Moroccan reclamation of identity in the post-colonial sphere.