Late is better than never. Forgive me people (those of you who actually read the newsletter hehe), I had an academic burnout and I couldn’t think of anything other than symptoms and clinical signs. I finished my finals today, and I’m slouched on my couch recuperating the poetic self by writing you these suggestions to enjoy.
things:
- I found this Suite populaire by Ornina Syrian Orchestra (my favorite is Ya Rait ِAllah from Homs region). Also if you’re wondering about the name Ornina it means the singer in Ishtar’s temple in the Kingdom of Mari (an ancient Semitic city).
- Tonadas- a music genre popuar in central america (mainly Venezuela and Colombia)- it’s usually sung during menial work like milking the cow. This one is my all time favorite.
- Do you have any summer reading list? I suggest One Hundred Years of Solitude.
- Another Ode by Pablo Neruda.
- Did you know that Dr.Mamdoh Hamadi who wrote the script for the amazing series ضيعة ضايعة also wrote collections of short stories? دفتر الغربة, دفتر الحرب ودفتر القرية
- One of the saddest/hardest poem I’ve read.
Writing prompts:
- try to write a journal entry at the end of the day, where you describe everything that happened during that day.
- Read what you’ve written in the prompt mentioned above, and insert the poetic moments or any moment of beauty or awe that you’ve experienced throughout the day.
- So many things are happening back home–> there is so much anger and pain. Can you visualize these feelings? Can you imagine them as tangible animate/inanimate objects? How do they look like? Smell like? Can ou close your eyes and describe them?
AICHA BINT YUSIF 