In the Wake of 1967

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Israel’s military Defeat of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in June 1967 set in motion a period of intense cultural activity in the Arab Levant. The harvest of the Defeat contained contradictory impulses, from waves of self-critical reflection and retreats into despair to daring creative experimentations in poetry, philosophy, novels, and cinema. This course surveys some of the big questions posed by the event, such as: the meaning of defeat, the possibility of renaissance; the urgency of mass mobilization. We will engage with works by: Shadi Abd al-Salam, Sadiq al-Azm, Amal Dunqul, Gamal Al-Ghitani, Emile Habiby, Sonallah Ibrahim, Ghassan Kanafani, Muhammad al-Maghut, Naguib Mahfouz, Muhammad Malas, Ahmed Fouad Negm, Nizar Qabbani, Fadwa Tuqan, and Saadallah Wannous. Over-under. Readings in English and/or in Arabic, depending on student’s need.