Memories of Our Future: Selected Essays 1982-1999

by Alcalay, Ammiel

• ISBN13: 9780872863606
• ISBN10: 0872863603
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-12-01
• Publisher: Consortium Book Sales & Dist

Summary

Voted one of the Top 25 Books of 1999 by the Village Voice. "An outstanding anthology of essays surveying the complexities of Mediterranean cultures; the diverse, changing space of the Balkans, Middle East, and North Africa-areas of diasporas, dislocations, and genocidal exterminations provoked by nationalism and religious fanaticism. Of special interest are his observations and analysis of the Israeli/Palestinian confrontation, Arab/Jewish poetics, and Jewish identity in America."-Midwest Book Review Table of ContentsLocal Politics: The Background as Foreword Ammiel Alcalay Acknowledgments Five Hundred Years After: What Was Left Unsaid about Sepharad Juan Goytisolo PRELUDES: AN OPENING ''weighing the losses, like stones in your hand'' Atonement OF BOOKS AND CITIES/ THE JOURNEY My Mediterranean The Quill's Embroidery: Untangling a Tradition The Quill's Embroidery: Poetry, Tradition, and the ''Postmodern'' Paris / New York / Jerusalem: The Unscheduled Flight of Edmond Jabes and Jacques Derrida Perplexity Index Desert Solitaire: On Edmond Jabes For Edouard Roditi Behind the Scenes: Before After Jews and Arabs FORBIDDEN TERRITORIES, PROMISED LANDS On Arabesques After the Last Sky Who's Afraid of Mahmoud Darwish? Israel and the Levant: ''Wounded Kinship's Last Resort'' Forbidden Territory, Promised Lands In True Colors Culture without a Country Too Much Past The State of the Gulf: Abdelrahman Munif and Hanan al-Shaykh Our Memory Has No Future: On Etel Adnan ''The war was ending, the diasporas beginning'' DISPATCHES A Stitch in Time Court Report: Prolonging a Farce The Trial: A Real Farce ''Ay, de mi aljama'': Palestinians and Israelis Meet, in Spain! Israel / Palestine 101: A Letter to Robert Creeley Quality Control Ushering in the New Order: Repercussions from the Gulf War Reflections at the End of 1992 Why Israel? THE RETURN: VARIATIONS ON A THEME Understanding Revolution Exploding Identities: Notes on Ethnicity and Literary History Speaking with Forked Tongues, or Parables of Eq

Table of Contents

Local Politics: The Background as Foreword	ix
Ammiel Alcalay
Acknowledgments	xvii
Five Hundred Years After: What Was Left Unsaid about Sepharad	xxi
Juan Goytisolo
PRELUDES: AN OPENING
``weighing the losses, like stones in your hand''	3	(18)
Atonement	21	(6)
OF BOOKS AND CITIES/ THE JOURNEY
My Mediterranean	27	(4)
The Quill's Embroidery: Untangling a Tradition	31	(12)
The Quill's Embroidery: Poetry, Tradition, and the ``Postmodern''	43	(4)
Paris / New York / Jerusalem: The Unscheduled Flight of Edmond Jabes and Jacques Derrida	47	(4)
Perplexity Index	51	(4)
Desert Solitaire: On Edmond Jabes	55	(5)
For Edouard Roditi	60	(4)
Behind the Scenes: Before After Jews and Arabs	64	(25)
FORBIDDEN TERRITORIES, PROMISED LANDS
On Arabesques	89	(6)
After the Last Sky	95	(4)
Who's Afraid of Mahmoud Darwish?	99	(6)
Israel and the Levant: ``Wounded Kinship's Last Resort''	105	(8)
Forbidden Territory, Promised Lands	113	(8)
In True Colors	121	(4)
Culture without a Country	125	(5)
Too Much Past	130	(3)
The State of the Gulf: Abdelrahman Munif and Hanan al-Shaykh	133	(7)
Our Memory Has No Future: On Etel Adnan	140	(6)
``The war was ending, the diasporas beginning''	146	(9)
DISPATCHES
A Stitch in Time	155	(4)
Court Report: Prolonging a Farce	159	(4)
The Trial: A Real Farce	163	(10)
``Ay, de mi aljama'': Palestinians and Israelis Meet, in Spain!	173	(5)
Israel / Palestine 101: A Letter to Robert Creeley	178	(8)
Quality Control	186	(9)
Ushering in the New Order: Repercussions from the Gulf War	195	(7)
Reflections at the End of 1992	202	(3)
Why Israel?	205	(6)
THE RETURN: VARIATIONS ON A THEME
Understanding Revolution	211	(11)
Exploding Identities: Notes on Ethnicity and Literary History	222	(14)
Speaking with Forked Tongues, or Parables of Equilibrium	236	(5)
Diasporas / Exiles	241	(8)
STOPS ALONG THE WAY: SELECTED INTERVIEWS
The Alcalay Dictionary of Levantine Culture	249	(7)
Interview with Ammiel Alcalay by Zlatko Dizdarevic	256	(9)
ON THE HOME FRONT: FOR/ZA SARAJEVO
Under Siege	265	(7)
Bearing Witness	272	(5)
European Ghosts, Bosnian Corpses	277	(9)
For/Za Sarajevo	286	(4)
``All the time in the world...''	290