Cold Night; Distant Campfire

The Heavy Hitting Maqam of Saba

2012-01-19T12:31:00.001-05:00

The work of a free-lance writer has its interesting moments. These days I am a short order cook with a dozen dishes cooking, some just being dreamed up, some being garnished and sent off to the table. I'm grateful for all projects in the pipeline, as well as other unusual opportunities that have come my way.

Yesterday I had the honor to be part of a panel at Berklee College of Music, talking about emotional expression in Arab music. I was asked by Simon Shaheen, who recently joined the faculty there. Also on the panel was Robert Browning, the founder of the World Music Institute , accompanied by his lovely wife Helene, as well as qanun maestro Jamal Sinno and the excellent percussionist Tareq Rantisi, a recent Berklee grad. Simon asked me to join the panel in large part because there was no budget to bring anyone from out of town. I am glad for the opportunity. I focused on the heavy emotional content of the maqam called Saba. I really enjoyed the chance to sit back and think about this particular maqam, and how one has to handle it. Then, Simon, Jamal and Tareq played a section of Simon's composition Arboresque that is all in Saba. Robert Browning spoke about his perspective on Tarab, musical ecstasy, in Middle Eastern music, based on his decades of presenting this music in New York City. The audience were Berklee faculty members, and this in itself was fantastic, for they all have incredible musical hearing abilities, and they all 'got' the theoretical aspects of what we were saying. What an audience!

You can read more about Saba and listen to samples of it at: maqamworld.com - page on saba I am thinking about writing a short piece on Saba ----- based on what we discussed and discovered. The emotional effect of the various maqamat is a subject of discussion among scholars, but from my own experience as a 20 some year student of the oud, musicians themselves don't TALK about the emotion of it, they just play it and experience it.

Grateful for the Old Year; Hopeful for the New Year

2011-12-31T09:58:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, faithful readers. I wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous, peaceful, and wondrous 2012.

I recently came across an excellent exercise in gratitude. I learned about it from a magazine article by Eugene D. Holden.

Try the following for a week; and see if things start to move in your life.

1. Get a small notebook and keep it at your bedside.
2. First thing in the morning upon waking, write down five things for which you are grateful.
3. At day's end, write down five things that happened during the day for which you are grateful.

Among many things, I am grateful for all of you, and for living in this age when we can make friends across so many boundaries of space, distance and culture.

Here's to friendship in its many forms, and the power of friendship to knit us all closer.

Fashion Dreams - The Exquisite Gowns of Hana Sadiq

2011-11-05T12:50:00.006-04:00

Last night, Boston's Center for Arabic Culture held a fundraiser featuring a fashion show of gowns by Iraqi fashion designer Hana Sadiq, entitled "The Many Names of Love". Held at Boston's elegant Taj Hotel, the show was part of a special fundraising evening that featured the fashion show as well as a silent auction, and dancing. The Center for Arabic Culture is based in Somerville, near Boston, and has a full and expanding slate of activities.

But back to the fashion show. A bit spent from finishing a major writing project, I was thrilled to be in the audience for the show. It was such a balm to my spirit to feast on the sumptuous gowns. Sure they were couture-priced, but they were of exquisite couture quality too. Each worthy of Sheherazade herself, they had gaspingly gorgeous detailing, brilliant colors, fanciful cuts and dreamy fabric. Many featured embroidery of Arabic calligraphy. It is hard to bring the beauty to you - but here is a close-up of a gown that shows some of her amazing ideas - combining color, calligraphy and embroidery.

Most gowns were accessorized by fantastic headpieces and hats. All the models also wore five pearl or silver sequins above each eyebrow, to interesting effect. The Fashion Doctors blog has posted several photos of the show - link below. Here is one of the photographs showing a closeup of a model with the eyebrow sequins and embroidered hat. Lovely!

The models were professionals from Boston's Dynasty Agency. Since I went on my own, I didn't socialize, but left quickly after the show, my mind filled with Ms. Sadiq's fantastic creations. The guests, so elegant they could have done their own fashion show, clearly seemed to be enjoying themselves. They auctioned off one of Ms. Sadiq's gowns right after the show. There were many photographers there, and if I see any of the photographs from the show I'll post them. In the meantime, here is a link to Hana Sadiq's website . Bravo, everyone at the Center for Arabic Culture, especially director Farrah Haidar. Well done!

In a blog called Fashion Doctors, there are several photos of the show. You can link to them here.
And if you're in the DC area, Hana Sadiq will be presenting her fashions at a benefit for the ADC in Washington very soon.

In Apricot Season

2011-10-28T20:40:00.003-04:00

The Arabs have thousands of wise sayings and proverbs. I studied Arabic in college and lived in the Middle East for several years and have come across lots of them. Here are some of my favorites.

Bukra Fi Mishmish – “Tomorrow, in apricot season” – This is the equivalent of westerners saying ‘when hell freezes over,’ in other words, ‘never’. Apricots ripen in summer but their season lasts only about a week. So when you want to put something off to an unlikely time, you can say, ‘in apricot season.’

Ibn al-Batt `Awaam – “The son of a duck is a floater” This one, from the Gulf country of Bahrain is akin to ‘the acorn never falls far from the tree.” A British resident in Bahrain wrote a book of Bahraini sayings using this one as its title.

Al-Jaar Qabl ad-Daar – “Choose your neighbor before your house.” The Arabic version of ‘location, location, location,’ it’s a wise view of how any dwelling place is enhanced by good neighbors.

Misr Umm ad-Dunya – “Egypt is the Mother of the World.” Yes, Egyptians really do think that, and they say it too.

‘Ala khashmi - “On My Nose” You say this in the United Arab Emirates when someone has asked you to do something, and you want to say, ‘With pleasure, I’ll do what you ask.’

Laa shukr ila waajib – “There is no thanks for doing one’s duty” You hear this across the Arab world from merchants, from friends and in the workplace.

Fawg in-Nakhl – “Above the Palms”. A way of saying, ‘I feel great’. There’s a famous song of that title, popular in the Eastern part of the Arab world. I’ve heard that it’s originally from Iraq.

In Morocco, you say Waakha for ‘OK’. Baghdadi’s say Aku Maku for ‘How ya doin’. (I confess I’ve never been to Baghdad, but an acquaintance from there told me this.) Literally, it means, ‘there was, there wasn’t’. it reminds me of the Lebanese greeting Shoo Fee Maa Fee, or ‘what’s up, nothing much’. In Morocco they greet each other saying, La ba’as, or ‘not bad.’ You can say this both to greet someone and to respond to their greeting. Kuwaiti’s and others from the Gulf say hello with Ya halaa. All over the Arab world, the expression ya’ani means ‘means’. Confused? OK, it also means, ‘in other words’, and ‘um…ahhh.’, as well as ‘like’ (Valley Girl style). You often hear it stretched out in a sentence while the speaker is stranded mid-thought. It also has another meaning ---- ‘sort of’ or ‘not exactly’.

My friend Addi Ouadderrou, who owns Moroccan Caravan in Somerville, (http://www.moroccancaravan.com/) taught me a great one last year. Here it is in English. “You’ll find different things when you search in the river than when you search in the ocean.” (The words for river and ocean rhyme in Arabic). Do we have an equivalent of this? I don’t think so.

And last but not least, Abla, a Palestinian friend, told me, “Time is like a sword. If you don’t cut with it, it will cut you.”

Saudi Female Wedding Singers

2011-10-17T09:48:00.002-04:00

Arab News feature writer Rima al-Mukhtar has written a lovely article about female singers in Saudi Arabia today. The article is pasted in below, along with a wonderful illustration.

WEDDING SINGERS - TAGAGAT

By RIMA AL-MUKHTAR, LIFE.STYLE@ARABNEWS.COM

Published: May 25, 2011 19:19 Updated: May 25, 2011 19:19

When one thinks of a traditional Saudi wedding, a Tagaga always comes to mind. Tagaga is the Arabic word for a woman singer that only sings in weddings and women gathering nights. This profession has been around in Saudi Arabia for more than 50 years, but it used to be limited to certain people who have beautiful voices.

However, according to 28-year-old singer, Jehan, it takes more than just a beautiful voice to be a Tagaga in the Gulf region. “A true Tagaga has to be fluent in more than one Arabic accent. She has to be professional in Egyptian, Syrian, Moroccan, Gulf, Yemeni and Lebanese because people have different tastes in music. A Tagaga is an entertainer: she has to put in mind that people get bored easily, so she has to keep them interested by performing different kinds of music and sometimes dances with them,” she said.

Tagagas don’t have their own songs, but rather perform popular songs. Furthermore, they only use an Arabic drum in their songs to influence the Gulf rhythm in their music.
“Tagagas usually perform for four to five hours a night at a normal wedding,” said 24-year-old Tagaga, Jowhara.

Saudi weddings usually start at 11 p.m. and end at around 4 a.m. “We arrive at the wedding at around 12 a.m. and start singing until Fajer prayer or sometimes, according to the bride’s orders, until 7 a.m. We take five-minute coffee breaks every 30 minutes to give attendees a chance to catch up,” added Jowhara.

Some Tagaga bands are accompanied with a male singer to make their music more appealing. “I believe that I’m one of the first men to sing in women-only weddings. We usually sing in a room separated from women and coordinate with them by telephone,” said Mohammed Hashem, a male singer. “I have my own band of seven women singers and a sound manager. Furthermore, we use more than just Arabic drums as tempo; we also use an organ and DJ mixing.”

Tagaga bands nowadays charge up to SR20,000 a night. “I believe it’s fair to charge a lot of money because you are paying the whole band and not just one person. This band will guarantee you a night filled with entertainment,” added Hashem. “A Tagaga who just started her business will charge between SR3,000 and SR5,000 while a singer who has been in the business for more than five years will charge between SR15,000 and SR20,000. Well-known Tagagas charge more than SR20,000 because people already know her and she has been in the business for a long time.”

According to Cinderella, a lead singer in a band, most of those music bands fake their names to avoid trouble. “Most of those Tagagas come from very traditional backgrounds where if they mentioned their family names, they might get into serious trouble with their distant families. We heard about many female singers from Bedouin tribes who later got into trouble with their relatives for going on stage and singing for other women. Those tribes see that it as shameful and disgrace if they did such a thing,” she said.

When it comes to a traditional Saudi wedding, a wedding planner has to put specific things in mind, considering that weddings in Saudi Arabia are women only weddings. “Preparing for a wedding event can be hectic because many young women demand a modern wedding; yet it’s hard for them to let go of their old traditions. Brides never want modern music bands; they always demand the best Tagaga with the best crew of drummers. It’s hard to book those Tagagas because they are always on demand. I have to book them two or three months before the wedding just to make sure they make it on the same day,” said Randa Basha, a Saudi wedding planner.

“They are not your typical singers who just get on stage and perform. Those singers have to have their own place in the wedding ballroom and have to be provided with chocolate, dates, coffee and tea. You can say they are spoiled when they come to work and people pay them up to SR30,000,” added Basha.

According to Basha, some brides even book Tagagas from other cities around the Kingdom. “Brides always look for the best wedding performers and entertainment. I have arranged many weddings where the bride pays the Tagaga to come from Riyadh to Jeddah and pays the plane booking, hotel, accommodation and the wedding fees. Furthermore, those Tagagas don’t come alone, they come with a whole team of drummers, dancers and assistants. So, the bride pays all of them for their services,” she added.

Touha is a legendary name in the world of singing in Saudi Arabia. She has been working as a Tagaga for 30 years now and is considered one of the oldest Tagagas around and the one who started this form of art in the Kingdom.

“Nowadays, music is different and the music industry is going down. This profession is turning into a humiliation because the person who doesn’t find a job turns herself into a Tagaga,” said Touha. “This job became random because many people from different nationalities joined it and ruined it too. Those amateur singers are asking for too much money and for what? Three or four hours of singing?”

“Back in our days, we used to charge up to SR3,000 only, but singers now ask for SR15,000 and more! This does not make any sense and only shows only that they are greedy and not doing it for the sake of enjoyment like we did before,” she added.

It is interesting to note that Saudi families don’t approve of this kind of job, claiming it’s not classy and doesn’t match their religious beliefs. “I wouldn’t endorse the idea of one of my daughters working as a Tagaga for this job has one of the worst reputations,” said business man Saleh Shaheen. “I think many Saudi families would agree with me because this job requires the singer to stay out all night singing and dancing, which does not match our Islamic tradition or our closed society’s way of thinking."

Publication Party for Kate Whouley's "Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words"

2011-09-11T19:31:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, Kate Whouley held a publication party for her latest book at Titcomb's Bookstore in East Sandwich on Cape Cod. Kate's book, Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words, is a heart-warming memoir about how she, as a single woman, dealt with her mother's final years in a struggle with Alzheimer's. While the story might sound grim, it reads like a frank conversation over a soothing cup of tea. Treating the reader as a trusted friend, Whouley shares her decisions and dilemmas, as well as moments of grace and humor, and the deep compassion that ultimately saw her and her mother through.

The book launched on September 6, 2011 to much fanfare, including a glowing review in USA Today (read it here), and a great review on Shelf Awareness (read it here). In addition, an excerpt appeared in Salon.com, and an essay about her mom's birthday (which is 9/11) appeared in Obit Magazine. So...the only way Kate could top all this was to throw a bang-up pub party. Which she did.

Kate having a word with the 'Titcombs Man' - a statue outside the bookstore. He has good taste in books too!

The day was perfect - sunny, and slightly cool. Titcomb's Bookshop is located on a picturesque stretch of Route 6A on the Cape. The traditional Cape-style cedar shingle building was swathed in lush plantings, offering plenty of room for Kate's readers and fans to gather both inside and out. Throughout the event, readers waited in line to get their books signed. In addition to a delicious cake, guests sipped wine and nibbled cheese and crackers. Kate read from the book, admitting this was her first time reading it aloud, except when she read to herself or her cat in the editing process. Attendees wore buttons indicating whether they were a character in the book, from Beacon Press, or a member of the Cape Cod Conservatory Band, which also plays a big role in the book. The buttons were great conversation starters. Helene Atwan, the book's editor and Director of Beacon Press, as well as Beacon's Associate Publisher Tom Hallock, and Senior Publicist Caitlin Meyer were also on hand to cheer Kate on.

Photographer Anne Sweeney, known to television audiences as a friendly WGBH-TV fundraiser, took photos. Check out Kate Whouley's author page on facebook if you want to see them. Above, some of the book's characters, including Anne, joined Kate around the Titcomb's Man.

You can order a hard copy or e-book on-line from Titcomb's (link here). If you'd like a signed copy, call them at: 508-888-2331. If you are lucky enough to be on Cape Cod, stop by Titcomb's. In addition to a captivating collection of new and used books, they have a wonderful selection of greeting cards.

Congratulations, Kate! Obviously, I highly recommend Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words.

Habibi Magazine - Archives on-line

2011-09-06T15:40:00.000-04:00

My first published writing was a series of essays that appeared in a Habibi, a newspaper/magazine from California. The series was called "Arabian Journal". In it, I wrote about my adventures living as a young wife and college grad with my American husband in Jeddah in the late 1970's. I wrote about exploring the folk dance scene and some of the interesting characters I met in the process of trying to learn about the traditions there.

Habibi served the burgeoning belly dance scene in the 1970's, and was originally published by Bob Zalot. Later, in the 1990's, Shareen El Safy revived it, and during that time I wrote a stand-alone article for the magazine, a kind of summary of what I'd learned about the folk dances of the women of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf. Just recently, Shareen digitized the articles from the years 1992-2002 and put them up on a website. I highly recommend this as a research tool if you're interested in the Middle Eastern performance arts. You can search by author or keyword. Some of the best writing about Middle Eastern dance was published in Habibi, and it's worth a serious browse. The link is here.

Here is the link to my story from the Fall, 1997 edition, Loosening their tresses: women's dances of the Arabian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Eduardo Paniagua and the Music of al-Andalus

2011-07-15T03:14:00.002-04:00

One of the projects that occupied me this last winter and spring was writing a profile of the musician and producer, Eduardo Paniagua of Madrid. It just came out in the July-August Saudi Aramco World Magazine. This story was quite an adventure, and it opened my eyes to many things, and brought me to Spain for the first time. Eduardo Paniagua is possibly coming to New York to perform this September at the World Music Institute. I'll follow up with details if he's coming.

Here's the link to the story: Listening for Al-Andalus

Helicopter wife or writing buddy?

2011-06-06T17:26:00.002-04:00

Thwop thwop thwop.....the sounds of a helicopter hovering. Is that me... am I being a helicopter wife?

My husband is under the gun with an important writing deadline. Ideas are floating around in his head, and he's at last sitting down to do his draft. It's slow going, but I know how his mind works, and am confident that the result will be logical, thorough and clear. But that doesn't mean it's not hard to watch him go through the process.

Usually I'm the one who is wrestling with writing deadlines. I've had a busy spring, with two magazine articles that involved many interviews and hours of transcriptions, followed by days of drafting, polishing and editing. With my stories submitted, I'm taking a breather and am about to turn to a novel project. I'm hanging back though, until he's met his deadline.

So what am I doing to help? Not much. I try not to ask him how it's going too often, though I worry that perhaps talking things out might help. I help him research things when asked. Mostly, though, I cook for him, top up his coffee mug, and try to keep things quiet so he can concentrate.

I just can't imagine what it must be like for the parents of a teenager....wondering if the college application essay is complete, how the term paper's going, whether all the deadlines are being met. Not having had children, I've little experience with all of this.

So am I a helicopter wife? Is there such a thing? I google it and find there is a term for a 'helicopter spouse' but I don't think it fits me, because I know his results will be stellar. In fact when we were in college, we both were going for an honors degree and had to write a senior thesis. His was elegant and focused - on how medieval Arab grammarians argued over the adverb. In Arabic, it's called a Haal. So we joked that he should title it, "What, the Haal?" Anyway, mine was a more amorphous and larger topic - on the lives and literary patronage of two aristocratic Arabian women in early Islam. I cried tears over retyping mine. He only had to change the spelling of 'genitive'. (This was before personal computers you see).

So we often laugh at the kind of writing we do. He, always the succinct, clear, and logical. Me, the big, amorphous, messy, emotional and dramatic. I try to make my stories more focused and imitate his clarity. He helps edit my short stories, helping crisp them up most elegantly.

So instead of a helicopter wife, I'm trying to be a good writing buddy. My biggest fear is that I'll jinx him by telling how excited I am to see how his work is going to blossom on the page. I know it's going to be good, I'm just impatient for my first look at his draft.

This is My Father's World

2011-04-24T09:41:00.008-04:00

Happy Easter, and Happy Spring, and to everyone in Egypt, happy "Shem al-Neseem" ('Smell the Breeze' Day). The hymn "This is My Father's World" always gets to me. And perhaps not surprisingly, since it was inspired by a walk in the woods.The message is really powerful, especially for me these days as a group of us are fighting industrial wind projects in Maine. I find inspiration and strength in this hymn, and perhaps you will too, with whatever battle you are fighting.

The lyrics are below, and below that, an amazing video of the hymn being performed by the Indiana Wesleyan University Chorale. The arrangement rushes in the high points, but then this treatment is rather interesting in that it makes it overall, less 'shmaltzy'.

Strength to you, and gladness, whatever you face in your life.

This is my Father's world, 
 and to my listening ears 
 all nature sings, and round me rings 
 the music of the spheres.  
 This is my Father's world:  
 I rest me in the thought 
 of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; 
 his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world, 
 the birds their carols raise, 
 the morning light, the lily white, 
 declare their maker's praise.  
 This is my Father's world:  
 he shines in all that's fair; 
 in the rustling grass I hear him pass; 
 he speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world.  
 O let me ne'er forget 
 that though the wrong seems oft so strong, 
 God is the ruler yet.  
 This is my Father's world:  
 why should my heart be sad?  
 The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!  
 God reigns; let the earth be glad!

Now...take it away Indiana Wesleyan Chorale!

Desert Angel

2011-04-12T09:21:00.012-04:00

Last year I came across a video taken in the Jordanian desert (link to it here), that featured bedouin musicians playing music round a campfire at night. I was quite intrigued by this video and others like it posted by 'TillyTuck' on YouTube and decided to find out about her.

Tilly's real name is Liz, but she also goes by her Arabic name, Malak, which means 'Angel'. Liz works at the BBC in London as a Director's Assistant. She also studied Arabic in Jordan and Sana'a, Yemen. A native Californian, born to British and American parents, Liz has been living in the UK since 2002, with many trips to the Middle East of course.

Q - What drew you to the desert?
A - I have had a passion and fascination for the Middle East since I was a kid (thanks to Indiana Jones, 1001Arabian Nights stories such as Ali Baba and to my dad's huge Arabic bedouin tapestry that he had on the wall of our living room). My love and fascination deepened in 1994, that was when I first traveled to the Middle East. From that point on, I knew that I wanted more than just a one off holiday, I had to go back one day to live, learn the language fully immerse myself in this ancient society."

Q - How did you get to the desert and make those amazing videos?

A - In 2007 I studied Arabic at the University of Jordan's Language Center. During this time, I traveled to the desert quite a lot and became close friends with several bedouin families in Wadi Rum, Petra (Wadi Mousa) and Al-Al-Humayma. Poetry and songs are a huge part of bedouin culture. I fell in love with the depth and fire that are in these people's hearts and souls. My friends felt my genuine love for their people and culture. They are very observant and notice when somebody genuinely is interested in them. They knew that I loved gatherings of poetry and song around the fire in the desert, so every time I visited the area, they welcomed me to their homes, made me feel part of the family, and made sure to bring their musical instruments where they could pour out their hearts and express themselves. It was a huge privilege that most westerners never get the chance to experience."

Q - What's your favorite desert memory?
A- "Sitting under the stars with the bedu in the middle of nowhere, next to the fire, listening to the oud, drinking maramiya, (sage tea), then falling asleep watching the shooting stars, just to wake up with the burning sun on my face."

Q - What would be your ultimate desert adventure?
A - I would like to explore the Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) in the Arabian Peninsula and visit the places mentioned in Wilfred Thesiger's book Arabian Sands.

Thank you, Liz, for sharing you story, your videos, and your passion for the desert and the bedouin. May you have many wonderful desert adventures!

Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words

2011-03-20T09:41:00.054-04:00

The blurb and cover for Kate Whouley's forthcoming memoir, Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words, are out! Beacon Press will publish the book this fall. Visit Kate's website to keep up with the latest news. Congratulations, Kate!

When her mother began to exhibit the symptoms of dementia, Kate Whouley did what her English-teacher mom would want her to do: read up on the subject. She found lots of tips for preventing mental decline-too late for that-and a fair amount of practical advice for caregivers-moderately helpful, uniformly grim. Kate craved a compassionate companion with an appreciation for irony-and that's what she gives us in Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words. With honesty and good humor, Kate shares the tough, the tender, the heart wrenching and the laugh-or-you'll-cry experiences of an Alzheimer's caregiver.

As her mother falls into forgetting, Kate remembers for us. In her mother, we meet a strong-minded, accidental feminist with a weakness for unreliable men. We meet a daughter who learned early to fend for herself. We encounter their shared passions: books, words, and music. When the books are forgotten, and the words begin to fade, it is the music that matters most to Kate's mother. Holding hands after a concert, a flute-case slung over Kate's shoulder, and a shared joke between them, their relationship is healed-even in the face of a dreaded, and deadly diagnosis.

Remembering the Music is the story of two women, mother and daughter, who journey to a place where they are free from their not-uncomplicated past. Here, they meet each other in the present, sharing the only moment the mother knows, and one of many moments the daughter-and her readers-will remember.

Letter to Professor Anwar Chejne

2011-02-25T09:10:00.019-05:00

Alhambra at sunset, Feb 24, 2011

Dear Professor Chejne,

Today, I finally made it to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. All those years ago, when I was in your course on Muslim Spain at the University of Minnesota, you told us how beautiful it was. You showed us achingly gorgeous slides of the palace and its grounds, for we were in your class long before the internet was invented. You explained the beauty of the place, its romance, all the arts and sciences that flowered here in Granada. I still remember the day you wore a t-shirt in Arabic that said 'Long Live Ibn Hazm' and how we students laughed and laughed. How I wish I had a t-shirt like that today, for I would like to shout, "Long Live Ibn Hazm, Ibn al-Khatib, Ibn Zamrak, and all the poets of Al-Andalus!"

On my visit today, a sunny day in late February, the sky was blue, and it set off the buildings in the way it's supposed to. A quarter moon hung over the trees when I arrived. The palaces were stunning, even though the Court of Lions is still under repair. It is too early in the season for many flowers, just a few early bougainvelia, and primroses. But the migrating birds - finches and warblers, sang away happily. Another songbird woke me this morning in my tiny hotel room, just down the hill from the Alhambra. It sounded like an oriole of some kind. As I walked the grounds, the birds sang all around me. And the rushing water, in little courses on each side of some walkways, put the water sound into stereo mode that seemed to follow me throughout my visit. One steep stairway at the Generalife had watercourses on either side at hand level, so you could walk with your hands in a cool stream. That would be heavenly on a hot summer day. The sounds of water and the birdsong made a beautiful serenade, one I won't forget for a long time.

Thank you for being so smitten with al-Andalus, and waking us all to its splendors, Professor. I only wish I'd come here sooner.

Nothing is Written - Lawrence of Arabia - Film re-enactment in U.K. by Secret Cinema

2011-02-05T12:00:00.006-05:00

I'm a long-time fan of the film, Lawrence of Arabia. In fact, that film awakened my love of all things Middle Eastern. Over the years, I've wondered what it was about the film that affected me so strongly. Certainly it's the film score by Maurice Jarre, full of micro-tones, Arab percussion lines, and sweeping melodies in the maqam of hijaz. It's also the scenery, and the spare, yet poetic dialogue. Underneath all that though, the film glows with an incandescent power, fired by Lawrence's affection for the Arabs with whom he fought, and his belief in the Arab army's cause of independence both from the Ottoman Empire and European powers. Even though Lawrence remains an enigmatic and controversial figure in history, the film, and his own life, influenced me a great deal.

I'm less embarrassed about my love of this film ever since I learned that Steven Spielberg decided to become a film director after seeing it. Diane Sawyer has a pillow embroidered with the words 'nothing is written' on her living room sofa. So it's not just me!

This video clip is amazing. It's of a re-enactment and screening of the film in the UK put on by Secret Cinemas. Only in the U.K. could you gather so many Lawrence fans for costumed mini-re-enactments of the film! Enjoy it...with the film score playing throughout.

Why I loved TRUE GRIT

2011-01-29T10:06:00.008-05:00

True Grit, the Coen Brothers' latest film, up for ten Oscars, took my breath away. It inspired me as a woman, as a writer, and as an American swept up in a daunting fight to save Maine's inland mountains from the scam of industrial wind development.

On so many levels, this is a story we all need to hear, a movie we need to see, hear and feel. It's a clarion call about who we are, and who we should be and could be.

When plucky 14 year old Maddie Ross sets out to avenge her father's death, she's seeking justice, for the authorities had just let the murderer get away. She's also seeking vengeance. That's not a concept that we in modern-day America are familiar with, and as a modern woman, I admit it's a bit too much for me as well. Justice is about as far as I'm willing to go. But then again, vengeance in those days was probably the only means to get justice when the bad guy can get away by riding off into Indian territory.

From the opening scenes of the movie, over and over again the characters prove they have that true grit. None more than Maddie herself, but pretty much every character. Even her beloved spirited horse, Blackie gives his all for the cause. Maddie searches for lawmen with 'true grit' who will help her find her father's murderer. But in the end, it's she who has more than any of them, and she inspires them on.

She's a refreshing character that all American girls (and women) should experience. She's a dress-wearing, brilliant young woman with a steely spine, clear-eyed judgement, and a willingness to step outside the norms for women and girls. She also has more than an adult's dollop of courage and wisdom. Of course I teared up at the end of the film. But I even teared up at the beginning, as her strong character strode across the screen. She's everything I would want to be in my own life - brilliant, plucky, persistent, wise, and also forgiving. And, she gets the job done.

True Grit - that is what has always been at the core of our spirit, and not just America's spirit, but at the core of all humanity. Our willingness to fight for what we believe is right, despite the odds.

Spring Incense

2011-01-21T09:48:00.008-05:00

It’s mid-January; not even mid-winter yet; 60 days or so until the official first day of spring. Outside, it’s a bright white world. Sunshine’s brilliant snow glare becomes a magical glow in the moonlight. It’s beautiful, but everything seems still, like we’re stuck in a slack tide.

Take heart, for things are beginning to change. Though this is typically one of the year’s coldest weeks around Boston, we’ve now achieved the 20’s of January. Next it’s sunset at 5pm, followed by the double digits of February, the onset of the short-named months (March vs. February), and then the longed-for double digits of March. Other signs: the first delicate crocus shoots poking out of the snow, and the tiny red tips of peonies that pop up in my south-facing garden. The birds have been silent a while, but by mid-February, if you’re up early enough, you can hear a symphony of optimistic songs, announcing that it’s coming, yes-sir-ee, spring’s coming.

A couple of days ago, my sister in Oregon reported that she found violets in the woods behind her house. At least it’s started somewhere. In fact, this particular call is an annual event, for being my sister, she tracks her springtime too and tries to give me hope that it won’t be long before it arrives here.

I need additional inspiration to get through these first milestones, though, especially in February, which passes like early sap from a maple. I visit places with distinct smells that conjure up fond memories, induce pleasure, and jolt me out of my midwinter doldrums. Some of my favorite smell spots are coffee shops, bakeries in the morning when bread’s in the oven, art supply stores, florists, shoe stores, and libraries (not just any library; old libraries smell sweeter than the new ones).

But the best place of all is Home Depot. It smells alive, like spring, summer, fall, like everything but the dead of winter. I walk through the door one January day and whoosh I’m in a huge, warm, well lit bubble where people are walking purposefully in sneakers like they’re already into their spring projects. Even though three people ask for snow blowers (they are sold out), I am swept away by the smell in the lumber department, the incense of spring. My husband, his parka still zipped up, tells me it’s eau de oak, then leaves me to inhale alone while he goes in search of quarter-inch washers. I savor the perfume of the freshly cut wood, taking deep breaths, trying not to be too obvious. Sparrows twitter and fly around in the rafters . For those ten minutes, I’m convinced that it’s already spring out there, that we better hurry and get going on our projects.

The freezing parking lot jolts me back to reality, but I’m refreshed. I’ve just been to spring and my faith is renewed that it’s coming. I think I’ll go home and listen to my CD of birdsongs. No wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I don’t do that until the First of February.

Doing Zaghareed on Skype

2011-01-04T14:51:00.001-05:00

Dr. Mary Kertzman of DePauw University invited me to do a presentation over Skype for a group of students she is leading on an intercession tour to Morocco. This is what it took to get me up to speed on Skype. The whole experience was amazing in terms of what we could do. With Dr. Mary being willing to run my powerpoint and cue up Youtube music video clips, it worked like a charm. She aimed the video camera on her end toward the class, so I could see them, and they could see me too. If she wasn't so fantastic with the audio visuals, no way would this have worked!

The topic was an introduction to music of the Arab world, and to the music of Morocco. All this was to help them prepare for what they were about to hear on their trip. I was even able to teach them how to do zaghareed (women's trilling cry of high emotion) over Skype, and I could hear them doing it back!

I'm grateful to my friend Mary for the opportunity to try out this new (to me anyway) way of speaking to a group, and to use video clips to bring things to life. Youtube really has revolutionized this kind of lecture - rather than talking too much about a given music tradition, you can show the musicians playing and hear them. For example, below is a clip of an Andalusian ensemble from Tetouan, Morocco. They are seated in a half-circle, knees touching, wearing traditional costumes. Very distinctive - the way they play the violins and rebec and the way the percussionist holds the little tambourine.

So enjoy the video clip. And thank you, Dr. Mary for kicking me into the Skype age!

A Day at Harvard

2010-11-20T17:18:00.015-05:00

Yesterday I lectured at a Harvard class, Music in Cross-Cultural Perspective, on 'Dance in the Middle East'. Imagine covering that vast topic and teaching students ten minutes of folk dance steps, in only 50 minutes, like PDQ Bach, or One-Minute Shakespeare. I took on the challenge, and with my powerpoint and video clips cued up and ready to go, I was off and running. While the students were very quiet during the lecture, they perked up for the dance part. I taught them a simple dabke line dance, a Kuwaiti bedouin cane dance, then a few minutes of Egyptian sha'abi popular dancing.

The Music Department gave me a free parking pass for the day, so I visited Widener Library, one of the world's great repositories of the written word, a modern day Library of Alexandria. Its Middle East collection is beyond dazzling. As a Harvard alum, I am allowed the privilege of visiting its stacks six times per year. With my updated annual pass in hand, I stepped into the massive Widener Stacks, one of my favorite places on earth, a true temple of wisdom. Each time I ride the elevators and pace its hallways, the wealth of the stacks overwhelms me. The sight and smell of its thousands of books (there's a particular smell to the stacks) calls to mind the effort and thought that went into producing them, as well as the many voices and ideas from so many ages held in its volumes.

I was looking for a particular book about Moroccan Sufi's and their relationship to the state. Happily, it was there, and many shelves of books on Sufism surrounded it. I pulled down several unexpected volumes and took notes for a couple of hours at a desk at the end of the Sufism aisle. Serendipitous library browsing is one of the most delightful aspects of novel research.

My research done for the afternoon, I bundled up and went out into Harvard Yard, where the leaves were blowing around at my feet. The weak November sun outlined the branches of its towering oaks.

I walked through Harvard Square to the Kennedy School to hear Prince Turki al-Faisal speak as part of the Harvard Arab Weekend sponsored by the Harvard Arab Alumni Association. He gave a thoughtful lecture on the various foreign policy issues facing the Kingdom. Then students lined up at the mikes and put him through his paces with their questions.

In all, it was a stimulating day, and it made me nostalgic for graduate school. I'm sure it's the only day in my life in which I give a lecture at Harvard in the morning and hear a prince speak in the afternoon!

Literary Lunch with Cape Cod Author Kate Whouley

2010-10-31T17:23:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I had lunch with Kate Whouley, author of the much-loved memoir COTTAGE FOR SALE: MUST BE MOVED, which was a Book Sense Book-of-the-Year nominee and a popular selection with book clubs. Kate lives on Cape Cod, and I live south of Boston. So we met for lunch about half way, in Plymouth. We dined at the Indian restaurant, the Guru Grille, known not only for its cuisine, but for the hard rock club in back. When we arrived, the rockers were apparently still sleeping in after a late night, so it was quiet. We had the place to ourselves and Kate brought me up to speed on her new book.

Kate's forthcoming memoir, written in her unique style and voice, is to be published by Beacon Press in 2011. The working title is REMEMBERING THE MUSIC. It focuses on her relationship with her mother, who passed away a few years ago. If you read COTTAGE FOR SALE, you'll remember Kate's mom as a collector of Santa figurines. But there is much more to her, as we will discover in the new book. Kate and her mom managed to get through one of life's most difficult journeys with more than a touch of ironic humor.

In case you don't know, Kate is an accomplished flute player. She is the principal flute in the Cape Cod Conservatory Concert Band. She also jams on jazz and American songbook with Harry (yes, one of the "Bog Boys" from COTTAGE - here is Harry's blog), and even plays Middle Eastern music with Harry and me. Kate really can manage quarter tones on her flute. Not surprisingly, music plays a big part in the new book.

So, COTTAGE fans, stay tuned for updates on Kate's book. Help spread the word too, that Kate's back with another fantastic story!

Kate's website: http://www.katewhouley.com/

Boston Book Festival

2010-10-17T09:54:00.003-04:00

The Boston Book Festival, held yesterday (10/16/2010) in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, was another mind-expanding day of ideas and high spirits. Though it was breezy and chilly, the weather was vastly better than last year's odd tropical stormy mix.

This year I volunteered. I helped usher and did book-signings in Trinity Church, with a little side-duty in the big tent of Google, a sponsor of the festival. While I worked all day and couldn't go off on my own to sessions I might have picked, it was a great experience to hear many panels in one location. It's a good thing to learn about topics you normally wouldn't seek out. All but one event in the downstairs "Trinity Forum" room was full to capacity of 200 people. By the end of the day I was completely jazzed by the new ideas, the amazing authors and their books, as well as the enthusiasm of readers, presenters, organizers, and volunteers.

The last event I attended was the keynote speech by author Joyce Carol Oates. She read one of her latest short stories to a full audience in the massive Trinity Church Sanctuary. By the time they got to the Q&A, I started to fade, and headed home on the subway with a hot tea in my hand, an exhausted smile on my face.

How lucky we are in Boston to have the people who think up and make this incredible event a reality. And it's FREE.

Review of Bedouin Weaving of Saudi Arabia and its Neighbors

2010-10-11T09:07:00.003-04:00

by Joy Totah Hilden

In traditional Arabian Bedouin society, women wove and built the family shelter, tents made of goat hair, by hand, using wool from their own herds as well as materials available in the environment around them or nearby towns. Joy Totah Hilden’s sumptuous and substantive volume holds nothing back in its thorough and fascinating exploration of the art of Bedouin weaving and its practitioners. The author lived Saudi Arabia from 1982 until 1994, learning everything she could about Bedouin weavers and their art. On weekends she sought out weavers at Bedouin markets and villages. She befriended them and learned their spinning and weaving techniques. Being a weaver and weaving instructor herself, she knew what she needed to learn, and sought this knowledge with great determination, eventually covering every region of Saudi Arabia. Hilden stayed in touch with her favorite weavers over the years, noting how their art changed with the passage of time, and with their families’ integration into the modern economy. While few if any young women in Saudi Arabia practice the traditional craft today, Hilden notes that many cultural institutes in the region are trying to preserve it. Hilden shares the fruits of her research with great generosity. Her fascinating discussion of Bedouin life through the lens of weaving reveals the gentle harmony they kept with the desert environment. The thorough information about the weavings photographed in the book will help collectors and archivists. This book is also a precise and accurate capsule of knowledge for those who would like to make their own Bedouin weavings. It includes specific directions on the weaving patterns of the Bedouin, spinning and weaving techniques, and information on natural dyes. As the last Bedouins disappear, one hopes that the knowledge Hilden has gathered and shared here will inspire future weavers to keep these ancient techniques alive.

The book is available at Amazon.com.

Jean Grant and her novel, "The Burning Veil"

2010-09-03T10:39:00.003-04:00

Former Saudi Arabian resident and Arab News writer Jean Grant, recently had her first novel published. "The Burning Veil" is a fast-paced Saudi Arabian family saga, (96,000 words long for you novel writers out there - Mishmish Press, 2010). Amazon link for The Burning Veil

Set in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom, where Jean lived and taught school (writing for the Arab News too), the story focuses on Sarah, an American doctor from Wisconsin, who marries Ibrahim - "Ib" - a Saudi engineer. Sarah struggles to find a place in her new home and culture, and most of all in the heart of her husband's family. She is particularly unlucky in that her brother-in-law happens to be a member of the so-called religious police, the CPVPV, aka the Mutawa'in, the vice squad, whose formal name is the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The story takes place in the late 1990's and spans 9/11/2001 and the paroxysms that started to rock Saudi society after that event. Most westerners don't realize what a wake-up call 9/11 was to the Saudis - they realized that violent fanaticism had infiltrated thousands of young men's minds. Saudi society as a whole started to feel the deadly flames of fanaticism.

The climax of the book focuses on her fictionalized version of a national tragedy - a 2002 fire in a girls' school. Few western readers will have heard of the actual fire; but it, like 9/11, was a turning point for many in Saudi Arabia. Ever since, the Kingdom has been trying to unravel the spider web of what the Saudi government calls 'deviant' ideology.

But enough of ideology and politics. Grant's story is gripping and it draws you into an intimate Saudi family circle. Her Saudi characters are drawn with respect, and though having a mutawwa brother-in-law would be any expat woman's worst nightmare, Grant makes it work without stereotyping.

I particularly enjoyed a couple of aspects of the book. Grant sets some of her scenes in an a mysterious 'tell' - a hill with a spring-fed pool in the oasis town of Qatif, where only women are allowed to swim and enjoy the cool water unveiled, far from men's eyes. I visited Qatif many times, and heard of such pools, but never saw one. She also used zaghareed, the Arab woman's cry of high emotion (joy or grief) as a symbol that reoccurs throughout the book. As a musician/writer, I loved having an element of sound be a unifying and transforming element in the story.

Jean and I met briefly when we were both living in Saudi Arabia. We have recently found each other on-line. She was gracious enough to answer some of my questions about her book.

K - How did you come across the idea for the 'tell' - the women's pool - in Qatif?
J - I did visit such a tender spot, only once. It made a profound impression on me. It felt like Eden. I always intended to return, but somehow I never did.

K - Who was your favorite character?
J - Layla was always my favorite - from the very start. She is a 'salt of the earth' woman, full of admirable traits. I met several Saudi ladies who shared her enthusiasms for family and fashion, piety and nicotine.

K - How did the book evolve?
J - The book has an exceedingly long history. It all started one day on the teacher's bus I took every morning to the international school where I taught. I saw a colleague married to a Saudi who was weeping silent tears, and when I sought to comfort her, I learned that her sorrow was due to cross-cultural difficulties with her marriage. I started a novel called "The Tell" in 1985, whose main characters were Claire and Tarek. I set it aside. During the First Gulf War, I took another look at the manuscript and wrote a version which incorporated Saddam Hussein and Jude Osborne, an American spy for Iraq. I found an agent who flogged it, without success, and I dropped it. Shortly after 9/11, I returned to my original theme of love and the collision of cultures.

K - What are you writing now?
J - I'm working on a novel set in France and in Beirut during the early years of the Civil War.

Thank you, Jean for taking the time to talk about the book. And best of luck with your next one! I'm recommending The Burning Veil to my friends.

Mysterious Arab Music Instrumental - Raqsat Shanghai by Riad al-Sunbati

2010-04-18T20:02:00.009-04:00

This semester I'm playing oud with the Tufts Takht, a student and community Arab music group at Tufts University. Kareem Roustom, a talented composer and oud player, is our conductor. We're working on some beautiful music this spring. Among the pieces is a short instrumental, Raqsat Shanghai, or Dance of Shanghai, by the late Egyptian composer, Riad al-Sunbati.

This is Sunbati, playing the oud.

Sunbati is one of my favorite composers. His oud improvisations are always in a lower register, and some of my favorite compositions of his center themselves below middle D - and range more toward the A below it. But this piece, Dance of Shanghai, mystifies me. The main theme has a cheerful, almost syrupy pseudo-oriental sound to it. Then, he switches into three different sections, each in a different maqam. Usually, maqam transitions are done according to traditional aesthetics. But these sound harsh and unnatural.

There's got to be a reason. So I went to the source - Kareem, our conductor. He did his Master's thesis on Sunbati, so he ought to know. It turns out that much of Sunbati's instrumental pieces were lost, that few survive. He is most well-known for his Longa, a challenging and virtuosic instrumental piece in the maqam of farahfaza. But Raqsat Shanghai? Kareem said that little is known about it. Sunbati was involved in radio, so perhaps it was used for a radio show, or maybe even the theater. But it's a mystery. The more we play it, the more I like it. It's almost like advertising copy, where every word counts. Each section is pared down and minimal, each note deliberate. Kind of like an opening theme song for a television comedy. But, that said, if you rush through it, you miss it. Now, if we can just polish it up and keep from racing through it.

Below you can link to a video of the Arabesque Music Ensemble playing Raqsat Shanghai on their 2006 tour. What do you think of this piece?

The 2010 Arabic Music Retreat - Getting in Gear

2010-03-22T17:17:00.010-04:00

It's a sure sign of spring when the brochures and posters for the Arabic Music Retreat are ready to go. The brochures just came back from the printer today, and the posters, which came in last week, look great.

This year will undoubtedly be another exceptional week of intense learning, out-of-this-world music-making and fellowship. We are on Facebook too - join us. If you have questions about the Retreat, e-mail me at: kaycam@aol.com.

You can download a PDF of the poster and find registration materials too at http://www.simonshaheen.com/.

Letting Magic Happen

2010-03-09T08:44:00.004-05:00

This month's Cabin Life Magazine has a short essay I wrote about entertaining guests at our little cabin in the north Maine woods. You can link to it in the title of this post, or link to it here. We are having an early spring here in Massachusetts. The big snowstorms of late February gave us only rain. The robins are singing at dawn and the bulbs are sprouting in earnest. So often we get one last snowstorm in March, as if Mother Nature is saying, "Don't forget, I'm still in charge." It doesn't feel like that will happen this year, but we'll see.

Call to Prayer in Jeddah's Old District

2010-02-25T19:55:00.020-05:00

A dear friend from Jeddah days, Anne Marie Weiss-Armush, sent me a lovely YouTube clip. It is an excerpt from a BBC documentary entitled The Frankincense Trail by UK journalist Kate Humble. She goes to the roof of an ancient mansion in the heart of Jeddah's old city at prayer time, with a gentleman named Sami. My novel, A CARAVAN OF BRIDES, has an important scene on the roof of one of these houses. Click on the title of this post to watch. You'll get the sense of the old neighborhood and the overwhelming sound of the call to prayer (the Adhaan). Enjoy!

PS - if you liked that, here is a link to a trailer for the documentary. Hope it's showing in the U.S. sometime soon!
Trailer for The Frankincense Trail

Bedouin Weaving of Saudi Arabia and its Neighbours - Joy Totah Hilden

2010-02-15T20:09:00.014-05:00

Joy Totah Hilden, author of the soon-to-be-published BEDOUIN WEAVING OF SAUDI ARABIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS took a few minutes to discuss her new book. Joy lived in Saudi Arabia from 1982 until 1994, and while living there, she became fascinated with the women weavers of Arabia. She traveled all over the Kingdom to interview and photograph them and their work. She amassed a great deal of knowledge of the craft as well as an excellent collection of weavings. I first met Joy in 2004 at a conference on bedouin culture in Ithaca, New York, where she taught an engaging and thorough all-day workshop on bedouin weaving. I'm thrilled that her book will soon be out so that western readers will be able to appreciate her extensive knowledge. Joy's website: http://www.beduinweaving.com/.

KHC: Were you involved in weaving before you moved to Saudi Arabia?
JTH:   Yes. I started with tapestry, then spinning, then with the use of a floor loom and then more variety.

KHC: What was it like to live in Saudi Arabia?
JTH: I found Saudi Arabia fascinating, as well as rich in culture and the varieties of its people and lifestyles. I thoroughly enjoyed my travels and research there. I was particularly fascinated by the little-known coastal and mountain regions in the Hijaz which I describe in the book.

KHC: How did you structure the book?
JTH: It covers historic background of the bedouin and how weaving is integral to their lifestyle. Types of weavings that they produce are described, as well as the role of tribal marks in the culture and their appearance in weavings. A long chapter is devoted to portraits of some of the weavers I interviewed and their communities. A chapter on the techniques of spinning, weaving and dyeing describes the processes in detail, with diagrams, drawings and instructions. The chapter on Bedouin weaving of other Arab countries compares relevant information with Saudi Arabaia according to 1) regional contiguity; 2) geographical convergence; 3) survival of nomadic status; 4) impact of politial change and upheaval; and 5) diversified textile production.
KHC: Wow, it sounds fantastic. I'm looking forward to the weavers' portraits.

KHC: Do you have a favorite weaving in the book?
JTH:   My favorite weaving (photo at left) is on the back jacket as well as inside. It's a small tent divider that I bought at the Nuayriyyah market a couple of hours north of Dhahran in Eastern Saudi Arabia. It was a sprawling outdoor desert market where bedouin sell and buy all kinds of commodities, from tents and animals to rendered butter and spindles. I bargained for it, and was chagrined later when I realized how reluctant the weaver was to part with it at that price, or perhaps at any price. I wouldn't want to part with it! I love its vivid oranges and reds, the beautiful 'sahah' or 'shajarah' patterns in black and white, and the carefully made Cru Coast braids on both fringes.

KHC: Are you planning any appearances in conjunction with the book's launch?
JTH:   I hope to give readings and slide shows in bookstores, libraries, organizations and schools and at conferences. I will post events on my website, www.beduinweaving.com.

KHC: When will the book be out?
JTH:   Later this year. I am very happy with my publisher at Arabian Publishing, Ltd., of London. U.S. distribution is being handled by The David Brown Company, www.oxbowbooks.com. UK and European distribution is by Gazelle, www.gazellebookservices.co.uk.

KHC: Are the weaving arts in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf being preserved?
JTH:   As my Epilogue states, there are some programs in effect, which tend to adapt the techniques to modern uses. Efforts to maintain traditional techniques and styles are in effect in Kuwait's Sadu House, in Jordan at the Bani Hamida Project, in Israel at the Lakia project near Beersheba. Efforts in Saudi Arabia seem to be made by women's charity organizations organized by women of privilege. The government does not appear to be doing anything at this time. I would like to see them make the effort. There are still women in the region weaving, many of them using synthetic yarns and making smaller pieces than were traditionally made. Since the nomadic lifestyle is disappearing, and commercial products are available, more women are turning to these new ways of working. My personal preference is for weavings made with sheepswool and goat hair and spun in the traditional ways. I prefer the look and feel of them, as well as the color quality. However, it is very hard work, and I can see why it might not fit into the modern, electronic age.

KHC: Thank you, Joy, for sharing the news of the book; we look forward to reading it and wish you luck with the launch!

Very January

2010-01-29T12:08:00.003-05:00

It's sunny and cold - about 20 degrees. With high winds from the north, the windchill dips to 0 and below. This is a vintage January day, without which winter would not be winter. In my mind, January has to feature at least some frozen gales that seem to blow in from the nether reaches of northern Canada. They rattle the tree branches and whoosh around the corner of the house. If you're in Manhattan, you face the arctic blasts full-on, as the wind races itself through the high-rise canyons. Outside of Boston, a dusting of light, dry snow fell as the cold arrived yesterday. This morning, delicate treadmarks criss-crossed the snow in the driveway, as if made by miniature one-treaded tanks. The gales made them. As they flew around the side of the garage, they had rolled pinecones from our big white pines around on the driveway. I'm astounded; in my many years of New England winters, I've never seen this before.

Amy MacKinnon Discusses TETHERED at AAUW

2010-01-19T12:21:00.008-05:00

Last week our local Hingham Area Branch of AAUW hosted author Amy MacKinnon, a resident of nearby Marshfield, at a discussion of her debut novel, TETHERED. It was a fascinating evening. There were about 25 in attendance. Nearly everyone seemed to have read the book twice. I certainly did; it's that kind of book. There is so much happening on several levels, that once you know the ending, you need to work back and see how it all went down. Her writing is tautly understated, which adds to the tension and mystery of the characters. The book is set in Brockton and Whitman, old towns south of Boston. While Amy has carefully drawn them with a sad grittiness, she also captured the last traces old-fashioned gentility and the fragile web of community and caring that holds on through the years and generations. During the discussion, Amy shared many facets of her writing process with us. It's clear that her reporter's experience has brought her face-to-face with unusual characters and troubling social issues. It reminded me of how Charles Dickens was exposed to the gritty underside of London and went on to write about it brilliantly. Amy does the same thing. And though the book is set near Boston, its themes are universal. TETHERED has struck a chord with readers around the world. As of now, it has been translated into ten languages. I look forward to Amy's second novel, and have no doubt it will be even more intriguing.

Desert Campfire Video

2009-12-23T16:58:00.007-05:00

Just came across a wonderful video on YouTube of some bedouin musicians in the Jordanian desert near Wadi Rum singing, playing oud and drumming around a campfire at night. It's so atmospheric. It pulls me into the world of A CARAVAN OF BRIDES. It reminds me of nights spent in the Moroccan desert in a campfire circle playing music and singing. Enjoy! The video was filmed by and posted on YouTube by 'Tillytuck'.
To view the clip, click on the words below, or the title of this post.
Bedouin Campfire Music in Wadi Rum

First Snow of Season - Happy Anniversary

2009-12-20T10:05:00.004-05:00

It's a wonderful morning to be snowed in at home. It's the Sunday before Christmas. A blizzard is blowing. I've a pile of books to read (book reviews due very soon), and lots to think about and write. Homemade oatmeal is just about ready. The cat is spending his day purring and sleeping. In New England, we've had a lengthy Indian summer - and just a week or so ago it was 70 degrees and sunny. This rousing Nor'easter is more fitting.

The blanket of white is a tribute to my parents' wedding, 67 years ago. They were married on a snowy December night in Iowa in 1942. My mother wore a white velvet gown. White mums and pine boughs decorated the church. They were wed by candlelight. In 2002, their 60th, we four children wrote haikus in their honor, and my father responded in kind. Here are my personal favorites.

Atop the altar,
Candelabra on each side,
White chrysanthmums.
- Sister Jo

And now, the future.
Those we love, will love again.
Draw us in today.
- Brother Mark

Driving through Canada,
Every day a picnic lunch,
My, it's EL-E-GANT.
- Brother Eric

Sixty years tonight,
Began your loving journey.
This full moon is yours.
- Me

Anniversaries,
It is hard to keep a count.
Sixty seems very good!
- Father

A CARAVAN OF BRIDES

2009-12-11T13:17:00.013-05:00

In the last few months I've trimmed and polished the manuscript, and made many improvements suggested by a wise reader.
The book's new working title is A CARAVAN OF BRIDES, with a possible subtitle of THE LAST STORYTELLER OF JEDDAH. Those two were the front-runners in a survey of trusted readers and advisors. The two were tied for the lead, but the women, who are my target readers, felt drawn to A CARAVAN OF BRIDES. My writers group also voted for that title.

Thank you readers and friends who weighed in on the working title question.

Zoe Ferraris' next book - "City of Veils"

2009-12-04T20:12:00.032-05:00

I'm very excited to learn more about Zoe Ferraris' sequel to FINDING NOUF, her award-winning literary mystery set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Her next book is CITY OF VEILS. Nice title! It will take the reader from Jeddah deep into the Empty Quarter. Her website is gorgeous, (click on my entry title to visit it). I'm looking forward to her book tour, hoping she'll come through Boston.

This week I was invited to a book group discussion of FINDING NOUF. It was interesting to hear reactions to the characters and plot twists; the things the readers 'bought' or didn't 'buy' about the plot. What's fun about a mystery set in the Kingdom is that everyone seems to be fascinated with how social rules might allow or restrict the progression of the plot. While each person had his or her favorite scene, the scene in the coat market was in everyone's top three. One reader believed the book was more properly categorized as a tragedy. As for me, I loved the humor that lurks just under the surface in FINDING NOUF. It reminds me of the laughs we had living there. Unusual things happen in Jeddah, and eccentric people live there. In fact, I think Jeddans are proud of the unusual characters in their midst. And they have a great sense of humor, which of course makes them quite endearing.

Murder mysteries aren't supposed to be all fun, and certainly Zoe's books deal with serious social issues. However, they are full of quirky cultural twists that make us rethink our assumptions about how Arabs and Muslims live.

Another Kind of Blooming - Boston Book Festival

2009-12-04T08:35:00.003-05:00

There are so many times each year when I find myself thinking, "This is Boston at its best." I think this while strolling through the Public Garden in midsummer as the Swan Boats float by. The ever-changing plantings and sweeping landscape up the hill never fail to impress me. On a summer's day, I think it while eating a sandwich in the shade at Rowe's Wharf, gawking at visiting yachts and tall ships. At First Night, standing in the bundled up, down jacketed throngs lining the streets for the parade and fireworks, and admiring the ice sculptures, an old-fashioned winter-defying frivolity fills the air. Year round, strolls through the back streets of the North End yield all kinds of surprises. Observing early spring blooms in the miniature yards of Commonwealth Avenue townhouses keeps hope alive. In so many ways, the physical setting of Boston makes my heart skip, again and again.

This year's first-ever Boston Book Festival brought a different flowering to the streets, even as the weather played out around us with a strange kind of fusion, like a hastily thrown together band from Berklee. It was, all at once, blustery, rainy and tropical. Very odd for a Saturday in late October.

No matter, enthusiastic readers of all ages packed into venues around Copley Square like Old South Church. An impressive roster of our most admired authors, including Orhan Pamuk, Anita Diamant, and Anita Shreve, read to us and spoke about the world of books, reading and writing. Grub Street sponsored a jam-packed 'Writers' Idol' where first pages of books were read aloud and critiqued.

We completely filled the long pews of Old South's massive sanctuary, proving a point that Orhan Pamuk put forth in his Norton Lectures at Harvard this fall, (another unforgettable Boston experience). He said that modern man makes sense of life through fiction. That we need it to feel at home in the world. And that reading, we redefine our world outlook.

Seeing the crowds pack the halls that day made me so grateful to be a writer, here, now, in this fascinating city where ideas bloom too.

Croissants with Za'atar

2009-10-25T09:42:00.009-04:00

Today I should be posting about yesterday's fabulous and inspiring first ever Boston Book Festival. And I will, but it needs to sink into my brain further and distill a bit longer.

Meanwhile, all I can think about is croissants with za'atar. Flash back to a trip to Saudi Arabia with photographer Nicole LeCorgne in 2006, while we were on assignment for Saudi Aramco World Magazine. We usually had breakfast in our hotel room so we could eat while getting ready and checking e-mail. We fell in love with the exquisite combination of croissants filled with za'atar that had been moistened with olive oil. It came as part of the 'oriental breakfast' - consisting of these croissants, sometimes mana'ish (za'atar on flat bread), as well as a salad of cucumber, tomatoes and olive oil. Of course very fresh orange juice and marvelous coffee.

Za'atar is a combination of wild thyme, sesame seeds, salt and sour ground sumac. You can buy it in Middle Eastern delis. It has a lemony and spicy taste that makes your tongue squirm with delight. And with the delicate pastry layers of a buttery croissant, it's pure heaven, especially if you wash it down with a sip of Arabic coffee.

To replicate the experience, buy the inexpensive Pillsbury croissants in the tube in the grocery store. Mix up some za'atar and olive oil in a bowl, probably three tablespoons each. Then put a generous dab of the mixure on the wide end of each croissant before rolling it up. Ten minutes later, voila, your taste buds are doing a riotous dabke dance. You can also add za'atar and olive oil to popovers.

The Man Who Would Be King - Morocco as Movie Set

2009-10-02T17:01:00.019-04:00

Last night we watched the film version of Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King, directed by John Huston, starring Sean Connery and Michael Kane. OK, so we're thirty years late, but better late than never!

I love Kipling's larger-than-life characters and his out-of-this-world plots. Last December, I read Kim for the first time, in honor of the late father of a close friend who used to read it every Christmas. I fell in love with the book - then watched the 1950's black and white film version, starring Errol Flynn. While Kipling might be considered racist by today's standards, in these stories he writes about the unique society of the British Raj and how it interacted with the South Asian society around it. In The Man Who Would Be King there is another story layer about British freemasons living in India, and the plot even proports that Alexander the Great was a freemason. Kipling loves to explore the idea of brotherhoods and the bonds and friendships among men. In Kim, he explores a colorful multi-ethnic network of spies set up by the British - another layer there too. I read in this an implication that all men are brothers - since his characters mix it up with all kinds of people. So what's not to like?

In addition to enjoying the story itself, I got a huge kick out of the scenery and extras because most of the film was shot in Morocco; near Marrakesh in the Atlas Mountains, then further south toward Ouarzazate. The dancers in the Kafiristan scenes were Guedra and other dancers from the village of Goulamine. The extras in the these scenes spoke Arabic perhaps mixed in with Tamazirt (Berber) - couldn't understand all of it. The Bhuddist-like monks were actually singing Muslim chants in Arabic - and they used local Moroccan costumes liberally.

Then, I got a good laugh when the bride of Sean Connery, Roxanne, was brought to him wearing a bright red Khaliji thobe! The film was made in the 1970's during a big 'Oil Boom' so no doubt the wardrobe people had come across one of them, and it ended up on the bride. Today's filmmakers would likely have made this movie in India itself, so they would have no need to find a stand-in country with stand-in languages and costumes. But I still enjoyed it. Best of all, it was wonderful to see places like Ait ben Hadou in the wedding scene - a place we've visited on every Oasis Dance Camp Morocco tour. When we were there last fall, we went horseback riding outside of Marrakesh. It turned out many of our horses have been used in films that we've seen, like Gladiator. Just another indication that the whole country of Morocco is a movie set!

Grub Street Rules! - Panel on "How To Tell a True Ethnic Story"

2009-09-15T12:07:00.012-04:00

Last night I attended a marvelous panel discussion on telling an 'ethnic' story, hosted by Boston's Grub Street creative writing center in downtown Boston, overlooking the Public Garden. It was a warm summer night, so the windows over Boylston Street were open. Amid the riveting discussion laced with many many laughs, we heard Mounted Police horses clip-clopping down the sidewalk, and motorcycles racing to catch the light before it changed.

The evening started with panelists Rakesh Satyal, Rishi Reddi, and Ru Freeman reading from their new books. Each reading and author commentary brought fresh perspectives to writing about their chosen worlds. Grub Street's Executive Director Christopher Castellani moderated the panel, asking great questions, prefacing it all noting that in a way, there is no such thing as 'ethnic writing' per se. Every story, ethnic or not, is set in a unique world, and we must deal with the craft of telling the story correctly in that world. His insightful questions helped pull together the wide-ranging and free-flowing discussion, and he artfully pulled things back to how we might want to consider the issues in our own work. The issues included nitty-gritty points like when to italicize foreign words, as well as over-arching concepts like the pressure on so-called ethnic writers to get trapped into believing their work has to represent their entire culture, rather than just telling the story they want to tell. I could only buy one book - and I chose Ru Freeman's, A Disobedient Girl.

I was deeply inspired by the panelists, the moderator, and Grub Street. How lucky we Bostonians are to have this institution!

Now, back to querying agents.

Harvest Gold in Spring - Short Story in the Aroostook Review

2009-08-24T21:47:00.004-04:00

My short story, "Harvest Gold in Spring" just came out in the Aroostook Review, a literary journal produced by the English department at the University of Maine - Fort Kent. The story is set in northern Maine.

Essay in Down East Magazine

2009-08-03T13:53:00.007-04:00

Above is the link to an essay I wrote for the "My Maine" column of Down East Magazine. I wrote it last September for our writer's group, and with edit feedback from the group, my big sister Jo Grossmann (who is on the editorial committee of Open Spaces Magazine) and my dear husband Gary, I sent it off and was delighted when it was accepted. I wrote this when I first began querying in earnest and received my first important rejection from an agent to whom I had a referral.

The agents I pitched to at the Maine pitching session in June didn't ultimately pan out, though I highly recommend the experience. It gives you the chance to get instant reaction to your book concept, as well as your platform. I came away with feedback that helped me boost my query's effectiveness and have had a markedly stronger response ever since. Staying positive, I'm back in the game!

Story published, and a close encounter with a loon

2009-06-07T10:36:00.005-04:00

The Aroostook Review accepted my short story "Harvest Gold in Spring" and I'll link to that when it's up on their website.

Meantime I'm beginning work on a new book - not sure where it's going yet. But it's set in Fez. The Maine woods envelop me these days. The woods are soft, inspiring, mysterious and quiet. Strange how I'm writing about Fez here, with all its tumult, noises, smells and chaos, amid the quiet of the woods. Last night I caught a white perch off the dock using a worm and bobber. As I pulled the fish in, a loon followed the fish underwater toward me. It dipped and dived so beautifully - and when it was clear I was getting the fish, it popped up to the surface about two feet from me and just looked at me! It had been tagged on each foot - red and blue tags. I've never seen one that close. We think this might be one of a nesting pair down the stream from us.

Kareem Roustom in the Tufts Journal

2009-05-01T16:40:00.018-04:00

My profile of Kareem Roustom came out in the Tufts Journal today. Link to the story here.

Kareem is a rising star - a multi-talented composer and musician who works in many musical genres. He composes everything from pop-star arrangements to classical concert music, film scores and choral works. He also does arrangements of classical and folkloric Arab music and leads the Tufts University Arabic Music Ensemble. He graciously let me sit in on oud with the group this past winter semester - and it was a pleasure to see him in action. We had our recital last Sunday. We shared the stage with the Tufts Klezmer Ensemble, which was a hoot since we had to fit into the right half of the stage, pie wedge style! We loved the pieces we learned from Beth Bahia Cohen who subbed for Kareem in a couple of sessions. She taught us several songs by ear in the old Middle Eastern tradition. We really sounded fine on those songs, since we'd internalized them so directly. It feels good to have this story picked up and out in the world. Kareem has some incredible projects coming down the pike...the film score for Mosque in Morgantown, and Amreeka. Check him out on his MySpace page.

Note: Photo by Alonso Nichols

Mechanical Owls and Literary Pursuits

2009-04-15T18:08:00.009-04:00

Rewind to the early 1960's to the suburb of Boston where I grew up. The local theater, to which we could walk from home, showed double features about the "East" after school and on weekends - matinees for children. In my memory, they were black and white films. They usually involved choosing three wishes from a genie. They had elaborate, fanciful 1,001 Nights plots, exotic settings, and fabulous costumes. At home afterward, my mother listened patiently as I would try to tell her the entire plot, getting overly enthusiastic about the wonders of the story in the process. In my memory there were a lot of talking animals in these films. One had a fascinating mechanical owl. The term 'mechanical owl' is now a family joke - for when I get excited about a complicated story or plot.

If someone asks me when I first become a writer, what should I say? Should I confess that I was a storyteller at a young age, relating these unlikely plots to my mother at the kitchen table? Or that I loved to listen to ghost stories told around a campfire? I wasn't one to spend afternoons at the library reading. I'd more likely be outside playing in a massive game of Capture the Flag, catching turtles with a net, barefooted, or hosting a dress-up 'tea party' with the neighborhood girls, all of us bedecked in second hand prom dresses mailed from my older cousins in Iowa.

Once my novel finds a life in print, I wonder if I'll need to polish the story of my childhood so it sounds more literary. But how do you trick out a mechanical owl? Any ideas, let me know.

Early April Update and Musings

2009-04-07T15:54:00.010-04:00

It's truly spring now - the spring peepers are singing in our local wetlands. The Daffodils and Christmas Roses are blooming, and the lawns are greening up. Such a miracle to watch the world renew itself in just a few weeks each spring.

As I'm polishing DRIVING DREAMS and sending out query letters to agents, I'm stirring up ideas for another novel. I have several in mind, but some part of me wants to take on a very focused, smaller story and theme, you know a nice thin book that someone can finish off during a trans-Atlantic flight. An author recently told me we each have a 'set point' in terms of word length and manuscript scope. DD is about 155,000 words now, and while I'll keep whittling away at it, this length isn't completely outrageous since it's a multi-generational saga. I'm also writing short stories, to practice telling stories in about 2,000 words. It's fun to be limited by size. I've sent three of them out...none of these are about the Middle East.

In the meantime, I came across THE WRITING ON MY FOREHEAD by Nafisa Haji. It deals with many of the same themes in DRIVING DREAMS, in the context of an Indian family. The author's website is one of my favorites.

Query Letters

2009-03-19T17:32:00.009-04:00

I'm in the process of querying agents - looking for a literary agent to represent the book. Query letters have to be one page long, in three or four paragraphs at most. One has to summarize one's book in one paragraph, then pitch to the agent about one's background as a writer, one's 'platform'. I've been querying agents for the last six months, following advice to send batches of queries, say a dozen or so at a time, every couple of weeks. My letters improve with each batch. Now I'm wrestling with the platform part of my query. Should I include the fact that I teach Saudi and Gulf women's dance, that I lecture at schools and colleges on Saudi women and Arab music? Should I mention my work at the Arabic Music Retreat, or my `ud playing? I do have publishing credits, which I include. But the other activities...do they help or hurt? Until today I haven't mentioned anything but publishing credits. Today, I sent off a query with more information, so it will be interesting to see if it makes any difference. There's a wonderful FREE book available for downloading from amazon.com. It's called How to Write a Great Query Letter, by Noah Lukeman. Highly recommended.

Delia Reads the Riot Act

2009-03-12T17:00:00.016-04:00

In the early 1990's, I met author/radio host Ellen Kushner who had a radio show on WGBH-FM entitled "Caravan". She invited me on to share some recordings of Saudi women's traditional folk music. Ellen is loads of fun, so doing the show was a great adventure. At some point I mentioned that I had a novel in process. She volunteered to read it, and later said her partner, author and editor Delia Sherman, would be happy to read it. One late summer day in 1995, Delia and I sat down to a sushi lunch and she basically tore my manuscript apart. My reaction was despair. It was so disheartening. I was doing my MBA at night while working as a commercial banker by day, and she was telling me I had a lot of work to do. Yet I knew she was right. Fortunately I taped the whole thing, listened to it a couple of times, took notes, then started on the long road she told me to travel. I started to read a lot more. I took a fiction class at the Boston Center for Adult Ed. And gradually, a whole new draft of the book took shape. She wisely predicted that every word of the draft would be touched and reworked. That version was 66,000 words long. Now it's more than twice that long. Only two or three scenes have survived the process. Many original characters are gone, replaced by much more interesting ones. Last weekend I listened to the tape again, to make sure I'd done what she said. The very next day, Delia e-mailed me wondering what I was up to! She has a new young adult book coming out in June, THE MAGIC MIRROR OF THE MERMAID QUEEN. You can read about it on her LiveJournal Blog. I've always felt apologetic about her having done me the favor of reading that very creaky, problematic first draft. But she says she loves to read those, to help direct people on their way. She was one of my really important guides, a true Fairy Godmother. Visit her blog and you'll see what I mean. Thank you, Delia, for reading me the riot act!

Listening to Our Guides

2009-03-08T10:15:00.019-04:00

My book, whose working title is DRIVING DREAMS, is now complete, at least it's as complete as it will be before an editor gets his/her hands on it. It's been torn to shreds, reshaped, cut in half, pasted back together, and polished. Now it's in its third incarnation. None of this would have been possible without wise guides, patient readers and insightful helpers who have been willing to sit down and read all or parts of it over the years. Then there are those who have said a kind word when I most needed it, or passed along some wisdom that directly applied to the issue was wrestling with in the book.

No matter what we're working toward in our lives, we all have guides and helpers. But do we always recognize them? I've found that a lot of insight comes from least-expected places. But if you're listening for it, you'll find it.

Unusual Opportunities Knock

2009-03-04T17:57:00.009-05:00

Cleaning my desk a couple of days ago, I came across three e-mails that I'd printed out and put on the rising tide of papers on my desk. Each e-mail held the possibility of more writing work, but each was unusual in some way. At first I dismissed them, assuming that since they came over the transom, they must be bogus. Who would want to hire me anyway! In the process of the desk-sweep they came to my attention, and I've followed up on each one. And that is in no small part due to Tahir Shah's blog. He wrote that writers need to keep open to new opportunities and to have many projects going at once. One never knows what is going to grow into something worthwhile.

My Writers Group

2009-02-27T09:09:00.009-05:00

I'm lucky to be in a wonderful writers group (also known as a critique group), formed a few years ago within the local branch of AAUW - the American Association of University Women. Five of us meet regularly at a coffee shop - currently twice a month - to read, critique and encourage each other in our writing. Each of us is on a unique writing journey. Beatrice is a poet/columnist who's completing her first novel. Gwen is a natural-born columnist who's also doing features and has a children's book in process. Susan is a poet/editor who is working on a memoir. Patricia is a gifted fiction writer who creates fabulous characters in her short stories. It's a gentle critique group, but not too gentle to be useful. In our first sessions, we did short writing exercises on a given topic. Within a few months, we were bringing our own projects for feedback. We read each other's poems, humorous essays and novel chapters. We often discuss the business of writing, things like how to contact/communicate with editors and agents. We attend workshops together, and share ideas and information. The group is reading several key chapters from my novel - set in Mecca - and their feedback is incredibly useful. We're reading Beatrice's chapters - and we feel like we're in the creative process with her. It's exciting to share one's work and to be an early reader for others. I am grateful for this special ensemble of interesting women and recommend writer's groups wholeheartedly. Here's a good article on finding or forming a writer's group.

Pitching the Novel

2009-02-25T17:07:00.011-05:00

Boston-area author Lynne Heitman recently gave a great presentation on pitching your novel to agents, at Buttonwood Books, a bookstore in Cohasset, MA. The event was sponsored by Boston's largest writer's group, Grub Stree t. Her approach was to get us all to explain the kernel of our books using one simple formula ----- what a concept. It was really difficult for everyone. One writer taking the workshop already had a literary agent and even she had a hard time.

Below is my revised pitch, using her formula. I've sent out several queries using this. Today I got my first 'ding' in response, but that particular query was a real long-shot to begin with.

"When her reckless behavior sets events in motion leading to her sister's death, a young western-educated Saudi woman finds the courage to forge her future in the unlikely story of an old Bedouin woman."

Some of the workshop participants wanted me to include the protagonist's name with a translation of its meaning. Others wanted me to leave it out. We shall see what works, but right now I'm leaving it off.