Cultural Cross Sections Shohreh Laici Photo of Tehran by Xiquinho Silva / Flickr A writer in Tehran incapable of entering the US under the Muslim travel ban encounters Michelle Obama’s Becoming in a beauty salon. Reading the Farsi translation, she finds encouragement in its pages. Every Fourth of July, I question my American friends’ patriotism. I email them Independence Day congratulations, attached with pictures of the American flag. Many of my American friends don’t show much interest in my Fourth of July congratulations. Like my friend Sam. He thinks differently about the idea of the flag, national anthem, and patriotism. Sam believes that the flag is not sacred; it’s just a symbol. He says he doesn’t need to wrap himself in the US flag to demonstrate that he is a patriot. To him, patriotism is more than just following a flag and cheering for the politicians who wave it. Although Sam was born and raised in a military family with right-wing political views, he is very leftist. Since November 2016, Sam has lived in a number of European countries and recently settled down in northeastern Africa to serve as a health consultant. He doesn’t like living in the States anymore and thinks of himself as a citizen of the world. Once I asked Sam how he feels when some people of other countries—including Iran—burn the US flag. He smiled and said, “I understand that it’s a statement. We—the Americans—burn our flag to make a statement,... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2019-11-26 14:55:39 UTC ]
Saqi Books, which focuses on books on the Middle East and North Africa in the English language, has had to reassert its niche in the face of big-publisher competition. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Veteran reporter ‘deeply sorry’ after five women say he sexually harassed themAlleged incidents occurred at ABC in early 2000sProminent MSNBC journalist Mark Halperin – co-author of a best-selling book about Barack Obama – has been suspended from his role as a contributor to the network... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The American edition of Hillary Clinton’s What Happened looks stylish and elegant; the UK one is dreadful. But the reasons that books differ so much across different markets isn’t solely down to simple salesCovers sell books. But in the case of Hillary Clinton’s memoir What Happened, you can’t... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new study finds a 'dramatic' increase in swear words in American literature over the last 60 years. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2017-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's not just your @#%& imagination: American books have gotten a lot more profane over the last six decades, according to a study led by a San Diego State University psychology professor. A team of scholars reports that there's been a “dramatic” increase in curse words in American... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The memoir of late Labour MP Jo Cox, written by her husband Brendan, has received the backing of former president Barack Obama who said she "made the world a better place". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From Gulf News: 'There's a need to bring children back to books,' says one author, while another points to publishers' reticence to promote area folktales. The post On Challenges in Children’s Books in the Middle East: Commercial and Contextual appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Teaser text IMAGE Editor’s note. — Porter Anderson By Dennis Abrams | @DennisAbrams2 Subhed XXXX The challenges facing children’s book publishing in the Middle East was the topic of a panel discussion held this week at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival. Among those addressing the topic was... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The acquisition of Souq.com, a Dubai-based online retailer that is the dominant one in the Middle East, comes one month after Souq announced plans to open a "global bookstore." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Not content with its second crack of the whip with a travel ban, the Trump administration has now issued a ban on larger electronic devices being taken on flights from certain countries. Devices larger than a cell phone will not be permitted in cabin baggage but must instead be checked in. The... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2017-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I.B.Tauris has signed a new book by Northern Irish writer, adventurer and film-maker, Leon McCarron. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Inside the new Pittsburgh store selling over 8,000 titles; a "global bookstore" goes online in the Middle East; Bucharest's only English-language bookstore to close; and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The fake-news firehose is still flowing. A turbulent political climate in Europe with multiple elections running across countries means publishers, governments and trade bodies are collaborating to try and fight fake news. MPs in the U.K. have launched an investigation this week. In France,... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2017-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Texas bookstore readies for opening in a former Borders location; a New Jersey bookstore inspired by Barack Obama’s first election turns eight; a New Hampshire college store ponders going corporate; and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Friday, Donald J. Trump, liar, con man, bigot, serial assailant, former reality TV star, failed casino magnate, failed football team owner, failed airline owner, failed magazine publisher, failed steak salesman, and loser of the national popular vote, will be sworn in as the 45th president of... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2017-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Think creepy clowns are scary? Check out the nightmare-inducing new cover of the Middle East edition of Bloomberg Businessweek, titled "President Whoever" and subtitled "For the Middle East, does the result of the US presidential election even matter?"The cover mashup of Donald Trump and Hillary... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2016-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An annual study of institutional libraries' budget forecasts shows participating libraries in the Middle East and Africa forecasting the largest increases; Europe the only region forecasting a (slight) decrease. The post International Institutional Library Budgets Forecast to Increase 1.4... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline is publishing a new book by Charlotte Crosby called Live Fast, Lose Weight, which will “show every young woman who wants to work hard all day and then party the night away how she can eat and drink on the go without piling on the pounds.” Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Instagram last week unveiled its updated algorithm, which will reorder the images and videos users see in their news feeds based on their interests instead of how the posts were published chronologically. The development followed a similar move by Twitter six weeks ago to reorder users' time... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The mission of new fiction imprint Hoopoe is to "accurately reflect what is going on in the Middle East, from the Middle East." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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