One memory hooks to another in an atfirst random pattern covering the 1860s to the present, and the fragmented. Anton shammas was one of six children born to a palestinian father, hanna shammas, and a lebanese mother, helene bitar, who moved to fassuta in northern palestine in 1937 to teach at the local girls school. A palestinian master of hebrew, living at the seam between jews and arabs, between the ancient and the modern, between loyalties and appetites, shammas has written beautifully about his search for design. Anton shammas is an arab, a member of a people who at. Ann arbor, mi 48104 employment, fellowships 20102011. Intersubjective histories in the mediterranean and beyond. He is well known for the novel arabesques, written in hebrew and chronically the history of the shammas family in both palestine, israel and lebanon. Here was shammas, an arab writer, writing in the language of israels majority. The israeli arab artist in anton shammass arabesques jstor. The alhambra palace in spain features arabesques carved in marble. Request pdf the politics of intertextuality in anton shmamass arabesques how can an israeli arab writer participate in a jewish literary tradition that perceives the writer as a biblical. Beside the whiff of sociology, theres novelty as well. This essay explores the possibility that anton shammass novel arabesques 1986 tentatively gestures towards what might be described as a onestate aesthetic for israelpalestine. Anton shammas s arabesques and the rhetoric of hebrew literature the rock of our very existence.
Fellow, institute for the humanities, university of michigan. Anton shammas, the first arab to write a novel in hebrew, has given us a riveting look at a people we hear too little about. Through a network of memories, shammas tells the story of an arab christian family currently living in a galilean village. Arabesques is a classic of the exploration of identity. Anton shammass arabesques and the rhetoric of hebrew literature the rock of our very existence. Besides offering a particularly astute reading of anton shammas widelytranslated and acclaimed novel, arabesques 1989, hochberg argues that the subsequent controversial cultural debate between a. Refreshing debut fiction, translated from the original hebrew, intertwining the family history of an arab christian family with regional palestinian lore.
In 1968, shammas moved to jerusalem and studied english and arabic literature and art history at the hebrew. International center for peace in the middle east march, 4349. A n nton shammass hebrew novel arabesques r\nv\m 1986 is, in part, the saga of his arab christian family, which emigrated in the early nineteenth. Exile has been chosen as the common, unifying condition out of which these authors texts arise because, although it is perhaps a less. The israeli arab artist in anton shammass arabesques created date.
The novel created a splash when it first came out in the 80s. Anton shammas only novel arabesques arabesqot, 1986 is notoriously difficult to classify, and even more difficult to summarize. Extra information two editions different engravings were issued in the composers lifetime by durand. Anton shammas born 1950, is a palestinian writer, poet and translator. The 2006 bulletin of the american comparative literature association. Anton shammas arabesques between iowa and the galilee. Anton shammas s arabesqu es and the rhetoric of hebrew literature. It is a hebrew novel in which palestinians are the protagonists and jewish israelis are marginal players. Arabesques was chosen as one of the best books of 1988 by the editors of the new york.
Arabesques, a novel by anton shammas 9780520228320. In many of its aspects, kashua s work exempli es minor literature. The jewish works of sayed kashua 111 the search for authenticity, the possibility of expressing the culture of a minority in the words of the colonizing culture, are all core issues for an author like sayed kashua who opts to write and describe his split identity in hebrew. It traces the novels complex intersections with the postcolonial, in order to show that arabesques problematizes any straightforward investment in palestinian cultural nationalism. This article explores how arabesques 1986 by anton. Arabesque, style of decoration characterized by intertwining plants and abstract curvilinear motifs.
The israeli arab narratives, including anton shammass novel arabesques, tend to demystify the myth of the promised land by exteriorizing the hidden. Shammas, a palestinian with israeli citizenship, uses the iowa. Arabesques, anton shammas blue mountain, meir shalev reading of articles, short stories and other materials listed in the course plan is required of all students each student will write a second paper referring to a film, short readings and discussions on a second topic covered in the class. He transforms fact into fantasy without changing a thing. Israeli democracy bard digital commons bard college.
Arabesques was chosen as one of the best books of 1988 by the available again, arabesques is a classic, complex novel of identity, memory, and history in the middle east and points beyond. Anton shammas s arabesques and the rhetoric of hebrew literature ginsburg, shai 20060101 00. Each study guide includes essays, an indepth chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quiz. During his youth, he studied at an integrated jewisharab high school while in haifa. That the publisher lists this in the literaturemiddle eastern studies categories on the book jacket suggests that theres some extraliterary dimension to shammas s admittedly autobiographical story. Publication date 1988 topics families publisher new york. Gass is the david may distinguished university professor in the humanities at washington university in st. It traces the novels complex intersections with the postcolonial, in order to show that arabesques problematizes any straightforward investment in. Anton shammas, the first arab to write a novel in hebrew, has given us a riveting look at. Arabesques is a bookpart novel, part memoirby anton shammas that traces the complexities of the authors family history and homeland in the tale sections. In 1962, the family moved to haifa where shammas studied in an integrated jewisharab high school. The creative limit problems in relations between majority and minority cultures in israel. Anton shammas chronicles his life as an israeli christian arab, dramatizing the bitter clash of traditions in a village on the galilee just after 1948 and his search for personal identity, which leads through paris to its climax in iowa city.
Specifically, it studies lexical neologisms in shammass original hebrew novel arabesques as well as in his translations of emile habibi. Arabesques was written by palestinian author anton shammas and was published during 2001. Emile habibys the pessoptimist, anton shammass arabesques, and elias. This article explores how arabesques 1986 by anton shammas, a palestinian with israeli citizenship, uses the iowa international writing program to interrogate and relocate the consecration of world literature. Hebrew neologisms in the writings of anton shammas adel shakour and abdallah tarabeih alqasemi academy the article examines the impact of arabic on hebrew writings of a prominent arab israeli author. Derived from the work of hellenistic craftsmen working in asia minor, the arabesque originally included birds in a highly naturalistic setting. Anton shammas born 1950, is a palestinian writer, poet and translator biography. At the age of 10, anton shammas is sent into the depths of the family cistern to clean it and scoop out its accumulation of muck, for he is now the right size. Anton shammas was one of six children born to a palestinian father and a lebanese mother, who moved to fassuta in northern palestine in 1937 to teach at the local girls school.
Six miniatures on anton shammass arabesques hannan hever. Arabesques, a novel by anton shammas 9780520228320 booktopia. Apr 01, 1986 anton shammas, the first arab to write a novel in hebrew, has given us a riveting look at a people we hear too little about. Yehoshua and shammas over the latters presumption in claiming the hebrew language as the natural provenance of israels arab. Arabesques, however, the first novel of anton shammas, a christian arab reared in achievement pdf download. Anthropology and the literature of political exile. Anton shammass arabesques and the rhetoric of hebrew literature ginsburg, shai 20060101 00. That the publisher lists this in the literaturemiddle eastern studies categories on the book jacket suggests that theres some extraliterary dimension to shammass admittedly autobiographical story. Shammas is the first christian palestinian to write in hebrew, and his family tale mingles with the lore of his displaced group. The israeli arab artist in anton shammas s arabesques created date. Discussion of themes and motifs in anton shammas arabesques.
The first edition was published in november 1891, the second in 1904. Available again, arabesques is a classic, complex novel of identity, memory, and history. Khourys gate of the sun are interrelated novels in a broader. The theme of otherness is an essential element of arabesques and in many ways defines the protagonist and the narrative voice. Home about us subjects contacts about us subjects contacts.
This novel tells a captivating story about the complex lives of palestinian christians, which is centered on shammas upbringing. Available again, arabesques is a classic, complex novel of identity, memory, and history in the middle east and points beyondincluding iowa and new york city. An arabesque is a vegetal pattern that suggests an infinite extension due. Anton shammass arabesques and the rhetoric of hebrew literature. During his youth, he studied at an integrated jewisharab. A palestinian master of hebrew, living at the seam between jews and arabs, between the ancient and the modern, between loyalties and appetites, shammas has written beautifully about his. April 17, 1988, sunday, late city final edition section 7. Anton shammas s arabesques and the rhetoric of hebrew literature. Contribute to gradesavers community by writing content. Pdf abstract this article looks at the discourses shaping the narrative structure of anton shammass arabesques, an arabic tale written in hebrew. The plate numbers 4395, 4396 were retained for the 1904 edition, even though it is an entirely new engraving.
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