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Get the newest blog posts directly in your email inbox by subscribing here. You’ll be the first to receive new posts, joining my growing number of followers. New subscribers will also receive the guide My Favorite Resources. Discover my go-to… Continue Reading →
Marnia Lazreg, a remarkable scholar and long-time sociology professor at Hunter College, passed away a few weeks ago. With over 40 years of work in academia, she racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. Not only did she have a… Continue Reading →
In Istanbul–a city teeming with historical sites, remarkable views, and iconic buildings–where does a visitor begin? Istanbul is simply breathtaking, thanks to the legacy of the Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and modern Turks. You can marvel at the Hagia Sophia and… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Ten of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Nine of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
Want to know more about how I research and write the blog Other Things? I recently sat down with “Against the Grain – The Podcast,” where Matthew Ismail of the Charleston Conference spoke with me about my work as an… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Eight of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Seven of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Six of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
To celebrate the two-year anniversary of this blog, I’m excited to share my favorite posts from the past twelve months. The diversity of these eight pieces fits with the broad goal of this site: to share lesser-known aspects of Middle… Continue Reading →
Two of my strongest memories of living in Saudi Arabia are the date vendor at the outdoor market and a day trip we took to the oasis of Al-Ahsa. In the market in downtown Al-Khobar, gleaming mounds of dates flowed… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Five of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Four of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
I spent two incredible years in Algeria and vividly recall the local dishes with their rich flavors and colors. Fresh flatbread baked on a griddle, just steps from the Premier Mai market. The daily specials at the tiny restaurant up… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Three of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the… Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part Two of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read Part… Continue Reading →
When you see the name Naguib Mahfouz, the titles of his famous Cairo Trilogy are often not far behind. Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, and Sugar Street… But these are just a few of Mahfouz’s many books and published works…. Continue Reading →
I’m excited to announce a new project, a series of interviews titled “Interviewing Religion: Bringing Scholars of Middle Eastern Religions to New Audiences.” Over the coming months, I’ll be interviewing scholars of religion about their research, discussing how their work… Continue Reading →
Scholars and critics divide some artists’ work into periods or phases. Take Picasso, for instance, with his Early Period, Blue Period, Rose Period, African Period, and Cubist Period. Or the work of Henri Matisse, who passed through a Fauvist Period,… Continue Reading →
Your standard history textbook — so often it’s a dry text packed with names and dates. The absurdly heavy volume that teachers assign for homework and quizzes. In short, no fun… So how can we make history fun again? Well,… Continue Reading →
How do you define Moroccan music? Well, that’s sort of a trick question. Defining something that broad is complex. What is American music? What is Egyptian music? I think geographic and cultural labels do little to describe the breadth of… Continue Reading →
By beautiful happenstance (or was it fate?), I recently stumbled into the wonderful world of Tunisian fiction. I tore through Yamen Manai’s The Ardent Swarm, an elegantly crafted parable that mixes nature, political commentary, and human courage. I inhaled Shukri… Continue Reading →
Dear Other Things, can you tell me your favorite resources? How do you decide what to write about? And where do you find your information? I get questions like this a lot, people asking where I get the ideas and… Continue Reading →
When I think of iconic Kuwaiti architecture, I picture the spheres of Kuwait Towers or the clusters of angular water towers around the capital. But those were all built in the 1970s! What new buildings are famous in Kuwait? What… Continue Reading →
Danny Hajjar’s weekly newsletter Sa’alouni El Nas is an absolute gem. It’s become my go-to space for music from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab diaspora, replacing my old haunts and habits. Why, you ask? When traveling, I… Continue Reading →
You’re here for some delicious Middle Eastern food? Welcome to Part Two of my project, listing every English-language cookbook about Middle Eastern food from 2010 to 2022. As we saw in Part One of this list, these works cover a… Continue Reading →
To celebrate the one year anniversary of this blog (woohoo!), I’m excited to share the ten most popular posts to date. The diversity of these pieces perfectly sums up the goal of this site: to share lesser known aspects of… Continue Reading →
Reading cookbooks is addictive, isn’t it? I have a bunch of Middle Eastern ones in my collection and can’t resist flipping through new ones. And the number of cookbooks covering the Middle East has soared over the past decade. While… Continue Reading →
Where to start if you want to read good books about World War Two in North Africa? To be frank, history lovers have tons to choose from. Older books and memoirs provide impeccable accounts of British tank divisions, General Rommel… Continue Reading →
How many musicians and bands do you know from Saudi Arabia? Have you heard of Abadi al-Johar or Hamza Hawsawi, for example? To be honest, the diversity and depth of Saudi music might surprise you. Not to mention the number… Continue Reading →
I feel a special connection to the Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani (“Kabbani” in some cases). My wedding had two readings of Arabic poems, including one of Qabbani’s. His poetry was the perfect addition to our ceremony, as his work is… Continue Reading →
Visitors to Bahrain have a wealth of historic sites to choose from, including forts and museums, famous homes and mosques, and ancient burial grounds. People often start with the country’s National Museum or the Bahrain Fort, which is a UNESCO… Continue Reading →
One of my favorite memories of Egypt is sipping fresh drinks at a local cafe. I loved grabbing a chair on the sidewalk to watch the world go by, or settling myself at a small table inside. Breathing in the… Continue Reading →
The city of Oran, along the Mediterranean in western Algeria, boasts a remarkable story — ruled by Arab and Berber dynasties, the Spanish, the Ottomans, and the French, before Algerian independence in 1962. As you walk through Oran today, the… Continue Reading →
Living abroad is a full body immersion in another culture. You’re hit by a cacophony of accents and slang, the aromatic smells and tastes of new foods, and the unique rhythms of different musical styles. For me, the deepest impressions… Continue Reading →
Whatever your religion, the month of Ramadan is a unique opportunity to read books to your kids. Take this time to read stories about this Muslim holiday with your family. There are some great ones to choose from — Ramadan… Continue Reading →
Recently, I found a fabulous new avenue to explore: the pioneering work of Iraqi painters. I’ve long had a passion for modern art — Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism, Pop Art, etc… I love the delicate dots and short strokes of… Continue Reading →
Quick, how many Kuwaiti authors can you name? If you follow literary awards like the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, you may know the work of Saud Alsanousi. His novel The Bamboo Stalk won this award in 2013. But what… Continue Reading →
I’m going to stop talking about the Middle East for a second. We need to focus on Ukraine and, more specifically, how to help the staggering number of refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi,… Continue Reading →
The myths and heroic tales of the Persian epic Shahnameh are well known, but what about the vivid illustrations that decorate manuscripts of this beloved work? Before the arrival of the printing press, scribes hand-copied books line by line, following… Continue Reading →
Where did I first learn about AramcoWorld… Perhaps in the stacks of a university library? Or later, on visits to the Aramco compound while I lived in Dhahran? No matter the connection, the fact remain the same — the free… Continue Reading →