Description

A dizzying amount of media coverage bombards us from the Middle East, yet little filters through about the experiences of ordinary people. Encounters with the Middle East tells their stories through interactions with 30 writers who go beyond the usual reporting to reveal the simple and poignant ways that life goes on. These writers' experiences with the people and places of the region remind us that the Middle East is blessed with astounding cultural and historical treasures, and offer moving glimpses of lives unfolding behind the headlines.

• Discover the depths of hospitality in a hulking steamer as fasting locals voyage back to Egypt during the holy month of Ramadan

• Take in the stunning sights, sounds, and scents of the sacred Shia ritual of Ashura as experienced by a family of Bahraini women from their balcony in Manama

• Journey back in time to Jerusalem for an intimate glimpse of the city in the 1960s as remembered by a boy coming of age in its cobbled streets and bustling souks

• Inhale the sweet fumes of the hookah, chew the beloved qat, and soak up the lively atmosphere found in the salons of some of the most notable and politically active women of Yemen

• Sip apple tea in Turkey and reconsider your impressions about arranged marriages as an Anatolian carpet seller and his wife lovingly recount their courtship...and much more.

Praise for Encounters with the Middle East

"Each of the more than two-dozen well-written tales in this dazzling collection is a brightly colored stone in a mosaic revealing, warts and all, a Middle East that is often charming and always complex. For those Americans who see a Middle East inhabited exclusively by terrorists and fundamentalists, these stories bring to life ordinary Middle Easterners (Arabs, Turks, Iranians, Israelis, and Cypriots) and help us understand our shared humanity."
—David Dunford, former U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman

"There are as many impressions of the Middle East as there are visitors fortunate enough to travel there, and this book earnestly and engagingly samples a wide swathe of them."
—Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us

"Free from any hint of political correctness or academic pretense, this highly readable collection presents tableau after tableau of travelers' encounters with the colorful and sometimes confusing intensity of the Middle East. Over and over we see Westerners' fear and ignorance give way to flashes of insight and real appreciation of the shared humanity, the generosity, the humor, and the serendipity of the life and people of this misunderstood region. This book will provide background, reassurance, and interpretive guidance for the increasing number of North Americans and Europeans traveling to the Middle East."
—Leila Hudson, Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Studies, University of Arizona

"Encounters with the Middle East provides a beautiful collage of snapshots from many corners of the Middle East, adding up to a picture that's not often seen in the violence-obsessed coverage of the Middle East. It's a sensitive, insightful, and engaging account."
—Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, University of Maryland, and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution

"It's refreshing to find a place (the most headlined in our time) described and interpreted not by experts and academics but by writers and poets. The ones gathered here all approach their subject with curiosity, compassion, and a desire to comprehend—to the benefit of both the reader and the region."
—Thomas Swick, Travel Editor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and author of Roads Not Taken

Extended Copyright Information

Copyright 2007 Solas House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction copyright 2007 by Bruce Feiler.

Previously published by Solas House, Inc.

Cover photograph: Franz Aberham/Getty Images. Khazneh, Petra, Jordan.

“Bread” by Nicholas Seeley published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Nicholas Seeley.

“The Promise Coffee” by Michael McGee published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Michael McGee.

“Key to the City” by Catherine Watson originally appeared as “Unlocking Beirut” on World Hum on December 29, 2006. Copyright 2006 by Catherine Watson. Reprinted with permission from the author.

“Dancing at the Blood Festival” by Rolf Potts originally appeared in the May 9, 2000 issue of Salon.com. Copyright 2000 by Rolf Potts. Reprinted by permission from the author.

“The Way of Suffering” by Erika Trafton published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Erika Trafton.

“Kidnapped by Syrian Hospitality” by Jeff Vize published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Jeff Vize.

“Just Under Your Feet” by Trici Venola published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Trici Venola.

“Confessions of a Water Pipe Smoker” by Carolyn A. Thèriault published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Carolyn A. Thèriault.

“To Hamadan” by Peter Jon Lindberg published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Peter Jon Lindberg.

“Witnessing Ashura” by Shannon O’Grady published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Shannon O’Grady.

“In Jerusalem” by Jeff Greenwald published with permission from the author. Copyright 2005 by Jeff Greenwald.

“Serendipity in Cyprus” by Wayne Milstead published with permission from the author. Copyright 2006 by Wayne Milstead.

“Five-Star Mussandam Bush” by Christopher K. Brown published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Christopher K. Brown.

“Magic Carpet Ride” by Chris Kipiniak published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Chris Kipiniak.

“Shlonak?” by Michael Cornn published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Michael Cornn.

“A Damascus Cab Ride” by Waleed Al-Shamma’ published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Waleed Al-Shamma’.

“An Afternoon in Kavaklıdere” by Umur Çelikyay published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Umur Çelikyay.

“Half Truths and Olive Trees” by Joel Carillet published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Joel Carillet.

“Clothes, Camaraderie, and Qat” by Betsy Hiel published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Betsy Hiel.

“Instant Mother, Just Add Tea” by Katherine Belliel published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Katherine Belliel.

“From the Oasis to the City” by Laurence Mitchell published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Laurence Mitchell.

“The Neon Night of the Emirates” by Jason Ward published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Jason Ward.

“Repatriation and Regret” by Amanda Coffin published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Amanda Coffin.

“Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem” by Pat Walker published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Pat Walker.

“Without Cover” by Yasmine Bahrani published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Yasmine Bahrani.

“Gridlocked Tehran at Gunpoint” by Mal Karman published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Mal Karman.

“Holy Land Blues” by Peter Wortsman published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Peter Wortsman.

“The Mukhtar and I” by Michel Moushabeck published with permission from the author. Copyright 2007 by Michel Moushabeck.

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About the Author

A Palestinian-American born in Kuwait and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nesreen Khashan has for the past decade been a frequent traveler to the Middle East. Whether to the Palestinian territories and Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt or Morocco, each of her trips has been marked with special purpose and has carried with it one or more of her passions. She has ventured to the region as spiritual pilgrim, journalist, scholar, Arabic student, and serendipitous traveler. Currently a curriculum writer in Washington, D.C., Nesreen also teaches classes in the Department of Global Studies at Mission Community College near San Jose, CA. She holds a Master's degree in Near Eastern Studies from The University of Arizona and is proficient in Modern Standard Arabic and the Egyptian and Levantine dialects. Earlier in her career, she worked as a newspaper writer for six years, reporting for The Salt Lake Tribune, the South-Florida Sun-Sentinel, The Boston Globe, and The Daily Star of Lebanon, among others.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

Where are the favors?
Where are the wise men?
Where are the open doors?
They are here, from the beginning to the end.
Not long ago, I was invited to join a panel that would select the Seven New Wonders of the World. Seven of us, convened by a major television network and leading newspaper, were ...

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Copyright

Copyright 2007 Solas House, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

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