Fantastic review — you expertly captured the emotions one feels when they read this novella.
Kanafani's 'Men In The Sun and Other Palestinian Stories' was my first foray into Palestinian literature. In the Introduction there is an excerpt from a letter than Kanafani sent to his son that has remained with me since I read it:
'I heard you in the other room asking your mother: “Mama, am I a Palestinian?” When she answered: “Yes”, a heavy silence fell on the whole house. It was as if something hanging over our heads had fallen, its noise exploding, then – silence.
Afterwards . . . I heard you crying. I could not move. There was something bigger than my awareness being born in the other room through your bewildered sobbing. It was as if a blessed scalpel was cutting up your chest and putting there the heart that belongs to you . . . I was unable to move to see what was happening in the other room. I knew, however, that a distant homeland was being born again: hills, plains, olive groves, dead people, torn banners and folded ones, all cutting their way into a future of flesh and blood and being born in the heart of another child . . .
Do not believe that man grows. No; he is born suddenly – a word, in a moment, penetrates his heart to a new throb. One scene can hurl him down from the ceiling of childhood on to the ruggedness of the road.'
Wish I could write like this. Concise, and with beautiful words.
Khaled, thank you for dedicating so much time and soul to amplifying Palestinian voices and all the work you are doing. May I ask if you write poetry?
Fantastic review — you expertly captured the emotions one feels when they read this novella.
Kanafani's 'Men In The Sun and Other Palestinian Stories' was my first foray into Palestinian literature. In the Introduction there is an excerpt from a letter than Kanafani sent to his son that has remained with me since I read it:
'I heard you in the other room asking your mother: “Mama, am I a Palestinian?” When she answered: “Yes”, a heavy silence fell on the whole house. It was as if something hanging over our heads had fallen, its noise exploding, then – silence.
Afterwards . . . I heard you crying. I could not move. There was something bigger than my awareness being born in the other room through your bewildered sobbing. It was as if a blessed scalpel was cutting up your chest and putting there the heart that belongs to you . . . I was unable to move to see what was happening in the other room. I knew, however, that a distant homeland was being born again: hills, plains, olive groves, dead people, torn banners and folded ones, all cutting their way into a future of flesh and blood and being born in the heart of another child . . .
Do not believe that man grows. No; he is born suddenly – a word, in a moment, penetrates his heart to a new throb. One scene can hurl him down from the ceiling of childhood on to the ruggedness of the road.'
R u a journalist brother?
No brother, I'm a researcher/teacher :)
Ok
Amazing article!Thank you for sharing!Free Palestine🇵🇸✊!#EndGenocideNOW!#EndEthicCleansingNOW!#CeasefireNOWPermanently!
Added to my reading list, thank you for all you do
Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you so much! You've inspired me to read more. As Malcolm X said, knowledge is power.
Thank you for putting this out after today's live.