{"product_id":"dissident-syria-9780822340164","title":"Dissident Syria","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn account of dissidence in Hafiz Asads Syria, describing how intellectuals tried to navigate between charges of complicity with the state and treason against it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eDissident Syria\u003c\/i\u003e is an important and urgent book. In her fascinating account of Syrian cultural productions during the 1990s, miriam cooke documents the abyss between Syrian lived experiences and the rhetoric of the state. She extols the creative minds whose works exemplify the power of art.”—Susan Slyomovics, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Performance of Human Rights in Morocco\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“With respectful seriousness, a fascinating narrative, and a lucid style, miriam cooke, a very distinguished writer and Arabist, offers in \u003ci\u003eDissident Syria\u003c\/i\u003e a probing examination and illuminating account of Syria’s sloganeering culture—where literature and the arts are manipulated and the unconscious becomes the hero. cooke’s book is powerful, stimulating, and remarkable for its empirical analysis and daring.”—Abdul Sattar Jawad, former secretary general of the Iraqi Writers Union\u003cbr\u003e“A thorough – and heartbreaking – account of creative life in Syria, and an implicit homage to the indomitable human spirit, in this case Arab men who can be counted among the great dissidents of our times. . . . Miriam Cooke’s book on dissidents in Syria exceeds its original purpose by opening the door to Syrian intellectuals, writers and filmmakers. It points to a crucial problem – the abuse of power that has turned that nation into a police state – and opines that Syria, with all its richness and diversity, deserves better. Given real peace, both inside and outside its borders, Syria could again become a center of creativity, culture and civilization.” -- Etel Adnan * Al Jadid *\u003cbr\u003e“[cooke] candidly writes about her initial failures to grasp nuances of Syria's culture, including giving a public lecture on women's literature in Syria with Assad's pronouncement on culture as its title. . . . Yet Ms. cooke's persistence paid off with startling revelations about the middle ground in Syrian art between collaboration and incarceration.” -- Richard Byrne * Chronicle of Higher Education *\u003cbr\u003e“In \u003ci\u003eDissident Syria\u003c\/i\u003e, scholar of contemporary Arabic literature miriam cooke sheds light on the heretofore neglected world of Syrian oppositional culture. . . . This important work will attract specialists in a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. \u003ci\u003eDissident Syria\u003c\/i\u003e will appeal to those interested in Syrian, Arab, and Middle Eastern expressive culture. It adds an important dimension to the literature on the relationship between politics and the arts. It also forms a significant contribution to a growing body of work on prison literature. cooke’s accessible, engaging style makes \u003ci\u003eDissident Syria\u003c\/i\u003e an ideal choice for undergraduate courses in the same range of topics.” -- Christa Salamandra * Journal of Middle East Women's Studies *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Dissident Syria \u003c\/i\u003edemonstrates the power of art against the power of the state, the versatility of the creative mind in the face of brute force. miriam cooke’s book is a fascinating read.” -- Issa J. Boullata * World Literature Today *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments vii\u003cbr\u003e Introduction 3\u003cbr\u003e 1. “Culture is Humanity’s Highest Need” 19\u003cbr\u003e As If... 20\u003cbr\u003e Slogans, Slogans Everywhere 26\u003cbr\u003e Freedom and Democracy 30\u003cbr\u003e 2. Our Literature Does Not Leave the Country 36\u003cbr\u003e Nadia al-Ghazzi 39\u003cbr\u003e Colette al-Khuri 42\u003cbr\u003e 3. No Such Thing as Women’s Literature 48\u003cbr\u003e Ulfat Idilbi 49\u003cbr\u003e Salons and Mallahat al-Khani 53\u003cbr\u003e Nadia Khust and the Nadwa 57\u003cbr\u003e 4. Commissioned Criticism 65\u003cbr\u003e Culture after the Fall of the Wall 68\u003cbr\u003e Commissioned Criticism 72\u003cbr\u003e The Fantasy of Choice 77\u003cbr\u003e 5. Dissident Performances 81\u003cbr\u003e Performing Dissidence 84\u003cbr\u003e The Ghoul 87\u003cbr\u003e Historical Miniatures 92\u003cbr\u003e 6. Filming Dreams 100\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Extras\u003c\/i\u003e 102\u003cbr\u003e Dreaming Features 106\u003cbr\u003e Documenting Dreams 116\u003cbr\u003e 7. Lighten Your Step 121\u003cbr\u003e Ibrahim Samu’il 124\u003cbr\u003e Waiting 127\u003cbr\u003e Ghassan al-Jaba’i 130\u003cbr\u003e Lessons from a Rogue State 142\u003cbr\u003e 8. Leaving Damascus 145\u003cbr\u003e Postscript 160\u003cbr\u003e Notes 167\u003cbr\u003e Bibliography 177\u003cbr\u003e Index 187","brand":"Duke University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49406046634327,"sku":"9780822340164","price":74.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780822340164.jpg?v=1730494354","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/dissident-syria-9780822340164","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}