Category Archives: Blog

I’ve been spending this week-end at Brown University visiting my former professors and colleagues in Providence. Today, my Akkadian professor threw a mad tea party on my behalf–it’s such a joy and pleasure to see old friends…

While visiting the American Museum of Natural History yesterday in New York, I was drawn to these ceramic objects from Morocco: an inkwell, a lamp, a pitcher in the form of a skin water-bottle, and a container in the form of a wooden flask.

According to leaked government documents, Mexican federal authorities had real-time information of an attack on 43 student teachers by corrupt local police, but they did nothing to stop the students from being murdered. The ongoing search for the bodies of the missing students has turned up the graves of others…

When I was visiting Little Bohemia in New York on Saturday before protesting downtown at the Millions March NYC, I took some time to admire the Jan Hus Presbyterian Church–named after the 14th century Czech priest (and Dean of Charles University) who was burned at the stake for his denunciation of the Catholic Church’s corruption and his attempts to reform it. A few years ago, when I was living in Prague and re-connecting with my Czech roots, I enjoyed visiting the beautiful Bethlehem Chapel–where Jan Hus used to preach. After Hus was excommunicated in 1412, the Pope ordered the Bethlehem Chapel demolished, but the Old Town Council refused to comply with the Pope’s demands. Jan Hus’ brutal execution triggered the Hussite Wars and a series of papal crusades against his followers. In 1999, Pope John Paul II expressed his “deep regret for the cruel death inflicted” on Hus. Today, this New York church named in his honor bears the inscription “Truth Prevails”–a famous Jan Hus saying.

DECONSTRUCTING MANHATTAN from Tala Safie on Vimeo.

DECONSTRUCTING MANHATTAN
Launch of Tala Safie’s publication
This week at Mansion in Beirut
Wednesday, 17 December: 7:30 pm

DECONSTRUCTING MANHATTAN is a small publication assembling bits and pieces, ranging from forgotten rusted hard-drive material, to snapshots – and sometimes properly scanned – texts, photographs and illustrations; some provided by friends, others borrowed from favorite artists and writers. The aim was to create a bundle of miscellaneous elements, translating one’s experience in a city, be it Manhattan or Beirut. This project was inspired by a dear film, Woody Allen’s 1979 tribute to “Manhattan”, featuring Gordon Willis’s impeccable grayscale image. The publication features beautiful contributions by Jana Traboulsi, Hatem Imam, Cynthia Merhej, Tracey Eid, Amanda Nowyhed, Toufic Safie, Pauline Maroun, Karim Ghorayeb, Choucri Bechir, Charbel Haber, Ghassan Maasri and Sara Zaher.

Since my pancake options in Beirut are quite limited, I was delighted to feast on these delicious pumpkin pancakes at The Ellington on my way up to Harlem…

It was an honor and joy to participate in Saturday’s Millions March NYC and walk alongside so many courageous and peaceful souls from all walks of life calling for justice and equality. I’m grateful I was able to fly from Beirut to the U.S. to witness the incredible turn-out at the march–captured in the time-lapse video below…

It was an amazing experience to march with this empowered young protestor & numerous other protestors at today’s Millions March NYC…

I snapped this photo today while marching with tens of thousands of other protestors through the streets of New York…

This summer, when I was on a Fulbright fellowship in Indonesia, I visited several local schools in Java to ask teachers how the educational system might be improved. A new article from The Economist suggests several ways to tackle the problems currently plaguing Indonesia’s educational system–the fourth largest in the world…

This week in Beirut, I was very fortunate to see a rehearsal for Shebaik Lebaik, an inspiring new theatrical endeavor, in the same place where I teach English to African migrant workers. The women who will be performing in this play have been hard at work, and I can’t wait for them to finally share their performances–and dramatic journeys–with an audience this week-end…

Catharsis is the 1st non-profit organization in Lebanon to promote & offer therapeutic actions through the use of theatre & art processes for individuals and groups. It offers services & programs in various social, educational & therapeutic settings such as substance abuse treatment centers, mental health facilities, hospitals, correctional facilities, private practice settings for children & adults, schools and corporations. Catharsis also works with individuals who want to explore various life problems & expand their quality of life. Catharsis produced the play & documentary 12 Angry Lebanese with male inmates of Roumieh Prison (2009-2010); Scheherazade in Baabda the play interpreted by Baabda prison women inmates (2012); the play From the Bottom of my Brain with the residents at Al Fanar psychiatric hospital (2013); the documentary Scheherazade’s Diary with the Baabda inmates (2013).

Tonight and tomorrow in Beirut, a group of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon will be performing Antigone at Theatre al-Madina–don’t miss it!