African 231: Introduction to Arabic Literary Culture

How do we read Arabic literature in the community where we live, and in English translation? What happens to the pieces of culture that travel, shift between media, and undergo formal study? How has the literary tradition changed over roughly 1500 years of continuous phases of creation and debate? Why is there a statue of the Illinoisan Lincoln on Bascom Hill but none of the Madison poet Nazik al-Malaika? These are some of the questions we will address in our course.