Topics in Arabic Language and Culture: Texts from Arabic Prison Literature

This course will explore the accounts of Arab intellectuals, political activists and journalists who spent time in prison for the political views. Drawn from a diverse group, these authors include men and women; secularists and religious thinkers; and they are drawn from a variety of Arab countries. We will read and discuss these narratives entirely in Arabic; students will offer weekly responses to the text as well as producing one for the midterm and a longer final project in lieu of an exam.