The Art of Badi' az-Zaman al Hamadhani as Picaresque Narrative

James T. Munroe

The question of Arabic influences on European literature prior to the Renaissance rests for evidence on translations of single tales, collections and other works of prose fiction, made in Spain from the Arabic, into Latin or Castillian. These have exerted an undeniable influence on the development of European literature. The book examples the influence of the maqama genre on the development of the Spanish — and through it, the entire European — picaresque novel. The maqamat of al-Hamadhani, the originator of the Arabic branch of the genre, are here re-examined by the author, who reaches some very interesting and enlightening analyses and conclusions.

English, 1983, 175 pages, paper, $7.

Byron and the East

Anahid Melikian

The author here presents the English poet Lord Byron in the light of his attraction to the East, and its great influence on him: Greece, Turkey, Albania, Muslims in general, Islam and its culture. The analysis and discussion of the poems is accompanied by a close examination of Byron's journals and letters, a procedure which shows that Byron's intellectual and poetic development was closely tied up with his experiences in and knowledge of the East.

English, 1977, 124 pages, cloth, $6.

Contemporary American Poetry

Translated by Ruad Rifka Philosopher and poet Fuad Rifka brings American poetry to the doorstep of the Arab reader by his translations. In a selection of the work of fifty-five contemporary poets ranging in age from 29 to 80, Rifka has chosen a very limited sample to represent a huge country. The poems take up many themes: politics and revolutionaries, life and death, sex and love, and imagery in poetry. Arabic, 1985, 124 pages, paper, $7.

The Decadent Poetry of the Eighteen Nineties

John M. Munro

A critical essay which describes and evaluates the poetry of the end of the nineteenth century and indicates its importance in the development of the modern aesthetic. The Times Literary Supplement said of this book that it “has the merit of hitting most of the nails involved firmly on their proper heads”.

English, 1970, 90 pages, 13 illustrations, cloth, $6.

Kahlil Gibran, A Prophet in the Making

William Shihadi Kahlil Gibran's work is well known and has been published many times and in many languages. The basis for this book, however, are photographs of original manuscript pages of Gibran's work. Some are parts of published works such as The Prophet, but the book also contains four ‘fragments’ which are here published for the first time. Each section begins with a description of the manuscript, and there is a transcription of each page opposite its photograph. These are the first Gibran manuscripts, apart from his letters, to be published in this way. They are of great interest because they demonstrate the process by which Gibran refined his writings into their final form. English, 1991, 417 pages, cloth, $10.

Selected Poems of Theo Marzials

John M. Munro

Theo Marzials (1850-1920), poet, musician and literateur is now barely remembered, if at all. Yet, as Ford Madox Ford recalled, his “lyrical and polished” verses seemed to him “by far the most exquisite that were produced by any of the lesser Pre-Raphaelite poets”. In a long introduction, the author places Marzials' achievement in critical perspective, and sketches the colorful career of this minor but arresting poet.

English, 1974, 145 pages, cloth, $4.

Transitional Words: A Guide for Students of English

Nahla Bacha and Edith Hanania

This book is designed as a supplementary text for learners of English at the intermediate to advanced level and is a guide to the use of transitional words in English. Five units explain the use of different transitional words, and are followed in every case by exercises.

English, 1980, 50 pages, paper, $1.

Writing Skills: An English Workbook

Ann Gordon, Mary Y. Hallab, Ibrahim Kankashian, and George Taylor

A book written to help satisfy the need for a single comprehensive workbook to use in remedial English courses at the high school and college levels. It is based on the experience of the authors at the American University of Beirut.

English, 1974, 187 pages, cloth, $2.