Category: misc/personal

nature cleanses our minds

it’s unexpectedly cold on long island, so much so that it feels like rochester. il fait un froid de canard comme on dit on français. but it was sunny yesterday so i bundled up and went for a walk at frank melville park right here in setauket. cold cold cold but so beautiful. nature has a way of cleansing our minds and healing our bodies. this is why the remarkable people of gaza return to the sea whenever they can. in the midst of human violence and ugliness, nature stays constant and spiritually nourishing.

Noqtah #1: Religion in modern and contemporary art of the MENA region

Wendy Shaw (Ph.D. UCLA, 1999) is Professor of the Art History of Islamic cultures at the Free University Berlin. Her work focuses on the impact of coloniality on art-related institutions, modern art and pre-modern discourses of perception, with emphasis on the Ottoman Empire and regions of Islamic hegemony.

Watch Wendy Shaw’s 30-min lecture for Noqtah, an Instagram Live Series organized by AMCA (Association for Modern + Contemporary Art of the Arab World, Iran + Turkey) here. It was originally posted on Oct 26, 2020.

my birthday tomorrow

dear friends, it’s my birthday tomorrow. there is no reason to celebrate in the midst of a genocide, but if u think of me tomorrow could i urge u to make a donation to MECA (some food trucks are still entering gaza) and to palestine legal.

we are fighting two battles simultaneously: 1) the battle for an immediate permanent ceasefire and critical humanitarian support for people in gaza, and 2) the protection of speech on justice in palestine and legal help for those who are the most vulnerable in our society (palestinians, arabs, muslims, people of color, immigrants, refugees, students, those facing job insecurity and economic precarity, etc).

this is the time to come together and take action. solidarity is safety.

Grateful for community discussions

So grateful for these beautiful people, their work, and their voices. Thank you Jeremy Dennis, Minerva Perez and Brenda Simmons for the important conversation we had today after the screening of ‘Return to Sender: Women of Color in Colonial Postcards & the Politics of Representation’ at @southamptonartscenter. Thank you Christina Strassfield and her team at SAC for all their work and support. We need more such conversations on Long Island followed by a lot more action.

A Palestine reading list from Black Women Radicals

There is no excuse, absolutely none, for being uneducated on Palestine. A brilliant reading list from Black Women Radicals ????

Repost from @blackwomenradicals:

We, who believe in freedom, we as Black feminists who believe in freedom –– freedom from white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, transphobia, queerphobia, ableism, and other oppressions –– unabashedly believe in and stand in solidarity for a free Palestine.

We created a reading list that offers a brief primer on the radical Black feminist political mandate, which is solidarity with Palestine.

mughal-e-azam

i have been so insanely busy working on talks, an art exhibition and a film, and promoting as well as collaborating on the execution of numerous events, that i have not spent much time simply hanging out with ammi abbu. last night i took a small break. made some barbecue chicken pizza and a big salad with a spicy mango dressing. then watched mughal-e-azam (1960) with my parents. an indian classic set in emperor akbar’s court, the film is kitschy of course and requires the suspension of disbelief, but i have to say, i was captivated by madhubala. her real name was mumtaz jehan begum dehlavi. she was born in delhi in 1933. not just a beauty. there’s something magnetic about her screen presence. the film is two hours long and we were up until midnight but what a lovely way to spend an evening with my ammi abbu. #grateful

writing obits is easy

my feed, on all platforms, is still enriched by sinéad, the beautiful shuhada’ sadaqat. people are reminiscing and sharing personal stories, others are writing about her courageous, unflinching activism, her incomparable, transcendent voice and music, her deliberate decision not to embrace commercial success and its oppressive demands, her painful childhood and mental health struggles, but also her unique, unforgettable, otherworldly presence, her incredible generosity… i cannot help but think how this kind of validation/admiration would have meant so much to her when she was alive. a warm blanket made of countless memories, words and emotions that could have held her. perhaps it’s easier to write obits and tributes than to be there for people. it shouldn’t be that way.