I spent yesterday bouncing between the two campuses I’ve graduated from. Art exhibits, lectures, and doctor’s appointments are the only things that will get me to drive through the Hamra district on a weekday between 11am and 6pm. Of course, I’d prefer cultural things to be the reason I’m dodging double-parked SUVs picking up school kids. Give me a chance to be a nerdy university student again on campuses that come with giant subcommunities of very friendly cats and I’m sold. I’ll make that trek.
A friend & I hopped around to different art things (Shatha Hanaysha’s photos at Dar el Nimer, LAU’s exhibit on Saloua Raouda Choucair, and AUB’s Open Walls) and then we attended Denial at the Limit of the Human, a talk by UCLA professor, Saree Makdisi, that drew from his book, Tolerance is a Wasteland: Palestine and the Culture of Denial.
The talk addressed Makdisi’s analysis of how those who consider themselves on the political left can also be Zionist when the two ideologies should be in conflict. He explained that the way this is achieved is through a special kind of denial, one that is itself denied and then coated in a positive attribute that is constantly reaffirmed. An example was the concrete wall across parts of Palestine. On the Palestine side, it is an eyesore that disrupts your view and your environment. On the Israeli side though, it is hidden behind sand and landscaping. The wall, a physical divider and symbol of segregation, is denied and then covered up by something pretty. There are no limits in movement in the world of an Israeli. The limit does not exist.
“I’m just gonna assume you know it’s an apartheid state,” said Makdisi. With a Beiruti audience, he didn’t have to mince words. I kept thinking about how refreshing that must be as a speaker based in the U.S. who regularly makes a case for Palestine. Here in Lebanon, we know who the bad guy is. He doesn’t have to get everyone on the same page before he dives in. That’s a big reason why I’m glad to be here while all of this insanity happens: I’m surrounded by others who see it that way too so I don’t feel like the insane one instead.
He talked about the encampments on U.S. college campuses and how the resistance is like nothing he’s seen before. The cracks in the system are visible. “They’re (Israelis) torching their own incubator (U.S.) in Gaza,” he said. He feels the shift in public opinion that’s been happening over the last few years is the beginning of the end.
He admitted that it may be too optimistic to interpret the Zionist machine’s heavy-handed actions (in influencing policies, legislation, media) as desperate right now but that interpretation makes sense. They’re scrambling. If only their slow, inevitable collapse didn’t cost so much.
WINE FOLKS SUPPORTING AANAB
I have seen many wine industry folks benefiting from the things I write about on Aanab and that’s extremely flattering. However, I must also insist that if you’re someone in the biz and this newsletter has added value to how you make decisions (what wines to stock, what they’re about, or just gaining a better understanding of Lebanon), I ask that you please upgrade to a paid subscription. I’m an independent one-woman show and paid subs are a small yet great way to show your appreciation for my insights on a niche corner of the global wine industry. At $70/year, it’s more than fair.
If that’s not something you can do, gifting a cup of coffee is an alternative way to fuel my writing and make sure I occasionally leave the house.
A big thank you to Miranda for gifting me a Kalei coffee last month ☕ I used it this past Saturday afternoon. I got to sit under their trees with a latte, peanut butter cookie, and Magic Lessons.
AT LEAST 10 LITTLE LINKS
A highlight of the month is the announcement of Metropolis’ return. It was a high school haunt that housed indie films and festivals and its shuttering was such a loss. Also, read more on the archives of Baalbeck Studios.
Chef Sally Jane has shifted her lovely newsletter to Substack and, in her latest, she attended and wrote about the event I did (here’s my recap) with Josephine (of Malfoof) last week. My friend’s new bakery, Bakelab Counter, also got a mention. They’ve been selling out before 11am everyday since opening two weeks ago. Check out Hisham & Charbel’s review.
For Bon Appetit, Sarah Aziza speaks to Gazan food blogger, Hamada Shaqoura, about his videos where he transforms aid packages into creative, bulk meals while staring down the viewer.
“The 50 Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21st Century” by Danny Hajjar - do you agree with the top 5?
“An estimated 8,000 diesel generators have been powering Lebanese cities since the nation’s economic collapse in 2019.” and more from Abbie Cheeseman on the poison we’re inhaling here thanks to our decrepit power grid.
Mischa Geracoulis breaks down Fadi Kattan’s cookbook in “Palestinian Culture, Under Assault, Celebrated in New Cookbook” for The Markaz Review
Olive Oil Production in the Late Ottoman Rule from the Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question
Here’s a lil’ something about wine: the vineyards of Spain's Lanzarote island.
A must-watch interview during a protest at the University of Chicago.
Some relatives and neighbors in our village have lost their homes because of more intense shelling. Take a look at the updated graph of escalation on Leb’s southern border.