The Queer Arabs

It was an honor to talk with actor & writer Xavier Clark on this episode! Xavier (he/him/his) is a multidisciplinary theatre artist, born and raised in Turkey. As a playwright, his full-length plays include: Where Angels Fear to Tread (Workshop: Echo Theatre Company, Los Angeles), merry merry merry merry, supper (Workshop: National Black Theatre), retrofit(s) (Semi-Finalist: 2020 O’Neill Center NPC, 2020 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, Finalist: 2019 Mitten Lab, The Lark 2019 Playwrights’ Week) and backstroke boys (Finalist: New Harmony Project 2020 Spring Conference, 2019 Theatre Viscera Queer Playwriting Contest). He was a semi-finalist for The Civilians’ 2020-21 R&D Group, a finalist for the National Black Theatre’s…

Photo credit: Kitty Suen This episode features writer David Adjmi, whose memoir Lot Six was recently released.  The beautiful telling of the often painful process of growing up while feeling a sense of unease/displacement in a repressed society is powerfully portrayed with a nuance that will make a reader feel seen.  David describes (in the book and in this episode) the relief of discovering theater and its ability to release emotions in a way that regular life often does not allow for.  In this episode, we also discuss David’s Syrian Jewish background, the experience of writing a memoir, his other…

We talked to Kinda Hibrawi, one of the founders of Mint + Laurel, a lifestyle brand focused on products from or inspired by the Middle East.  Kinda, who is Syrian-American and from Aleppo, started Mint + Laurel along with Mai Barazi and Rama Chakaki.  Mint + Laurel focuses on transparency and sustainability, collaborating with independent artisans, small artisan groups, non-profits and local social enterprises internationally.  We talked to Kinda about the story behind Mint + Laurel, the social impact this new organization has already had, the meaning behind the products, and more. To see the amazing textiles, soaps, and more,…

Esraa Warda is a performance and teaching artist that preserves and transmits traditional Moroccan and Algerian dance forms through movement workshops and interactive performances. A young talent of Algerian origin, Warda is a community-taught dancer under the mentorship of women elders in her family and artists from Morocco and Algeria.  She is a firm advocate in the power of intergenerational transmission, women-led traditions, and decolonizing euro-centricity, Orientalism, and oppressed bodies in dance. Mark Balahadia is a Filipino American dancer specializing in the dances of Iraq and the Khaleej).  Check out his earlier episode published on July 10!   For this episode,…

Hamour Baika is a writer from Iran currently living in the DC area. His new novel On the Enemy’s Side explores the sociopolitical complexities of the Iranian Revolution through the lens of a forbidden same-sex relationship between a political prisoner and a guard. We discussed the historical inspiration and research process behind this novel, the different forms that racism takes in Iran and the US, his next work-in-progress, why we all hate listening to our recorded voices, and more! (Bonus giveaway: Sign up for Hamour’s newsletter on HamourBaika.com for the chance to win a free audiobook!) More background info from…

This week we were joined by the incredible WIZZY, a Syrian singer, songwriter, and show producer living in Berlin. WIZZY discusses writing and producing the new single “Light of my Eyes” (ضو عيوني), organizing the events “Queers for Syria” and “Queens Against Borders,” and finding community through migration, nightlife, and quarantine.   

Andrea Abi-Karam joined for an episode to talk about WE WANT IT ALL: An Anthology of Radical Trans Poetics – Andrea co-edited the anthology with Kay Gabriel.  The anthology includes work by intergenerational trans poets against capital and empire.  Andrea read one of their pieces on this episode; we also touched on the ways this year has shifted and impacted creativity and focus.  Andrea also shared their love of rollerblading that has emerged! The book, coming out in November, is available for pre-order from Nightboat Books! Follow Andrea on IG @wolf_hour

Angie Assal is a Lebanese-American artist whose work has included visual art, film, music, dance, and jewelry! She tells us how she began her jewelry line Sound of Mazzika, which features 3D printed/hand painted designs representing Arabic music and culture. (For the next year, all proceeds will be donated to the Lebanese Red Cross!)  We also discussed the difficulties creating art that critiques our cultures in primarily white spaces, issues of cultural appropriation and body standards in the belly dance/raqs sharqi scene, the party we first met at, and more! Visit https://soundofmazzika.com/

Ellie’s back for an episode!  We talked about rent and Rent (both the monthly thing people have to pay and the movie) and more.

‘Queer in a Time of Forced Migration’ is three-part animated transmedia series by Ado Ato Pictures that follows the stories of LGBTQ refugees from Egypt, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia across continents and cultures — from the 2011 Revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa region to the world today. Throughout the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, filmmaker Tamara Shogaolu and Egyptian journalist Nada El-Kouny collected more than 60 oral histories from women, LGBTQ individuals, as well as ethnic and religious minorities, with follow-up interviews conducted in Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. The series documents arcs of hope, backlash, and displacement.  The…