At the publishing house I directed for 24 years in Lebanon our chief translator and editor had unusual editorial skills. As a translator he never wrote a word until he was sure he understood the intention of the English author, and in the end the work seemed to have originated in Arabic. The classical […]
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Memorial Day is a perfect time to commend and defend the soldiers whom we as a country have burdened with tasks risky to their bodies and souls. It goes without saying that, if our country is at war then the people on the front edge of executing that war deserve our love. This does not […]
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On International Women’s Day it occurred to me that I should write a story about a Middle Eastern woman, a story that would be a tribute to the brave and noble women of our world. Then I become indecisive, knowing so many women— smart women, strong women, abused and used women, courageous, creative, happy […]
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February 4, 2015 ISIS is testing my resolve. I determined a long time ago to see everyone as part of the human race. Some people are different and hard to understand; some are mean spirited; some are thieves; some are murderers; some seem to lack all empathy with others; some are devious liars; some are […]
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October 10, 2014 So long as there is evil in the world, there will be bad people who claim to be Muslims and bad people who claim to be Christians. Nevertheless there will be religious and social principals that caution us against maligning either as a group. Though I believe in these and in lots […]
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