critic’s pick
The pick: Bahr Abu Greisha’s ‘Rahhal’
Art news
April 20, 2013
The pick: Bahr Abu Greisha’s ‘Rahhal’
Whether you want to dance the drunken night away, or wallow in solitary self-pity, Bahr Abu Greisha is your man.…
The pick: An industry’s pride and glory
Art news
March 6, 2013
The pick: An industry’s pride and glory
Last June, a famous olive oil soap “fossil” from the brand Nabolsy Shahin was exhibited in a vitrine at the…
The pick: ‘The Devil Rules’ urges readers to think critically
Books
February 25, 2013
The pick: ‘The Devil Rules’ urges readers to think critically
Mostafa Mahmoud’s 2004 “The Devil Rules” is a book about hippies, rising drug abuse and Western supremacy over the Arab…
The pick: Vast knowledge from a rubbish heap, and other surprises
Books
February 22, 2013
The pick: Vast knowledge from a rubbish heap, and other surprises
Indian author Amitav Ghosh wrote “In an Antique Land” in 1992. It has two parallel narratives, one about his stay…
The pick: Memories of a nuclear holocaust
Cinema/TV
February 8, 2013
The pick: Memories of a nuclear holocaust
In a moment of questionable parenting, when I was five my father gave me animated adaptations of “Animal Farm” (the…
The pick: ‘Logical Revolts’ challenges conventional narratives of film and history
Cinema/TV
February 1, 2013
The pick: ‘Logical Revolts’ challenges conventional narratives of film and history
The crisp, experimental, semi-fictional documentary, “Logical Revolts,” was shot in late 2011 and early 2012 in downtown Cairo, Port Said…
The pick: ‘Alif the Unseen’
Books
January 29, 2013
The pick: ‘Alif the Unseen’
Readers often ask why no Arab or Muslim authors are writing books like the “Harry Potter” or “Narnia” series. Now,…
The pick: An extemporaneous literary production trip, in 140 characters
Books
November 9, 2012
The pick: An extemporaneous literary production trip, in 140 characters
“Of the martyrs of the revolution we lost before we even thought of a revolution,” wrote a tweep on her…
Critic’s pick: Let’s burn this city down
Art news
September 7, 2012
Critic’s pick: Let’s burn this city down
On Mashrou Leila’s latest album is the song “Inni Mnih” (I’m All Right). The opening line of the lyric can…
Critic’s pick: Reham Alaa’s first exhibition breaks the rules
Art news
August 31, 2012
Critic’s pick: Reham Alaa’s first exhibition breaks the rules
Reham Alaa, a 27-year-old painter, launched her first solo exhibition on 26 June. Despite the rundown venue of the Cairo…