Skip to main content

Love & Lust Smorgasbord

 



We Wrote in Symbols, Love and Lust by Arab Women Writers 
Edited by Selma Dabbagh 
Literary anthology  
Saqi Books, September 2021  

We Wrote in Symbols offers a collection of poetry and prose that deciphers the signposts for the phases and stages of longing, lust, and love: anticipation, courtship, intoxication, commitment, adoration, in/fidelity, betrayal, complacency, danger and more. Women of Arabic heritage from around the world and across three millennia most often celebrate, sometimes ridicule, and all evaluate the nuances of sex and love and their power dynamics. The first prose selection, “A Free Girl's Tale" by Saeida Rouass*, examines agency and consequences. The protagonist realizes, “As I wondered in my naivety I had no inclination that my simple existence shook the very foundations of power…” Much later in this collection Hanan al-Shaykh's longer “Cupid Complaining to Venus" thematically overlaps and diverges from S.R.’s interpretation of the erotic deity. Malika Monstadraf's “Housefly" poignantly distills the essence of anticipation. “At Last" by khulud khamis [sic] resonates with succinctly piercing heartache. There's the voice of unapologetic demand in Rita El Khayat's “Messalina Unbound" in eleven compelling verses. Metaphorical cheekiness in “If You Want to Know" by Umm al-Ward al-Ajlaniyya. “Arachnophobia" by lisa luxx [sic] entangles provocative themes with unconventional text formatting. Appropriately, the Cinderella spin of “Happy Endings" by Zaynab Fawwaz appears among the last few contributions.  

In the prose and the poetry it's mostly women's points of view, but not all, as in the reality morphing “Tangled Roots" by Noor Mohanna. Overall, We Wrote in Symbols examines and honors humans as embodiments of multifaceted layers of generations of sensory and cultural experiences from the sweet and self-effacing conciliatory to the sour and violently combative and every combination between these two extremes. Every word offers worthwhile reading including the introduction, footnotes, glossary, list of suggested additional reading, acknowledgements, authors' biographies and credits. Allowing time to savor is highly recommended.  


*Saeida Rouass is scheduled to be a panelist for the featured discussion of adaptations during the third annual The Write Women Book Fest (for which Cardyn Brooks is the outreach coordinator) on Saturday, October 9th from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at Marietta House Museum in Glenn Dale, Maryland.  


More Love & Lust Reads  

o Ripple effects of addiction and trauma  
The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster  
Contemporary romantic women's fiction  
HQN Books, June 2021  


Life's Too Short (Friend Zone #3) by Abby Jimenez  
Contemporary romantic women's fiction  
Forever, April 2021  

“Well, Dad doesn't believe in expiration dates, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.”  

“… The universe doesn't give a sh**, it's a total a**hole.”  


The Happy Ever After Playlist (Friend Zone #2) by Abby Jimenez  
Contemporary romantic women's fiction  
Forever, April 2020  

Goodhearted dog rescuer morphs into well-intentioned dognapper. Messy, charming romance ensues.  


The Friend Zone (#1) by Abby Jimenez  
Contemporary romantic women's fiction  
Forever, June 2019  

Mischief maker in crisis collides with potential new partner in mayhem who turns out to be ride or die.  
[This reviewer unintentionally read The Friend Zone series in reverse order with great pleasure and no confusion.]  


o Candidates for intensive therapy  
The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3) by Charlaine Harris  
Alternate history fiction  
Gallery/Saga Press, February 2021  

Gunnie Rose: I felt all kinds of ways, and I wanted to sit and be quiet for a spell.  


The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser  
Contemporary romantic women's fiction  
Ballantine Books, May 2021  

Thea: Oh my God, it would make a good book… Posh People Behaving Badly… 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Poet Laureate's Memoir + More TWWBF2025 Prep

Educator, poet, short story author, mindfulness guide and now the moniker of memoirist has been added to the long list of creative accomplishments earned by Poet Laureate of The Write Women Book Fest Aressa V. Williams.  She was born and raised in the vibrant community of Washington, D.C.'s Northeast neighborhood of Deanwood. Her Memoir evokes the nostalgia, challenges, victories, heartaches and joys of her life that connect with readers across generations and locations.    [photo credit: H.L. Brooks; image: two paperback ARCs of In Deanwood, A Memoir by Aressa Verdell Williams arranged on a tabletop; cover art of a sepia toned two-story colonial house with four columns - two on each side of the front door]  The ebook is currently available with print copies coming soon! https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-deanwood-aressa-verdell-williams/1147594007   Just under 3 weeks before day one of The Write Women Book Fest and we've finished decorating t-shirts for our aw...
Post a Comment
Read more

DIY Marketing TWWBF2025 + the Usual BAC Issues

Six(!) days until day one of the 6th and grand finale year of The Write Women Book Fest!!!  Last week was another hard one for federal workers in the DMV area along with other ongoing challenges, making it tough for a lot of people to prioritize joy. This coming weekend TWWBF2025 intends to celebrate and support talented authors, poets, creatives, and publishing industry professionals and their work, readers and literacy advocates while we also celebrate everything positive that this event has contributed to our community since 2019. [a two-image collage: right side - two posters atop the closed lid of a baby grand piano; both with "The Write Women Book Fest, 100+ authors Golden Angel, Eden Appiah-Kubi, Courtney Duke Foster, Jeaniene Frost, Maria Vale, Erin Wright, EC Poetry & Prose, July 19th QR Code thewritewomenbookfest.org, Use code FESTNEWS25 for 30% off!"; left side - an incomplete poster with "The Write Women Book Fest" and a blank sheet of paper with a g...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tapping into Your Power

The following two books celebrate powerful characters who overcome their fears to manifest their greatness for the benefit of themselves, their loved ones and communities. So satisfying.  [2 books from left to right: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, Direct Descendant by Tanya Huff]  A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna  contemporary speculative romance  Berkeley, July 2025   Sera's story of navigating otherness was worth the wait. The advantages, responsibilities, and consequences of being powerful are explored with nuanced observations, humor, and compassion. Themes on distinctions between family by blood, choice, and intention weave throughout this poignant tale about paying attention and recognizing personal details as fundamental to the evolution of one's perspective on who and what are valuable.  One of my favorite passages from the end of chapter nineteen:  Like this was a thing that had, somehow, become...
Post a Comment
Read more