Bridging The Divide Between The United States And The Muslim World Through Arts And Ideas: Possibilities And Limitations
Appendix IV: Background Paper
Cultural Awareness In A Time Of Crisis
D. Belles Lettres
The Arabic word adab designates a broad category of writing roughly equivalent to the idea of belles lettres. That is to say, it signifies a studious concern with literary style regardless of subject matter. Prior to the transfer of Western literary forms into the Muslim world in modern times, prose fiction played a relatively small role in adab. Religious, philosophical, historical, biographical, satirical, and scientific writings, on the other hand, often displayed the author’s conscious concern with literary style. From the tenth century onward, the preoccupation with style often took the form of couching prefatory remarks, or even entire texts, in rhymed prose, a style of writing attributed to Badi‘ al–Zaman al–Hamadhani (969–1008). Other stylistic devices included rapid and diverting changes of topic and tone, and frequent introductions of poetry into works of prose.
Various forms of adab originated in Arabic in the early Abbasid period, but they spread over time to other languages. The common denominator among the forms was a conscious concern for style, which also marked the writer as a member of a class that was not just literate, but highly schooled in literary composition. The connection between the words adab (spelled with long a’s), meaning “literature,” and adabiya, meaning “polite manners,” highlights the degree to which skill at composition came to be a mark of refinement. In Ottoman times, for example, it was commonplace for members of the governmental and literary elite to be adept in composing poetry and prose in three languages, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, which differ linguistically to a greater degree than do European languages like English, Italian, and Russian.
In modern times, the tradition of elegant writing has been adapted to the novel and short story forms, which now dominate literary production. Though modern taste often militates against the stylistic artificiality associated with classical adab, creative prose writing by Islamic authors continues to attract attention, both within the Muslim world and internationally. Prose fiction in Muslim languages varies thematically from popular historical novels in Urdu, to the incisive social and political vignettes of Pramoedya Ananta Toer in Indonesian, to the multi–layered symbolism of the Turkish Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk. Yet, there has been strong resistance to considering the colloquial Arabic of common people a suitable vehicle for literary creativity. Some Arab authors have experimented with colloquial composition, but none has produced something generally accepted as a masterwork.
Back to the top.Table of Contents
- Director’s Preface
- Executive Summary
- Opening Session
- Session I – World of the Artist
- June 6th Lunchtime Keynote Speech
- Session II – World of the Artist: Venues and Institutions
- Session III – Art and Social Commentary
- Session IV – Art and Social Commentary: Fusion and Satire
- June 7th Lunchtime Keynote Speech
- Session V – Cultural Exchange: Cultural Capital
- Session VI – Re–envisioning U.S. Cultural Diplomacy
- Conclusion
- Notes to Sessions
- Appendix I: Conference Program
- Appendix II: List of Participants
- Appendix III: Mustapha Tlili’s Opening Statement
Appendix IV: Background Paper
- Introduction
- Changing impressions — Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas
- The Arts of Islam in the Eyes of the West: A Historical View
- Cultural exchanges: viewing history through gifts and commerce
- Gift exchanges: Harun al–Rashid and Charlemagne
- Gift exchanges: Venice and the Ottoman Empire
- Commerce: coins, jewelry, and other goods
- Commerce: twentieth–century changes
- Creative Lives Under Changing Circumstances
- Early Muslim Society
- The Post–Mongol Muslim World
- The Early Modern Muslim World
- The Muslim World in 1900
- The Muslim World Today
- The Arts of Islam: A Brief History
- A. Poetry and Song
- B. Qur’anic Chant
- C. Calligraphy
- D. Belles Lettres
- E. Music and Dance
- F. Theater
- G. Painting, Sculpture, and Design
- H. Architecture
- Islamic Art Today
- Conclusion
- Recommended Further Readings
- Notes to Background Paper
Donate Now
How to make a tax-deductible donation to The Center for Dialogues
Donate
