Ever since their composition in the 13th century the poems of the Persian writer Rumi have enthralled millions of readers around the world. In Rumi’s Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love (Harper, 2017), Brad Gooch describes the life of their author and the path that took him from scholarship to poetry. The son of a scholar and cleric, Rumi traveled ex ... Show More
Feb 21
Mai Serhan, "I Can Imagine It for Us: A Palestinian Daughter's Memoir" (American University in Cairo Press, 2025)
I Can Imagine It for Us: A Palestinian Daughter's Memoir (American University in Cairo Press, 2025) is a young woman’s search for connection with her estranged father, her family’s past, and the Palestinian homeland she can never visit Mai Serhan lives in Cairo and has never been ... Show More
32m 13s
Feb 20
Eray Çayli, "Earthmoving: Extractivism, War, and Visuality in Northern Kurdistan" (U Texas Press, 2025)
Extractivism—exploiting the earth for resources—has long driven racial capitalism and colonialism. And yet, how does extractivism operate in a world where ecological and humanitarian sensibilities are unprecedentedly widespread? Eray Çaylı argues it does so by mobilizing these se ... Show More
1h 3m
Feb 19
David Frankfurter ed., "Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic" (Brill, 2019)
In the midst of academic debates about the utility of the term “magic” and the cultural meaning of ancient words like mageia or khesheph, this Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic seeks to advance the discussion by separating out three topics essential to the very idea of magic. T ... Show More
39m 44s
Dec 2022
Rumi — You wake the dead to life
Who brings you to praise? Rumi’s great poem of praise to the “you” is to his great friend Shams, and through that friendship, to God.Rumi was a 13th-century Muslim mystic and poet. He left behind a vast body of lyric poetry, metaphysical writings, lectures, and letters, which hav ... Show More
15m 11s
Dec 2023
Rumi - The Most Famous Sufi Poet in the World
<p>Finally, we're talking about the incredibly significant Persian sufi poet Jalal al-din Rumi. This video provides an in-depth analysis of Rumi's life, poetic themes, literary contributions, and their significance in the context of Sufism and Persian literature. </p><br><p>Thank ... Show More
1h 19m
Mar 2023
493 Catullus - The Poet of Love and Hate
He loved and he hated. Other than that, not much is known about the life of Catullus, who scandalized the late Roman Republic with his bawdy poems, his aching love for the upper-class married woman he called "Lesbia," and his invective against Julius Caesar and other Roman notabl ... Show More
51m 13s
Aug 2023
Ibn al-Farid - The Mystical Poet of Love
<p>Explore the mystical world of Sufi poetry with Ibn al-Farid, one of the greatest poets of the genre. In this episode, we delve into the life and works of this revered 13th-century poet, examining the spiritual and philosophical themes that make his poetry so enduring. From his ... Show More
36m 58s
Apr 2021
Arnika Fuhrmann, "Teardrops of Time: Buddhist Aesthetics in the Poetry of Angkarn Kallayanapong" (SUNY Press, 2020)
Angkarn Kallayanapong (1926-2012) was arguably Thailand’s most famous poet of the modern period. His career spanned the era from the 1940s to the 1980s when Thai society was fundamentally transformed by rapid economic development and the process of globalization. His poetry is a ... Show More
47m 12s