|
|
Program
Days Inn, O'Hare Chicago
3801 N. Mannheim Rd., Schiller Park, IL 60176
Hotel Room Info: 847/678-0670
Friday, Oct. 8 - Sunday Oct. 10, 1999
Sponsorship Open
(Interludes between panels from
"Traveling Rooms"
a new CD of poetry and music by Nathalie Handal,
Alexandr Alexandrov, and Vladimir Miller)
(Art and Display
Room Available)
Open
Microphone -- Open Literary Readings
from all attendees
6 - 11 PM
Open Discussion ... Readings from attendees (poetry, short stories, essays ... you
name it, you define it). Attendees are encouraged to make a presentation of their own to
contribute to the wide variety of materials to be shared and discussed.
Moderator:
Poet Fadi Zanayed
Special Presentation by Ahimsa Bodhran
Poetry & Reading by Sam Hamoud
The art of Calligraphy by Nehad Dukhan
This was one of the best events of the week end. We had
some 30 people read and perform and recite. It was inspiring. |
Read the Bios on all our Speakers?
Challenges
Facing the Arab American Writers
9 - 11:30 AM
Moderator: Sam Hamoud
Paul Findley, Author, They Dare to
Speak Out
Nathalie Handal, Author, writer, poet
Lisa Suhair Majaj, Author, writer
Khaled Mattawa, atuhro, writer
Kathryn Haddad, Co-Editor, MIZNA |
11:30-12:30: Brown Bag Lunch -- with Students
(Side Board Room)
Writing
the Arab American Novel
12:30 - 2:30 PM
Moderator: Janet McMahon
Managing Editor, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
Andrea Brunais, Author, Night of the
Litani
Shaw Dallal, Author, Scattered Like Seeds
Ibtisam S. Barakat, Author, writer, Resource Moms |
Writing
Opportunities in the American Media
2:45 - 4:45 PM
Moderator: Ray Hanania
Lorraine Ali, Magazine author
--Writing and selling the Arab American story to the mainstream media
Bob Kolasky, Web Author, Manager Editor, IntellectualCapital.com
--Writing for profit on the Internet
Dr. Rosina Hassoun, Vice President, AAUG, Editor, AAUG Monitor
--The Anthropology of Arab American Writing |
Techniques to Succeed in Writing
Addressing the Controversial Issues
5 - 7 PM
Moderator: Eman
Rashid, associate
producer, the nationally broadcast program, The Judge Mills Lane TV Show
-- Personal experiences and reaching out to broadcast media
Louis Pukelis, VP, Chicago PR Company
--Basics of PR techniques that sell and work
Ahimsa Bodhran, poet and author
-- addressing the controversial issues |
Arab American Writer's Dinner
7:30 - 11 PM
Sponsorship Open
Emcee:
Ray Hanania, USG Publishing, Sponsor
Aziz Shihab, The Scholarship Program
for Writers of Arab American Heritage. Co-sponsored by The Arab Star Newspaper
Presentors: Lisa Suhair Majaj, Khaled
Mattaw, Ghada Talhami: The 1999 QALAM
Awards Writing Contest
Co-sponsored by MIZNA, Jusoor and Al-Jadid
literary Publications
(The Prizes for the Poetry
and Fiction Awards are courtesy of Munir Akash and Jusoor Literary Magazine.
The Prizes for the Non-Fiction Awards are courtesy of the Arab American
Univerity Graduates.)
Keynote Speaker: Salim Muwakkil,
Senior Editor, In These Times Magazine, Editorial Board Member/Columnist, Chicago Tribune
--Challenges facing race & ethnic American writers Read his
articles
Presentor:
Anisa Mehdi
The 1999 "M.T. Mehdi Courage in
Writing Awards" |
Breakfast
Forum
Challenges Facing Arab Americans
Publishing Newspapers and Magazines
8 AM - 10 AM
Moderator: Ray Hanania
Michael W. Suleiman, Author/Professor
Dept. of Political Science, Kansas State University
-- History of early Arab American publications -- Al-Hoda
Janet McMahon, Editor
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
-- Challenges facing Arab American magazine publishing
Aziz Shihab, Veteran Journalist, Publisher of The Arab Star Newspaper,
--The State of Arab American newspapers and professional journalism |
Read the bios on our Speakers?
Ethnic
Stereotypes in Writing
10:15 - 12:15
Moderator: Ray Hanania
Rich Lindberg, Author, Ethnic Chicago,
11 other books
--Writing with a sensitivity toward ethnics
Stan West, Author/Publisher, Soweto West Press
--Challenges facing the race perspective
Cindy Infantino, Lake Forest Library
--Introducing Arab American Authors to Library Users |
The Arab
American Story in Drama and Film
Sponsored by Arab Film Distribution
12:15 - 2:15 PM
Moderator: John Sinno, President AFD
Elmaz Abinader, Author, playwright
--bringing the story from from paper to theater and screen
Brigid Maher, filmmaker/producer, President Tiny Leaps Productions
--Challenges in the filmmaking of the Arab American story
Mai Khader, A.F.S.C.
-- "Collecting Stories from Exile: Chicago Palestinians Remember 1948" |
Conference
Reports & Follow-Up
Listed here are articles and reports that I and others have
authored. I encourage anyone who attended the conference and especially those speakers who
made presentations, to submit their comments/reports so they can be shared here. The
conference attracted a total of 145 attendees for all three days.
(Please Note One correction: Several
resolutions were reviewed and approved by conference attendees, but one in particular
needs clarification: A resolution criticizing the Government of Lebanon for prosecuting
Marcel Khalife originally proposed he was being charged for "quoting extensively from
the Quran." More accurately, Khalife did not quote "extensively" from the
Quran, although there is debate about the lyrics used in a song written by a Palestinian
Poet. The issue, though, is that the prosecution, regardless of whether Khalife quoted
from the Quran or not, is wrong and is an affront to freedom of speech. The final
resolution reflects that change. Ray Hanania)
1. Oct. 13, 1999: The Struggle to Publish Popular Arab
American Literature
2. Oct. 15, 1999: Views of Conference Speakers and Attendees
(updated regularly, so please send your comments to Ray
Hanania)
3. Oct. 16, 1999: Report on the Awards for the QALAM Writing
Contest
4. Oct. 16, 1999: Resolutions adopted by the 1999 Arab
American Writer's Conference
5. Nov. 1, 1999; Arab American Writers Face Challenges
(Special to Via Dolorosa Magazine)
6. December
14, 1999: USIA Report by Writer Mofid Deak on the Conference
Return to the Top |
|
