New York Pen League
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The New York Pen League (Al-Rabita al-Qalamiyah[1], known more familiarly as Al-Mahjar) was an Arab American literary movement of the 1920s and 30s that included such important authors as Ameen Rihani, Khalil Gibran, Mikhail Naimy, Nudra Haddad, William Catzeflis, Wadi Bahout, and Elia Abu Madi, some of whom have been more influential in the Arab world than in the States, as they wrote primarily in Arabic. But even among immigrants, they were important for proving that Arab American literature was not limited to writing about the immigrant experience or to explaining themselves to U.S. audiences.[2] Publications include the literary journal Al-Fanun (The Arts), published by Naseeb Arida; Al-Sayeh (The Traveler), published by Abdal-Masih Haddad; and Al-Sameer (The Entertainer), published by Elia Abu Madi.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ also anglicized as Al-Rabita al-Qalamiyyah and as Ar Rabitah al Qalamuya
- ^ Children of Al-Mahjar (see links)
- ^ Maronites=The First Lebanese in America (scroll to p. 11 for the cited info)
[edit] External links
- al-Rabitah al-Qalamiyah
- Children of Al-Majhar: Arab American Literature Spans a Century (Overview of Arab American literature)
- Overview of the League (scroll to bottom of p.121)
- Photo of 1921 Pen League members (scroll to bottom of page)
