Syllabus
A thematic guide to 'The Humanities Notebook'
Welcome to The Humanities Notebook!
This syllabus should help you navigate my publication. Since I write on a variety of topics, I thought it right to organize my essays thematically.
Below you’ll find that organization and a short description for each article.
Happy reading!
Literature, creative writing, and the reading experience
✤ “We Have Lost a Part of Ourselves”
An analysis of E.M. Forster’s 1909 short story, The Machine Stops. I focus on the scarily accurate predictions it made about humanity’s relationship with technology.
✤ Dear Despondent Adult, Go Read Some Fairy Tales
A review of J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous essay, On Fairy-stories, in which he explains why adults are more needful of fairy tales than children.
✤ Performative Reading: When It’s Pretentious and When It’s Purposeful
A look at the many ways we tend to perform with our reading, and how some performing can actually come to our benefit.
An interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s underrated short story, Leaf By Niggle, as an allegory of the creative process. I explore the lessons in Niggle’s journey that we, as writers and artists, can integrate into our craft.
✤ The Rise of Youth-Led Lit Mags
A reflection on today’s increased popularity of teenage-led, online literary magazines. I discuss the reasons creative people of all ages should support and volunteer for them, and list several active ones with available opportunities.
✤ The LOTR Reading Diaries (Book One; Book Two; Book Three; Book Four; Book Five; Book Six1)
A series of essays in which I review The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a first-time reader. Each installment consists of detailed analysis, unfiltered reactions, and thoughtful theories.
✤ Mothers, Boxes, and Impostors
A discussion on writer’s block and three exceptional tips to overcome it, as offered by award-winning author John McPhee.
✤ 24 Bookish Opinions I’ve Formed in My Lifetime
In this birthday post, I discuss reading rituals, literary preferences, and much more.
An exploration of aphantasia (the inability to visualize mental images) and how it impacts the reading experience.
History, language, and culture
✤ Byblos, the Phoenician Alphabet, and Me
How an unexpected trip to one of the world’s most ancient cities had me intrigued by the Phoenician language and alphabet.
On the unlikely origins of the world’s most used word.
✤ The Best of Brazilian Folklore
The folkloric tales and characters I grew up with—and how they continue to shape Brazilian culture.
Education
✤ For the Love of Learning: Academic Reads that Are Actually Worth Your Time—Part I
A series of book, essay, and video recommendations within different fields of the Humanities.
✤ How (and Why) to Memorize Poetry
On the lost art of recitation (istidhhār) and how we can bring it back into our lives.
Islam
✤ The Modern Human Needs to Fast
A reflection on the significance of abstinence in a world plagued by the mass availability of instant gratification. This is discussed in relation to Ramadan and the prescribed Islamic fast.
✤ Islamic Teachings That Have Altered My Brain Chemistry
Well—the title’s self-explanatory. This is a series in which I list a variety of Islamic teachings that have impacted me deeply and changed the way I perceive the world.
✤ The Muslim’s Guide to Writing Fiction
In a collaboration with Muslim fantasy author Noor A Jahangir, this post discusses the guidelines Muslims are encouraged to follow when writing fiction. We talk about what’s halal, what’s haram, and what is considered a grey area: the fantasy genre.
Original fiction
My winning entry for Lemon Jelly Press’s first flash fiction competition. In just 250 words, I depict the conflicting inner world of a young woman who finds herself in a kitchen she doesn’t belong in.
The Notebook Spotlight
This new segment aims to celebrate community-based, humanities-centered initiatives from around the world—the literary, the artistic, the educational. Published monthly, each episode consists of a conversation with the individual(s) spearheading one of such initiatives, exploring its motive and impact.
✤ Episode I: Artefactum Journal
✤ Episode II: The Accessible Archivist Coalition
✤ Episode III: Language Cafe
Contributions to other publications
✤ Wealth, Glory, and All That Jazz: What The Great Gatsby Tells Us About Entrepreneurial Success (Published on The Agora Blog)
An in-depth analysis of The Great Gatsby through an entrepreneurial lense.
✤ The Business of Publishing: How Economics Influence What You Read (Published on The Agora Blog)
An exploration of the role money plays in deciding what is published and what isn’t.
✤ Gold-Plated, Rotten at the Core: Understanding the Gilded Age (Published on The Agora Blog)
An informative overview of one of the most important periods in American history: the Gilded Age. This was written as an inaugural post for The Agora Magazine’s second issue.
✤ How to Bring About Your Own Ruin (Published on The Agora Blog)
An interpretation of Guy de Maupassant’s classic short story, The Necklace, as a modern tragedy, highlighting the tragic flaws that bring about the ruin of the protagonist couple.
Interviews
✤ Episode 8: Fantasy and Faith
On this episode of Noor A. Jahangir’s podcast, we discuss my article Are You a Niggle? and various aspects of the craft of writing.
✤ Heba Hallak: On Writing Fiction for Muslim Writers
In this interview with Muslim Storytellers, I discuss my literary background and how it informed my writing of one of my most popular articles: The Muslim’s Guide to Writing Fiction.
Coming soon!