Reading Groups

Arab American Fiction: War, Displacement, and Belonging with Randa Tawil

$180

4 Sessions

In stock

4 sessions Tuesdays, 6:00 pm EDT - 7:30 pm EDT October 21, 2025 to January 6, 2026

Online via Zoom

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Meeting Dates:
10/21, 11/18, 12/16, 1/6
Online via Zoom

Arab American fiction resides in a third space in between home and away, war and peace, and belonging and exile. In this course, we will explore Arab American authors whose world-building fiction insists on challenging the way we perceive the relationship between the present and the past, and the “here” and “there.” In a country where Arabs are written about more than they are read, this course will reveal the complexities of the Arab American experience and its relevance today.

Upcoming Event: Join one of the authors featured in this group, Rabih Alameddine, at The Center on September 10th to celebrate the release of his new novel, The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother).

What to read in advance of the first meeting: Please read Koolaids: The Art of War by Rabih Alameddine in its entirety.

What to expect from this reading group: The course will be conversational and participant driven, with a short introduction and contextual information from the instructor.

Reading List:

Randa Tawil received her PhD in American Studies at Yale University where she researched migration from the Middle East to the Americas. She is currently finishing her first manuscript, Race in Transit: Tracing the Politics of Migration from Ottoman Syria to U.S. Empire. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Open Democracy, and Margins.

Please note: All virtual classes are recorded. Please click here for information about our recording policy.

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About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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