She Who Tells A Story

She Who Tells a Story introduces the pioneering work of twelve leading women photographers from Iran and the Arab world: Jananne Al-Ani, Boushra Almutawakel, Gohar Dashti, Rana El Nemr, Lalla Essaydi, Shadi Ghadirian, Tanya Habjouqa, RulaAu Halawani, Nermine Hammam, Rania Matar, Shirin Neshat, and Newsha Tavakolian.

August 27, 2013 - January 12, 2014
Henry and Lois Foster Gallery (Gallery 158)

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The following is an example of the small ways the Syrian government continues to drive underground the voices of reason and resistance to its authoritarian regime.     I received an email yesterday from Serene Taleb-Agha, the Editor-in-Chief of Damazine; A Literary Journal of the Muslim World.  Serene, who had been based in Syria, informed the readers and writers of Damazine that she could no longer continue to publish this unique journal. One of my poems, An Engagement for Burning, about self-immolation by women in the Herat Province of Afghanistan, was published in one of its issues:  http://www.damazine.com/archives/2009_summer/an_engagement_for_burning_octavia_mcbride_ahebee.html

Through Damazine, Serene presented her readers to a Muslim world that is diverse, complex and often so familiar.  Keep Serene in your prayers and let's look forward to Damazine's return.

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Here is her letter:

Dear Readers:

From 2008 to 2012, Damazine filled a unique niche in the world of literary journals, publishing poetry and fiction connected with the Muslim world. However, many of you may have noticed that Damazine published no new issues since last summer. Unfortunately, the time has come to inform you that Damazine will be offline starting next month.

Damazine has always been a labor of love for me, and for the four years that it was published, I shared that labor with no one else. Unfortunately, last summer, I was forced to leave Damascus, my home for the previous nine years. Over the past year, I have had to stay with family, and then move again to another town. I am grateful for the safety and stability I have been able to find, but the upheaval and my new situation no longer permit me to edit and publish the journal anymore. I have come to accept that all good things must come to an end, and to appreciate the opportunity to publish Damazine during its short life.

Thank you to all the writers who contributed their words to our pages, and to the readers who enjoyed them.

Peace,

Serene Taleb-Agha
Editor-in-Chief, Damazine
serene@damazine.com