Teaching the Literature of Today's Middle East

Providing a gateway into the real literature emerging from the Middle East, this book shows teachers how to make the topic authentic, powerful, and relevant. "Teaching the Literature of Today's Middle East": (1) Introduces teachers to this literature and how to teach it; (2) Brings to the reader a tremendous diversity of teachable texts and materials by Middle Eastern writers; (3) Takes a thematic approach that allows students to understand and engage with the region and address key issues; (4) Includes stories from the author's own classroom, and shares student insight and reactions; (5) Utilizes contemporary teaching methods, including cultural studies, literary circles, blogs, YouTube, class speakers, and film analysis; and (6) Directly and powerfully models how to address controversial issues in the region. Written in an open, personal, and engaging style, theoretically informed and academically smart, highly relevant across the field of literacy education, this text offers teachers and teacher-educators a much needed resource for helping students to think deeply and critically about the politics and culture of the Middle East through literary engagements.