Book Review: Shubeik Lubeik

November 27, 2023 By Bader Saab

I read Shubeik Lubeik, by Deena Mohamed, a while ago for different reasons. However, one of the biggest ones was that I was curious about Arab comics and graphic novels. For once, I allowed myself to have big expectations, so I’m glad to say that this book filled all of them, and then some! Format: 528 pages, Hardcover. Published: January 10, 2023 by Pantheon. Genres and Tags: Fantasy, Social commentary, transgenerational trauma, queer, drama. A brilliant and imaginative debut graphic novel that... Read more

Speaking about Palestine: Enough is Enough

November 13, 2023 By Bader Saab

I’ve been embarrassingly silent about something I care a lot about: Palestine. The other day, I told someone that I wanted to stay as away as possible from the current events for my own mental health because of all the things that have been going on. However, it would be irresponsible on my part not to say at least something about it, I would be a hypocrite and would be lying to myself, trying to stay silent about something as... Read more

An Arab-Inspired Fantasy Reading List

September 21, 2023 By Bader Saab

I’ve been an avid reader for a long time, a lover of fantasy and folklore, mythology and legends. However, most of the stories that I read were inspired by Greco-Roman or Egyptian myths, or highly based in Medieval Europe. It wasn’t until relatively recently that I got an interest in Arabic-inspired fiction. While searching for potential readings, I was surprised at how many are there, and how many of them have been awarded. They might not be as famous as... Read more

Book review: Witnesses to War – The Children of Syria

July 21, 2023 By Bader Saab

I’ve never cried with a book. Maybe movies, TV shows, definitely with music and music videos, but books? Never. Ever. In my life. That changed recently, however, when I read a book the war in Syria, and saw exactly what has been happening for years in the country I’ve wanted to visit since I was a kid, the one I saw in pictures and videos when my family went there, I couldn’t help it. This is: Witnesses to War: The Children... Read more

Zarqa al-Yamana: A Legend About Gifts, Spirituality, and Responsibility

July 11, 2023 By Bader Saab

For a long time, my favorite myth was that of Medusa’s. The different version, interpretations, how she could be included in a spiritual practice, and also the symbolism, they were all fascinating. However, as I learned more about Arabic mythology and folklore, the story of Zarqa al-Yamama became more interesting. Just a word of caution here: the story contains graphic descriptions of violence, mass murder, and torture. The Legend There are longer and shorter version of her story but, in... Read more

What I’ve Learned with Poetry

May 11, 2023 By Bader Saab

Since I started writing poetry again, I’ve learned a lot of things about myself, both as a person and as a spiritual being, unearthed trauma, past experiences, healed, and realized many things. One of those is that I’m finding a voice that I thought I didn’t have. I’ve had a complicated, tumultuous relationship with poetry, but I’m glad to say it’s changing for the better. One of the things I’ve wanted to learn, get better at, and understand better was... Read more

Back to Poetry

April 5, 2023 By Bader Saab

It’s time to make a confession. I was never a big fan of poetry. In fact, I hardly liked what I wrote for a long time. It’s been a challenge to change this because I’ve always been more interested in folklore and legends than verses. I liked some of them, but others were worse than a foreign language. It wasn’t until recently that I’ve devoted serious time and effort into understanding it and getting better at it. Some may wonder,... Read more

Book review: The Nectar of Pain

February 28, 2023 By Bader Saab

I’ve wanted to read a good book of poetry for a long while. I wanted something I could enjoy, relate to, and a beauty of its own. After searching for a while, I found an option in an Arabic poet, a sensible reading I couldn’t put down from beginning to end: The Nectar of Pain, by Najwa Zebian. Format: 320 pages, Paperback Published: October 2, 2018 by Andrews McMeel Publishing Genres and Tags: Poetry, Self Help, Nonfiction, Romance, Love, Canada, Islam... Read more

Help Syria and Turkey Today

February 22, 2023 By Bader Saab

I’ve wanted to stay away, but no decent human being can do it for long. The earthquakes in Syria and Turkey have been all over the news. The horrific stories I’ve read, the photos and videos I’ve watched, and some hopeful, beautiful stories, have kept me thinking about all those in need. I come from an immigrant family, a Syrian family, grew up with stories about how hard it is to start in a new country running away from war,... Read more

Divine Speed Dating

January 26, 2023 By Bader Saab

Although I’ve written about it several times in the past, I haven’t actually dedicated a specific time to say what it is in detail. I’ve used what I call Devine Speed Dating (DSP) as a way of verified personal gnosis, and I want you to know more about it. What is it about? It goes without saying I don’t have time. None. I’ve spent entire days doing nothing but errands and taking care of my responsibilities, with minimal time for... Read more