From 1970 until his death in 2000; Hafiz Asad ruled Syria with an iron fist. His regime controlled every aspect of daily life. Seeking to preempt popular unrest; Asad sometimes facilitated the expression of anti-government sentiment by appropriating the work of artists and writers; turning works of protest into official agitprop. Syrian dissidents were forced to negotiate between the desire to genuinely criticize the authoritarian regime; the risk to their own safety and security that such criticism would invite; and the fear that their work would be co-opted as government propaganda; as what miriam cooke calls ldquo;commissioned criticism.rdquo; In this intimate account of dissidence in Asadrsquo;s Syria; cooke describes how intellectuals attempted to navigate between charges of complicity with the state and treason against it.A renowned scholar of Arab cultures; cooke spent six months in Syria during the mid-1990s familiarizing herself with the countryrsquo;s literary scene; particularly its women writers. While she was in Damascus; dissidents told her that to really understand life under Hafiz Asad; she had to speak with playwrights; filmmakers; and; above all; the authors of ldquo;prison literature.rdquo; She shares what she learned in Dissident Syria. She describes touring a sculptorrsquo;s studio; looking at the artistrsquo;s subversive work as well as at pieces commissioned by the government. She relates a playwrightrsquo;s view that theater is unique in its ability to stage protest through innuendo and gesture. Turning to film; she shares filmmakersrsquo; experiences of making movies that are praised abroad but rarely if ever screened at home. Filled with the voices of writers and artists; Dissident Syria reveals a community of conscience within Syria to those beyond its borders.
#209197 in eBooks 2013-09-10 2013-09-10File Name: B00EHJB78E
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This made the perfect giftBy Gigi1090I bought this book for my husband and he absolutely loved it he said he found that very helpful for his studies3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. An excellent resourceBy Ron TylerI bought this specifically for the section on Sonata Allegro form; and Im impressed with it. Clear writing and explanations of this form as well as others made this a worthwhile purchase. I keep it on my desk and consult it regularly; and as a writing composer; I can easily recommend this reference book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Learn from the great masterpieces of music!By Q MI am a composer and I think this book is great because it is very clear and organized about the various music structures (forms).Although doesnt have many music examples in the book; it has a great amount of reference to classical music that is very easy to find out; hear; analyze and learn from the best composers.