Comments on: “Desiring Arabs” Wins ’08 Lionel Trilling Award

By: agon

agon — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:28:49 +0000

Obviously, the title is a wordplay suggesting Arabs as both objects and subjects of desire. But then again, one would need to actually read the book to have an idea about that…

By: AffirmativeInaction

AffirmativeInaction — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:40:31 +0000

Dear “Anonymous”: learn to read. Putting words in people’s mouths doesn’t work outside of your cushy internets. And he’s not “beloved”.

“at the mere suggestion”

You’d have to suggest it *first*. Take a bow for your utter Fail.

By: Funny

Funny — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:23:18 +0000

The eyebrows ruin it for me

By: cyang

cyang — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:56:24 +0000

I’m not sure thats true…the man has a desiring gaze and is quite a looker as well.

By: In any case,

In any case, — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:20:00 +0000

The depiction of the one in the cover art certainly should clear it up.

By: DHI

DHI — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:15:38 +0000

See, that’s what I said in the first place, Arabs who are desiring.

By: clearly

clearly — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:26:07 +0000

“desiring” is used as an adjective. I spoke to Massad in person. The publishers just wouldn’t let him publish it under “Horny Arabs.”

By: anonymous

anonymous — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:21:30 +0000

You’re not seriously proposing the “It’s such a crazy story, it HAS to be true!” defense, are you?

Such cognitive dissonance at the mere suggestion that your beloved professor simply might not have deserved tenure for his work so far..

By: damn

damn — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:07:22 +0000

SNEAKY

By: sigh

sigh — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:56:54 +0000

No, dear moron, your accusation rings loud and clear. This is getting tiring so I’ll spell it out for you a little further. You clearly don’t understand causality.You say that because it’s ridiculous this suggests it is untrue or made up. But just because something is “ridiculous”–even if I concede it’s ridiculous–doesn’t make it untrue. Read the damn news for ample proof of that. Invalidity is not contingent upon what I think is ridiculous or audacious or unfair. Many other divisive professors, especially at other institutions have been denied tenure for ridiculous reasons or ridiculous closed door power struggles.

I agree with people about the title. “Desiring Arabs” threw me the first time I read it because it’s grammatically ambiguous. Though perhaps that’s his intention.

By: maybe

maybe — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:33:22 +0000

its supposed to be both. deserious arabs and the people that desire arabs. now there’s a title!

By: perhaps

perhaps — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:57:15 +0000

Desirous Arabs would have been a better choice.

By: DHI

DHI — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:52:50 +0000

Man I can’t go around reading every book that has a name, that doesn’t make me an idiot.

Why don’t you read the goddamn law code of New York State?

#20 – from the Amazon description, it seemed to be discussing the desires of Arabs, and the non-Arab views towards their sexual desires, not whether they were sexually desirable. I agree that your interpretation is closer to what the title implied. It could be that the summary was wrong or I misinterpreted it.

By: idiots

idiots — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:43:25 +0000

instead of speculating about its name, read the damn book

By: ????

???? — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:39:43 +0000

isn’t “Arabs” intended to be the object? as in, the book is about the sexual views & ideologies both (other) Arabs and non-Arabs have taken towards Arabs?