Pens, Swords, and the Springs of Art: The Oral Poetry Dueling of Palestinian Weddings in the Galilee: 32 (BRILL STUDIES IN MIDDLE EASTERN LITERATURES, 32) - Tapa dura

"Yaqub is a literary scholar thoroughly at home in the discourse of folklore, and her unifying and well-researched study with its extensive notes and bibliography is very satisfying because it breaks the taboo on folklore. She more than traces a connection; she explores a continuity. This is an original piece of research and a singular contribution to folkloristics and Arabic studies." Ibrahim Muhawi,Western Folklore, 2010

Offering a detailed analysis of oral poetry dueling performed at traditional Palestinian weddings, this work is unique in addressing poetry dueling as a performative and compositional device, and exploring the complex linkages between this tradition and other genres of Arabic poetry. It includes a study of poetry dueling in standard Arabic; a description of the historical and performance contexts of the Palestinian duels, as well as of poets and their training; an analysis of a single performance; and a re-interpretation of the nature verbal dueling generally. Including a transcription and translation of an entire performance, the book considers the social efficacy of poetry dueling, its aesthetic nature, and its value as a compositional device within a larger system of poetic production.