PROTEAN MAGAZINE: The latest issue features a critique of the University of California’s institutional history, an interview exploring the life and politics of John Berger, an excerpt celebrating historical Palestinian revolutionary resistance literature, a poignant reflection honoring a murdered Palestinian community advocate, Palestinian poetry confronting immense grief with unyielding, steadfast resilience, and verses examining how modern capitalism structures contemporary family forms.

Institutional Optimism

Scholar, author, and activist Tony Platt reviews the new narrative history by Miriam Pawel, “California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California.” Pawel’s narrow focus on five high-achieving alumni, argues Platt, elides both radical traditions and unethical…

Mawwal

Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish’s “Mawwal” confronts immeasurable grief with unbending steadfastness: “the stabs of daggers I prefer / to being ruled by the vile.”

I lost a beautiful dream,
I lost the scent of the lilies,
and my night was long,
upon the fences of gardens…
But I never lost my way!
The palm of my hand
is now accustomed to the wounds of hope.
Shake my hand hard
and a river of songs will flow forth.
Mother of my colt and sword:
Mother mine, here’s a ditty of love!
Mother mine, a ditty!
The stabs of daggers I prefer,
to being ruled by the vile.

Tom Overton on John Berger: From Life

Andrew Holter interviewed Tom Overton, author of a new biography, “John Berger: From Life,” out from Verso Books. In this fascinating discussion, Overton discusses his friendship with Berger, the biography’s literary approach, Berger on Palestine, and future plans for scholarship…