A Reverence for Words: Understanding Muslim Cultures through the Arts: Tentative Schedule with Activities

Sunday, July 13, 2014 at New York University 10am-2pm Arrival and check-in at Deauville Hotel 5:30pm Welcome reception at the Hagop Kevorkian Center and tour of The Richard Ettinghausen Library at New York University

Monday, July 14, 2014 at New York University (morning); Islamic Cultural Center (afternoon) 9 -10am Introductory session with an overview of the institute with City Lore and Poets House staff 10am-12pm Lecture: “Introduction to Islam and the Language of the Qur’an” by Dr. Bruce Lawrence, Duke University 12-1pm Teachers’ content discussion with Dr. Lawrence and City Lore and Poets House staff 2-4pm Excursion: A Tour of the Islamic Cultural Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with Dr. Lawrence and City Lore and Poets House staff

Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at Poets House 9:30-11am Lecture: “Classical Arabic Literature Beyond The Thousand and One Nights” 11am-12pm Teachers’ content discussion with Poets House staff. 1-3pm Arabic “Poetry Inside Out”—Teachers & Writers Collaborative on Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008, Palestine).

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at Poets House 9:30-11am Lecture: “The Persian Lyric Tradition: Rumi and Hafez” with Dr. Jawid Mojadeddi, Rutgers University 11am-12pm Teachers’ content discussion with Dr. Mojaddedi and Poets House staff. 1-3pm Iranian“Poetry Inside Out”—Teachers & Writers Collaborative on Forugh Farrokhzad (1935-1967, Iran).

Thursday, July 17, 2014 at Poets House 9:30-11am Lecture: “Masters of Urdu Poetry, Yesterday and Today” 11am-12pm Teachers’ content discussion with Poets House staff. 1-3pm Pakistani “Poetry Inside Out”-- Teachers & Writers Collaborative on Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984, Pakistan).

Friday, July 18, 2014 at Poets House 9:30-11am Lecture: “Two Parallel Traditions: the Ottoman Lyric and the Turkish Folk Song” by Dr. Kemal Silay, Indiana University 11am-12pm Teachers’ content discussion with Dr. Silay and Poets House staff. 1-3pm Turkish “Poetry Inside Out”-- Teachers & Writers on Nazim Hikmet (1902-1963, Turkey).

Saturday, July 19, 2014 at City Lore (morning); walking tour (afternoon); and at the Asia Society (evening) 10am-1pm Independent project meetings with staff advisors 4-5:30pm Excursion: “Islamic-Inspired Architecture in New York City” by City Lore’s Place Matters Director Molly Garfinkel 6-7:30pm Dinner at a Turkish restaurant. Special attention will be paid to host the dinner after nightfall as this event falls during Ramadan. 8-10pm Excursion: Sufi Music Concert at the Asia Society

Monday, July 21, 2014 at the Asia Society (morning) and City Lore (afternoon) 9:00-10:30am Lecture: “Introduction to the Art and Music of the Islamic World” by Dr. Rachel Cooper, Director for Performing Arts and Programs, Asia Society 10:30-11:30am Teachers’ content discussion with Dr. Cooper and City Lore staff. 11:30am-1pm Lunch and a short tour of the Asia Society 2-4pm Seminar: “Crosscurrents in Persian and Turkish Classical Music and Poetry” by musician Amir Vahab

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at the Metropolitan Museum (morning) and at City Lore (afternoon) 9:30-11am A Curator-Led Tour of the Metropolitan Museum’s Islamic Wing 11am-12pm Teachers’ content discussion led by Museum and City Lore staff. 12-1pm Lunch at the Metropolitan Museum 2-4pm Seminar: “The Arts of Calligraphy and Arabesque”

Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at City Lore 9:30-11am Lecture and Screening: “Muslim Folk Traditions on Film” by Dr. Najwa Adra and Dr. Steve Zeitlin 11am-12pm Teachers’ content discussion led by City Lore staff. 1-3pm Seminar: “Teaching with Ethnographic Film” by City Lore’s Education Director Dr. Amanda Dargan

Thursday, July 24, 2014 at City Lore 9:30-11am Lecture: “The Blues and the Muslim Call to Prayer” by Dr. Sylviane Diouf, Schomburg Center/ New York Public Library 11am-12pm Teachers’ content discussion with Dr. Diouf and City Lore staff. 1-3pm Seminar: “The Travelling Word” with poet Kewulay Kamara

Friday, July 25, 2014 at City Lore 9:30-11am Lecture: “Islamic Poetry and the Arts in a Historic Context” by Dr. Theodore Levin, Dartmouth College 11am-1pm Teachers’ content discussion with Dr. Levin and City Lore staff. This includes group work on curriculum development and independent projects. 3-5pm Excursion: Tour of the Poetic Voices of the Muslim World exhibition at the Queens Public Library by Dr. Theodore Levin and City Lore’s Director of Poetry Programs Catherine Fletcher

Sat. July 26, 2014 5-8:30pm Excursion and Dinner “Middle (F)Eastern Brooklyn”—City Lore staff lead a culinary discovery walk along a key stretch of Atlantic Avenue, the center of Arab-American community life for decades culminating in a group dinner for participants, local Arab-American poets, and staff at Tripoli Restaurant. Special attention will be paid to host the dinner after nightfall as this event falls during Ramadan.

Sunday, July 27, 2014 8am-12 pm Check out and departure from Deauville Hotel