MishMash
From the Times On This Day event, Martin Luther’s death invited me to explore how his writings and thoughts were affected by his illness before he died. This connection allowed me to explore a story within the story of a language that brings the Lebanese together. A multi-lingual mixture and definitely an absurd and dramatic way of expression. A codified dialect that would sound extremely confusing to non-Lebanese/non-Arabic speakers. A story within a story highlights the power of the word and that of communication, specifically the power of the denotative and the connotative meanings. In Lebanon, tension is not only relevant when speaking about politics or religion, but also to language. A tension between words and silences, a tension between the letters themselves creates a set of juxtaposed narratives that refute one another. Saying one thing and meaning something different is just a way to spice up conversations, to describe events and intensify the meanings. This book narrates two different stories that refute one another, a literal and a metaphorical one. It also leads a photographic representation, a universal iconographic depiction and a linguistic narrative. All telling stories within stories of a language that developed among the Lebanese and nowhere beyond the borders of such a small country. Professors: Bethany Johns & Lucy Hitchcock
