American Muslim Identity

GAMBIER, Ohio (February 12, 2010) Arab-American novelist and poet Mohja Kahf will discuss her life and her writing in a public talk at Kenyon on Monday, February 15, at 7:00 p.m. A reception will follow her talk in Higley Auditorium.

Kahf, who was born in Syria and reared in the United States, is known for her honest portrayals of the lives of Muslim women in this country. She is the author of the novel The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf and the book of poetry E-mails from Scheherazad. Kahf has also written an online column about sex that attracted wide attention. She is an associate professor of English at the University of Arkansas.

"This is one way immigrant Muslims see themselves in this land: as part of a long caravan of faiths seeking to build the beloved community," she wrote in 2007. "This American narrative merges with the Muslim concept of hijrah -- emigration for the sake of worshiping God freely."

Vernon Schubel, National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Teaching Professor of Religious Studies at Kenyon, described Kahf as "an important novelist who writes with nuance and humanity about issues of Muslim identity in the contemporary world."

This event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.