Cover Art: “Return Home,” © Ayşegül Şimşek
Editorial Preface
We, the Editors of The Columbia Review, recognize the responsibility of literati to use our platforms to speak on matters of injustice. In light of the annihilation of all universities in Gaza, the ongoing genocide and scholasticide, and the unprecedented carnage inflicted on Palestinians, it is now more than ever that we as literary publications must use our specializations to contribute to a liberation struggle that is both material and ideological.
This project is a rejection of the attempt to silence those voices whose very existence has been deemed threatening. These masterful works of poetry and prose express love and loss, regret and redemption, antiquity and modernity, and above all, an indefatigable resilience in the face of overwhelming oppression. To compose in times of crisis is a radical act of resistance, and it is our great privilege to be able to stand in solidarity with our fellow writers.
Lastly, as a member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, we call on our university to meet the demands of the student protestors who refuse complicity in Columbia’s economic and academic stakes in Israel. At great personal cost, these people of conscience refuse to be on the wrong side of history—and we urge Columbia to do the same.
In solidarity,
The Editors of The Columbia Review with Arablit
September 25th, 2024
This project is a rejection of the attempt to silence those voices whose very existence has been deemed threatening. These masterful works of poetry and prose express love and loss, regret and redemption, antiquity and modernity, and above all, an indefatigable resilience in the face of overwhelming oppression. To compose in times of crisis is a radical act of resistance, and it is our great privilege to be able to stand in solidarity with our fellow writers.
Lastly, as a member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, we call on our university to meet the demands of the student protestors who refuse complicity in Columbia’s economic and academic stakes in Israel. At great personal cost, these people of conscience refuse to be on the wrong side of history—and we urge Columbia to do the same.
In solidarity,
The Editors of The Columbia Review with Arablit
September 25th, 2024