Congratulations to Dr. Laila Shikaki for a wonderful and successful dissertation defense! Laila’s dissertation, “JOURNEYS THROUGH HOME AND EXILE: PALESTINIAN AUTOBIOGRAPHIC WRITING,” explores the unique aspects of recent Palestinian autobiographies, and the way that the Palestinian “I” serves to assert a self that has been undermined by anti-Palestinian discourses. Laila draws out the collective, intergenerational, often feminist elements of these autobiographies. As well as autobiographies by Suad Amiry, Mourid Barghouti, Tamim Barghouti, Jean Said Makdisi, Edward Said, and Najla Said and autobiographical poetry by Nathalie Handal and Naomi Shihab Nye, Laila also expands the canon of Arab autobiography by including her own poetry in her analysis. Pictured here (clockwise) is Laila along with her proud dissertation committee, Moustafa Bayoumi (Brooklyn College/CUNY), Raj Chetty, Catina Bacote, and Dohra Ahmad.
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