What We Are Reading Today: ‘Eyeliner: A Cultural History’

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Updated 08 September 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Eyeliner: A Cultural History’

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  • Hankir, who grew up Arab and Muslim in a predominately white neighborhood in the UK, candidly writes in the first part of the book about how eyeliner was a way for her to feel a sense of belonging

Author: Zahra Hankir

In her 2023 book, “Eyeliner: A Cultural History,” Lebanese British author Zahra Hankir helps us understand how and why eyeliner became so popular.

An accomplished journalist with degrees in politics and Middle Eastern studies, Hankir often writes about the intersection of politics and culture.

Her latest work is about something personal to her but also equally universal: eyeliner.

She reminds us how, throughout history, icons such as Queen Nefertiti of ancient Egypt, pop idol Amy Winehouse, Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor, as well as the anonymous men of nomadic tribes, and you or I — anyone, really — could pick up an eyeliner pencil and feel instantly transformed.

Hankir takes us on a journey that spans generations and continents. It starts with her at 17, being “dragged” to a family engagement party, vividly remembering her mother’s hazel eyes framed in forest green on her eyelids and jet-black kohl along her waterlines.

Hankir, who grew up Arab and Muslim in a predominately white neighborhood in the UK, candidly writes in the first part of the book about how eyeliner was a way for her to feel a sense of belonging.

“Originated in the East, I often felt as if I were traversing space and time and conversing with my ancestors while wearing it in the West,” Hankir writes in one passage. To her, eyeliner was a way to celebrate her identity and honor those who came before.

Then she detaches from her personal narrative and goes deeper into cultural history.

To minorities and communities of color, eyeliner transcends aesthetics, she writes. She emphasizes the rich historical and cultural significance of eyeliner through a journalistic eye, describing it as a tool infused with centuries of layered histories, including those of empires, royalty, nomads, and anyone in between.

You’ll see it sported by women on the New York City subway, models on the Paris runway, as well as Bedouin men in the remote deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. Members of the Taliban similarly smear a form of eyeliner onto their lids to repel the sun, as do those from indigenous tribes along mountain ranges.

“Eyeliner: A Cultural History” explores how, in ancient and modern times, the act of lining the eyes was imbued with various meanings ranging from the spiritual to the seductive.

The Prophet Muhammad is said to have used eyeliner, specifically kohl, which was believed to possess medicinal qualities. The Old Testament also describes eye paint in association with characters such as Jezebel, implying that eyeliner could have served as a means to challenge the social norms of the time.

Eyeliner can change the shape of your eye, making it appear larger or smaller, more fierce or subdued, depending on the angle, tint and intent.

Like the mighty pen, it can be a sword, as Hankir quotes in a popular Taylor Swift lyric: “Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man.”

Overall, the history of eyeliner is rich and varied, as Hankir writes, with each culture and era assigning its own meanings and purposes to this seemingly simple cosmetic tool.

Hankir edited the 2019 anthology “Our Women on the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World” in which Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor, wrote the foreword.

 

 


What We Are Reading Today: Shakespeare’s Tragic Art

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Updated 11 October 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: Shakespeare’s Tragic Art

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Author: Rhodri Lewis

In Shakespeare’s Tragic Art, Rhodri Lewis offers a powerfully original reassessment of tragedy as Shakespeare wrote it— of what drew him toward tragic drama, what makes his tragedies distinctive, and why they matter.
After reconstructing tragic theory and practice as Shakespeare and his contemporaries knew them, Lewis considers in detail each of Shakespeare’s tragedies from Titus Andronicus to Coriolanus. He argues that these plays are a series of experiments whose greatness lies in their author’s nerve-straining determination to represent the experience of living in a world that eludes rational analysis. They explore not just our inability to know ourselves as we would like to, but the compensatory and generally unacknowledged fictions to which we bind ourselves in our hunger for meaning—from the political, philosophical, social, and religious to the racial, sexual, personal, and familial.

 Lewis’s Shakespeare not only creates tragedies that exceed those written before them.

 


Book Review: ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson

Book Review: ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson
Updated 10 October 2024
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Book Review: ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson

Book Review: ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” published in 1948, is a short story set in a small and seemingly typical community that performs an annual lottery ritual.

The townspeople seem to be in a celebratory mood as they congregate, although conflict underpins their relationships.

Every household draws slips of paper to reveal a “winner” who is subsequently stoned to death by the community.

This startling ending exposes the negative aspects of conformity and tradition, therefore challenging readers to consider society’s standards and the nature of human aggression.

The narrative exposes the possibility of violence in daily life and questions mindless loyalty to traditions. Examining Jackson’s book offers a strong reflection on the dehumanizing nature of society’s rituals and the perils of unquestioned compliance.

Emphasizing how common people can engage in violence when mindlessly following tradition, the story’s modest environment contrasts strongly with its terrible ending.

The lottery shows how societies can preserve cruel behaviors in the guise of tradition by symbolizing arbitrary justice and the scapegoating system seen in many civilizations.

Jackson’s use of foreshadowing — through minute cues and the villagers’ nervous behavior — creates a sense of approaching catastrophe that culminates in the startling turnabout.

This study of human nature and social complexity challenges readers to explore the moral implications of their own views and deeds.

Jackson gained popularity with her short stories and books that regularly explore darker corners of human nature.

Her investigation of the nuances of gender roles, identity and the supernatural changed the psychological horror subgenre.

Among her best-known works is “The Haunting of Hill House,” which was adapted into a Netflix series. 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Little Beasts’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Little Beasts’
Updated 10 October 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Little Beasts’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Little Beasts’

Edited by Alexandra Libby, Brooks Rich, and Stacey Sell

Art played a pivotal role in the development of natural history during the 16th and 17th centuries. European colonial expansion enabled naturalists to study previously unknown insects, animals, and other beestjes—“little beasts”—from around the globe. “Little Beasts” explores how artists such as Joris Hoefnagel and Jan van Kessel helped deepen and spread knowledge of these creatures with highly detailed and playful works that inspired generations of printmakers, painters, decorative artists, and naturalists.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Grappling’ by Robert Kaplan

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Grappling’ by Robert Kaplan
Updated 09 October 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Grappling’ by Robert Kaplan

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Grappling’ by Robert Kaplan

The engaging narratives in “Grappling” make the challenging work of self- improvement easier, says a review published on goodreads.com.

Leadership consultant and author Robert E. Kaplan has written parables based on real people. You will witness these leaders at work and at home — with their basic character in play as they strive to improve.  
If you want to change in some way but find yourself stuck, “Grappling” makes the self-improvement quest relatable, inspirational, and within your reach.


Book Review: ‘Decoded’ by Mai Jia

Book Review: ‘Decoded’ by Mai Jia
Updated 09 October 2024
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Book Review: ‘Decoded’ by Mai Jia

Book Review: ‘Decoded’ by Mai Jia

The novel “Decoded” by Mai Jia (the pen name of the author Jiang Benhu) is a gripping read that examines the themes of genius and obsession amid the intricate world of cryptography.

Translated from the Chinese by Olivia Milburn and Christopher Payne in 2014 after first being published in 2002, this novel is set against the backdrop of the Second World War and the subsequent political turmoil in China.

The story follows the life of a brilliant but socially isolated mathematician named Rong Jinzhen.

From the moment I started the book, I was drawn into its rich world of intellectual intrigue, as well as the unique blend of historical context and the complexities of the human psyche.  

Rong is portrayed as a prodigy, gifted with an exceptional ability to decipher codes. However, his talent comes at a price. His obsession with mathematics isolates him from people.

I found myself empathizing with his struggles, especially as he navigates the challenges of connecting with others while being consumed by his intellectual pursuits.

This duality is beautifully crafted by Mai who paints a vivid portrait of a man torn between his passion and the desire for human connection.

The narrative unfolds in layers, revealing not just the intricacies of cryptography, but also the psychological burdens that come with such brilliance.

The tension between Rong’s isolation and his pursuit of knowledge resonated deeply with me, sparking thoughts about the balance between personal ambition and relationships.  

Mai’s prose is both lyrical and precise, capturing the essence of each character and setting. The pacing kept me on my toes, with moments of tension and revelation that had me racing to the next chapter.

The novel is not just a thriller, it is a profound exploration of identity, the price of genius, and the shadows cast by the past.

What struck me most was how the story transcends its historical setting. It raises timeless questions about the nature of intelligence and the human condition.

By the end, I was left contemplating the fine line between brilliance and madness, and the deeply personal journey of self-discovery.

However, there were aspects of the book where the pacing felt uneven, with certain sections dragging on while others raced by. I found myself wishing for a more consistent rhythm, as the slow moments sometimes detracted from the gripping tension.

Additionally, some of the cryptographic details, while fascinating, are overly technical and could alienate readers not familiar with the subject. This occasionally pulled me out of the emotional core of the story. 

Mai has crafted a narrative that lingers long after the final page, inviting readers to ponder their own paths and the connections they forge along the way.