America the Beautiful: The Influence of Arab and Muslim Culture Since the Time of Columbus

Who: Guest speaker Jonathan Curiel is a journalist in San Francisco and the author of Al’ America: Travels Through America’s Arab and Islamic Roots. Published by The New Press in November 2008, details the historic influence of Arab and Muslim culture on America, from the time of Columbus to the modern age. Among the areas covered: Islamic architecture and its melding into San Antonio’s historic Alamo building and New York’s World Trade Center; Arab music and its impact on The Doors, Bob Dylan, and the Jefferson Airplane; Persian poetry and its sway over Ralph Waldo Emerson; Americans’ love for Arabic tattoos and Persian carpets; New Orleans’ French Quarter and its link to Islamic aesthetics; and Elvis Presley’s and P.T. Barnum’s connections to Arab and Muslim culture.

When: Monday, October 12, at 7 p.m.

Where: Soda Activity Center, Saint Mary's College of California, 1928 St. Mary's Rd., Moraga

For additional information contact: Hisham Ahmed, Professor in Politics at (925) 631-8238

Sponsored by: The Politics Department

Co-sponsors: The Intercultural Center, International Area Studies Program, The Middle East club, and the Departments of Anthropology, History, Sociology, Theology & Religious Studies.

Free and open to the public