The aim of this anthology is to give the non-specialist or general reader a taste of this range of shorter narrative literature in the German tradition, including but by no means restricted to fabliaux-like tales.
In a moment when the world feels like it's on fire, the only thing we can count on is each other. Relationships and care are not just the foundations of any functioning society, they are the tools necessary to rebuild a failing one. As we've seen throughout 2025, communities have been scrambling to respond to the relentless onslaught coming from the federal government, the corporate class, and the well-funded institutions of the global right.
I have often said that without John Williams, bicycles do not fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches or heroes in red capes. Dinosaurs do not walk the earth. Sharks do not terrorize idyllic summer beaches. And Jedi do not return. Without the magic of John Williams, audiences do not wonder, or weep, or believe. Whether in an elegant concert hall or a darkened cinema, John's music is instantly recognizable both for its emotional power and its ability to tap into our collective unconscious...
In the Arab world we are not fully accustomed to the concept of commissioning stories around a specific theme or of a specific length then working with the author on revisions... which posed some challenges.
The Cleaving gathers a multitude of voices of Vietnamese diasporic authors, revealing the complex legacies of colonialism, militarism, and familial histories intertwined with their literary achievements.
