Alexandrian Cosmopolitanism: An Archive

448 Pages·2013·11.27 MB·English

by  Hala Halim

Alexandrian Cosmopolitanism

Alexandrian
Cosmopolitanism
an archive
Hala Halim
fordham university press New York 2013
this book is made possible by a collaborative grant
from the andrew w. mellon foundation.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Halim, Hala.
Alexandrian cosmopolitanism : an archive /
Hala Halim. — First edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8232-5176-6 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Alexandria (Egypt)—In literature.
2. Cosmopolitanism in literature. 3. European
literature—19th century—History and criticism.
4. European literature—20th century—History and
criticism. I. Title.
PN56.3.A42H35 2013
809’.93358621—dc23
2013009212
Printed in the United States of America
15 14 13 5 4 3 2 1
First edition
To Youssef Halim
and
to the memory of Amal Halim and Marie Yassa

contents
List of Figures ix
Acknowledgments xi
Abbreviations xvii
Introduction 1
1. Of Greeks, Barbarians, Philhellenes, Hellenophones,
and Egyptiotes: C. P. Cavafy 56
2. Of Hellenized Cosmopolitanism and Colonial Subalternity:
E. M. Forster 120
3. Uncanny Hybridity into Neocolonialism: Lawrence Durrell 179
4. “Polypolis” and Levantine Camp: Bernard de Zogheb 226
Epilogue/Prologue 271
Notes 313
Works Cited 405
Index 447

figures
1. Etching by Ahmad Mursi inspired by C. P. Cavafy’s poetry,
particularly “The City.” 106
2. Al-Busiri Mosque, in the foreground, and Abu al-‘Abbas
al-Mursi Mosque in the background, Alexandria. 150
3. Interior of al-Busiri Mosque, with “al-Burda” inscribed
on a frieze, and detail showing verses from “al-Burda.” 151
4. Mohamed El-Adl, visiting card. 168
5. Georges (“Ziquet”) de Zogheb in a revue titled “Bal
Français” on 22 April 1950 at the San Stefano Hotel in
Alexandria. 228
6. Bernard de Zogheb in a dramatic performance in 1949. 229
7. Watercolor of the Shallalat Garden, showing part of the
premodern Arab wall, Alexandria, 1997, by Bernard
de Zogheb. 230
8. A drawing from Bernard de Zogheb’s 1957 diary. 247
9. An illustration by Bernard de Zogheb for his libretto
“Malmulla ou Il Canale,” showing Malmulla and
de Lesseps. 263
10. An illustration by Bernard de Zogheb for his libretto
“Le Vacanze a Parigi,” showing the two American
students, outside Prunier in Paris, being accosted by the
prostitute. 265
11. ‘Ali, left, reciting Cavafy’s “The City,” as Firas listens,
in Yousry Nasrallah’s al-Madina. 303
12. Recital of Cavafy’s “Ithaca” in Ibrahim El Batout’s Ithaki. 304