Arabs

May 27, 2009

From Publisher’s Weekly…The Night Counter’s First Review

“In this captivating debut, Yunis takes readers on a magic carpet ride….[A] sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but always touching tale of a Middle Eastern family putting down deep roots on U.S. soil.” —Publishers Weekly Continue reading

Arabs, Arts and Culture, Author, Books, Lebanon, Middle East, Publishing
May 23, 2009

Who Says We Ain’t Got No Culture Here?

When I decided to move to Abu Dhabi, one of the frequent comments I got was how could I move to such a cultural wasteland. This from my friends and acquaintances in L.A., which may seem ironic to some of you who have the same perception of L.A. However, just as L.A. is a lot Continue reading

Abu Dhabi, Arabs, Arts and Culture, Middle East
May 13, 2009

Tabouli: Derogatory or Funny? (Plus Some Tips)

Tabouli has been my number food group since coming here–easy, healthyish, and familiar, in that I stop by the Lebanese Mill to pick it up, and it’s just one of those places where everyone knows your name. But I can’t say that tabouli inspires enough passion in me for a song, as it does these Continue reading

Arabs, Food, Middle East
May 6, 2009

The Differences Between Abu Dhabi and LA, or the lack thereof

Ever since I left Los Angeles nine months ago, I’ve been saying to myself, “That’s something I should blog about.” Now that the opportunity has reason, I can’t think of any of those somethings. In fact, there has never been a time when this writer has been left so wordless. I even left this Continue reading

Abu Dhabi, Arabs, Author, Books, Food, Los Angeles, Middle East

Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles

About Alia

Alia Yunis is a writer, journalist and filmmaker. She is currently producing and directing “The Golden Harvest,” a feature length documentary about how olive oil has shaped the Mediterranean culture, cuisine and history for 6,000 years, through war and peace. Her debut novel, The Night Counter (Random House) has been critically acclaimed by the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and several other publications. It was also chosen as a top summer read by the Chicago Tribune and Boston Phoenix. The Boston Globe has called it “wonderfully imaginative…poignant, hilarious.” Alia was born in Chicago and grew up in the U.S., Greece, and the Middle East. She has worked as a filmmaker and journalist in several cities, especially Los Angeles. Her fiction has appeared in several anthologies, including The Robert Olen Butler Best Short Stories collection, and her non-fiction work includes articles for The Los Angeles Times, Saveur, SportsTravel Magazine, and Aramco World. She currently teaches film at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi.

Arabs

From Publisher’s Weekly…The Night Counter’s First Review

Who Says We Ain’t Got No Culture Here?

Tabouli: Derogatory or Funny? (Plus Some Tips)

The Differences Between Abu Dhabi and LA, or the lack thereof