Reviewer Peter Dabbene Interviews Yazan Al-Saadi, Author of Lebanon Is Burning
“I think social movements are living processes and their impacts, small or large, are felt over time. History isn’t a series of isolated incidents, rather it is a chain of contexts linking up to form the present and set the foundations of our future.’’ —Yazan Al-Saadi
Remember the days when book bullies would sneer at anyone reading a comic book? Strange urge, that one—take pleasure in ridiculing someone’s reading pleasure. And yet, we all do it to some extent—make snap judgments about clothes, food, movies, and yes, even books.
Everyone except librarians, that is—the world champions of withholding book judgment. With political and social tension riddling our country, librarians offer us all a lesson in kindness and tolerance.
Our guest today is the author of a very special history book dressed up as a graphic novel. Yazan Al-Saadi’s Lebanon Is Burning and Other Dispatches “delivers moment in time reports from the Middle East,” writes Peter Dabbene in his November/December Foreword review, in addition to exploring the “histories and current problems of countries including Bahrain, Sudan, and Yemen.” At a time when our hearts and minds are centered on that star-crossed region of the world, Yazan and a suite of talented illustrators offer an “exciting, informative collection of graphic journalism.”
Lebanon Is Burning was one of five titles in the recurring Comics & Graphic Novels feature in the magazine; check out November/December’s other four (PDF). And, a link to your free digital subscription is here for the taking.
Lebanon is Burning and Other Dispatches is fascinating in its ability to get into the history and details of many different countries, including some, like Bahrain, Sudan, and Yemen, that don’t often get reported about in mainstream US media. How do you keep tabs on so many happenings in so many different areas?
I think it was out of necessity and urgency that forced me to learn more about all these places, particularly during the uprisings that erupted in late 2010. I barely scratched the surface, because all these societies are vibrant in terms of their history, politics, culture; there is always more and more and more to discover, never enough time.
So I read books, looked into reporting by various media outlets, talked to people from these places, and always try to be cognizant that my understandings of things are in constant flux and subjected to changes the more I learn.
Have you been documenting the events in Lebanon in graphic novel style, like the works in this book? Can you describe the process of recording events immediately, then turning them into a finished collaboration with an artist at a later date?
Comic journalism is a very slow affair. It takes time to do a comic, and that means my approach to an event needs to convey ideas or thoughts that are more lasting than merely a reaction. I spend a lot of time mulling over if something is worth writing about, and what is the value the writing can bring for either me or the reader—how can I discuss/engage with an event/moment and unpack the ideas in a way that is relevant regardless of the shackles of space and time?
If I have a strong feeling/thoughts that it matters and there’s something worthwhile to write, I press ahead and churn out a script. I often have an idea of the artist I want to work with ahead of time and try to cater to their styles while I vomit something out. After I have that initial rough draft, I share it with the artist (and other eyes) for feedback because I strongly believe in (and love) a collaborative relationship—the teamwork needed to make a comic is part of why I adore this medium so very much. Then it’s a lot of reworking, reshaping until we’ve got something more solid. Then, it’s pushing the comic out there, like casting a net into a vast ocean, hoping that readers are ensnared.
And the system repeats all over again, and over, and over again, but always more refined and better than the previous cycle.
With authoritarian governments on the rise internationally, is the Arab Spring movement just a faded memory, or do you think it’s made a lasting impact? Which Middle Eastern countries have fared best, and worst, in the years since? Which countries do you think have the best chance of advancing individual freedoms in the near future, as opposed to regressing under threats of imprisonment and death?
I think social movements are living processes and their impacts, small or large, are felt over time. History isn’t a series of isolated incidents, rather it is a chain of contexts linking up to form the present and set the foundations of our future. The uprisings in the region more than a decade ago were not spontaneous events but were building over time for a variety of complex and simple reasons. Those core drivers (social, political, economic) have not been dealt with—meaning, we will inevitably have further uprisings arising in time.
Currently, none of the countries in my region have achieved the fullest forms of collective/individual freedoms that the communities living in them absolutely deserve (the counter-revolution, it must be stressed, was backed by regional and international powers, including so-called “Western” states).
I also hold the view that the struggle for self-determination in the region is part and parcel of a larger global struggle for self-determination. In my opinion, you, in the United States, are not free (you just think you are), and your struggle for the rights you absolutely deserve is also my struggle (and vice versa, my struggle is your struggle). We are all part of this fight for liberty and dignity because we ALL deserve better, and we have a lot to do in that regard.
I suppose the last year’s events involving Israel and Hamas would provide plenty of subject matter for additional graphic journalism work, and unfortunately, it seems like there are many other situations that need continued reporting as well. Have you done more graphic pieces since the publication of this book, or considered a follow-up collection?
I still have a bunch more comic journalism I did that can be collected, and am seeing how to do that next. At the same time, I am trying to work on new material about ongoing events. I definitely am willing and passionate about doing non-fiction comics as long as readers think there is value in what I’m doing.
In tandem to the comic journalism, I also am dabbling with utilizing the comic media as a potent weapon for information, and collaborated with others in that aim to release comics like Where to, Marie? Stories of Feminisms in Lebanon and Cardboard Camp: Stories of Sudanese Refugees in Lebanon and involved as one of the volunteers behind Cartoonists for Palestine that is currently putting together a collected book as an account of the past year and crucially to serve as fundraising for medical and children relief organizations in Palestine.
Hopefully one day I can leap into fiction writing, but “real life” seems to be awfully stranger and stubbornly gets in the way.
Presumably, your work has gotten greater exposure through this book. What has the reaction been? Has anyone reached out in a way that has touched you personally?
The reaction has so far been overwhelmingly positive, which is very neat and somewhat a relief! Even critical comments have been great for me because it means that the work is provoking something in some way. Ultimately, what matters to me personally is less the discussion or exposure of “me”—I want readers to sincerely engage with these topics and my region in thoughtful, humane, and constructive ways.
And finally, and very importantly, as a comic fanatic myself, I desperately want people to become more familiar with the immensely talented artists from my region (like Omar [Khouri], Tracy [Chahwan], Ganzeer, Hicham [Rahma], Sirene [Moukheiber], Enas [Satir], Ghadi [Ghosn], and so many, many others). I had the pleasure and privilege to work with them and they, and many others like them, are unsung heroes and deserve a lot of recognition everywhere!
Peter Dabbene
