I approached the blue metal gate separating our campus from the outside, and hesitated as the guard pushed down the handle and swung open the door. My eyes darted in…
Letters
“Sweet Caroline” in the Atlas
I gazed out at the snow-covered peaks as our bus rumbled along the twists and turns of the bumpy road carved into the Atlas Mountains. We had just reached 7,200…
Walking in a Necropolis
My imagination soared as I thought about the lives of those who, centuries ago, lived within the walls of the necropolis. The ancient Chellah ruins were serene, beautiful, and uncanny….
A Night in the Sahara
Riding on the back of a camel under the bright sun of the Sahara, I looked around me, surprised to see so many trees and bushes. All I had was…
A Love Letter to Tangier
The mist began to dampen my face as we began on our walk to Café Smara, a Tangier café made famous by the novel Si Yussef. We walked down what…
An American Historian in Tangier
There’s a gesture that sums up the people of Tangier. When responding to a compliment or expressing an earnest emotion, the Tangerois tap their palms against their upper chests, right…
Letter from Professor Bruce Lawrence
I love Morocco. It is a country I’ve visited often since the early 1980s, and just last summer I went to the wedding of a good friend in Marrakesh. Most…
My Mother Among Muslims
The day that my mom called me to tell me that she had booked a flight to Morocco, my heart just about stopped. “You did what?” I just couldn’t believe…
Pascual De Cabo & My Grandfather
In a way, entering the Medina Art Gallery in Tangier felt almost like stepping back to the United States because the air in the gallery was just as stale and…
The Gran Café de Paris
Mirrored walls surround the patrons scattered about mostly on the edges of leather booths. Each guest grips their own cup of freshly-squeezed orange juice, coffee, or mint tea with freshly…
