Maurice Pomerantz | New York University Abu Dhabi (original) (raw)

Books by Maurice Pomerantz

Papers by Maurice Pomerantz

A Common Rationality: Mu'tazilism in Islam and Judaism, 2007

The thirteen-year-old narrator explains, “Layli, my uncle’s daughter, and her little brother had ... more The thirteen-year-old narrator explains, “Layli, my uncle’s daughter, and her little brother had been waiting in the main garden for us for half an hour. Our two houses had been built within one big enclosure and there was no wall between them. As on every day, we settled down quietly to our games and conversation in the shade of a big walnut tree. And then I happened to catch Layli’s eye. A pair of wide black eyes looked back at me. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from hers.”2

Modern readers encounter a book assuming that the author has played a vital role in its creation.... more Modern readers encounter a book assuming that the author has played a vital role in its creation. They anticipate (rightly or wrongly) that the name prominently displayed on the cover has played an active role in the making of the book: i.e., drafting the text; dividing the work into sections; and arranging the contents. In some cases, they might imagine that this author selected the pictures, decided on the captions, and have chosen such material features such as the typeface and paper. While readers know that editors and publishers often shape the final form of modern books in important ways, few would hesitate to affirm that the role of the author is central to the production of the modern book. There were authors in the medieval Arabic world who were also involved in many aspects of the production of their own books. For instance, the author may have selected the individual poems, letters, stories, or speeches. He may have considered their arrangement. He may have even made an autograph copy on particular paper and using particular ink. Alternatively, the author may have dictated the work aloud to multiple scribes, and authorized them to teach the work through the granting of an ijāza. The particular features of authorial control in an age prior to mechanical reproduction are certainly of vital concern to the student of classical Arabic literature in general and deserve greater awareness on the part of their modern students. In this article, we address these problems of authorship and authorial control through a particular example: the collection of the maqāmāt of Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamadhānī. One of the central works of Classical Arabic literature, the Maqāmāt of al-Hamadhānī has long been known mainly through Muḥammad ʿAbduh’s standard edition first print 1889.

Licit Magic: The Life and Letters of al-Ṣāḥib b. ʿAbbād (d. 385/995), 2017

In Licit Magic: The Life and Letters of al-Ṣāḥib b. ʿAbbād (d. 385/995) Maurice A. Pomerantz expl... more In Licit Magic: The Life and Letters of al-Ṣāḥib b. ʿAbbād (d. 385/995) Maurice A. Pomerantz explores the biography and literary output of a major tenth-century Muslim statesman, literary patron, and intellectual.

Intellectual History of the Islamicate World, 2021

This article provides an editio princeps and English translation of al-Maqāma al-Hītiyya al-Šīrāz... more This article provides an editio princeps and English translation of al-Maqāma al-Hītiyya al-Šīrāziyya by al-Šābb al-Ẓarīf al-Tilimsānī (d. 688/1289) preserved in Berlin MS Wetzstein 1847. The maqāma describes a romantic liaison conducted between an older Mamluk and a younger boy. The analysis considers the various literary forms deployed by the author in the course of the maqāma, such as: an erotic epigram, a love letter, mujūn verse, and a marriage ḫuṭba. The conclusion of the article explores what this work reveals about the history of the maqāma form, language, and truth.

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 2020

be sure, it is a beautifully produced volume, replete with pictures, drawings, and a handy transl... more be sure, it is a beautifully produced volume, replete with pictures, drawings, and a handy translation table. However, for a book that someone might hope to use as a reference, it is an awkward size and weight; this is not a book that one can carry far beyond the office, and it is difficult to balance in one’s hands. These are, of course, small quibbles with what is otherwise an eminently useful text. Al-Salimi and Staples are to be commended for their efforts; I look forward to the excellent work it will generate in the future.

Annales islamologiques, 2015

This article discusses the Maqāma qāhiriyya from the Maqāmāt rayyāniyya of Saraf al-Dīn Abū ʿAbda... more This article discusses the Maqāma qāhiriyya from the Maqāmāt rayyāniyya of Saraf al-Dīn Abū ʿAbdallāh al-Ḥusayn b. Sulaymān b. Rayyān (702-770/1302-1369). Ibn Rayyān’s Maqāma qāhiriyya alludes to the popular epic (sīra) of ʿAntar b. Saddād. Discussing the motifs drawn from popular epic in this maqāma, the article argues that Ibn Rayyān’s maqāma references Sīrat ʿAntar b. Saddād to foreground differences and similarities between the maqāma and the popular sīra. This, in turn, shows the Qāhiriyya to be a site where the ethics of elite and popular forms contend.

In the Presence of Power, 2017

Rulers’ courts of the pre-modern Middle East have long been a staple of Western fantasies about t... more Rulers’ courts of the pre-modern Middle East have long been a staple of Western fantasies about the East. Yet in spite of the importance of the court as a symbol of the absolutist power of the “Orient,” relatively few scholars have explored the cultural production of the courts of the pre-modern Middle East. In the Presence of Power: Court and Performance in the Pre-Modern Middle East, edited by Maurice A. Pomerantz (New York University Abu Dhabi) and Evelyn Birge Vitz (New York University), offers twelve chapters that present a complex and nuanced image of rulers’ courts as vital spaces of performance. Building on previous studies that have examined the court as an important sociopolitical space but moving in new directions, this volume explores literary works produced about and for performance in courts from the eighth to the sixteenth century. Contributions address topics such as delight, persuasion, and entertainment in Byzantine and Abbasid rulers’ courts.

Journal of Abbasid Studies, 2015

This article provides the editio princeps of three previously unknown maqāmāt attributed to Badīʿ... more This article provides the editio princeps of three previously unknown maqāmāt attributed to Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamadhānī (d. 398/1008). It begins with a review of studies on the collecti4on of Hamadhānī’s Maqāmāt, and recent research by the authors on the manuscript tradition of this work. It discusses how these three maqāmāt are located in approximately one-fourth of the manuscripts of Hamadhānī’s Maqāmāt, including a thirteenth/nineteenth century copy of a sixth/twelfth century manuscript, ms School of Oriental and African Studies 47280. The authors then provide a sample of the manuscripts utilized in the edition, a critical edition of the maqāmāt, and an analysis of their contents. The conclusion considers their authenticity in light of other maqāmāt attributed to Hamadhānī.

Arabica, 2014

This article is a description and guide to the contents of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya by al-Ḥasan b.... more This article is a description and guide to the contents of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya by al-Ḥasan b. Abī Muḥammad al-Ṣafadī (fl. first quarter of the 8th/14th c.). The article begins with a discussion of the life of the author al-Ṣafadī and his works. It provides evidence for his biography derived from unpublished manuscript sources. The article then considers features of the authorial context of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya, including notes found in Laleli ms 1929, and evidence for the dedication of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya to the famed geographer, historian, and ruler of Hama, al-Malik al-Muʾayyad Abū l-Fidāʾ (672/1273-732/1332). The remainder of the article provides a description of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya, its narrative structures, the contents of the thirty individual maqāmāt, and explores parallels between al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya and other works of the maqāma genre. The final section includes a sample text of al-Maqāma l-Tīzīniyya and an accompanying commentary.

A Common Rationality: Mu'tazilism in Islam and Judaism, 2007

The thirteen-year-old narrator explains, “Layli, my uncle’s daughter, and her little brother had ... more The thirteen-year-old narrator explains, “Layli, my uncle’s daughter, and her little brother had been waiting in the main garden for us for half an hour. Our two houses had been built within one big enclosure and there was no wall between them. As on every day, we settled down quietly to our games and conversation in the shade of a big walnut tree. And then I happened to catch Layli’s eye. A pair of wide black eyes looked back at me. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from hers.”2

Modern readers encounter a book assuming that the author has played a vital role in its creation.... more Modern readers encounter a book assuming that the author has played a vital role in its creation. They anticipate (rightly or wrongly) that the name prominently displayed on the cover has played an active role in the making of the book: i.e., drafting the text; dividing the work into sections; and arranging the contents. In some cases, they might imagine that this author selected the pictures, decided on the captions, and have chosen such material features such as the typeface and paper. While readers know that editors and publishers often shape the final form of modern books in important ways, few would hesitate to affirm that the role of the author is central to the production of the modern book. There were authors in the medieval Arabic world who were also involved in many aspects of the production of their own books. For instance, the author may have selected the individual poems, letters, stories, or speeches. He may have considered their arrangement. He may have even made an autograph copy on particular paper and using particular ink. Alternatively, the author may have dictated the work aloud to multiple scribes, and authorized them to teach the work through the granting of an ijāza. The particular features of authorial control in an age prior to mechanical reproduction are certainly of vital concern to the student of classical Arabic literature in general and deserve greater awareness on the part of their modern students. In this article, we address these problems of authorship and authorial control through a particular example: the collection of the maqāmāt of Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamadhānī. One of the central works of Classical Arabic literature, the Maqāmāt of al-Hamadhānī has long been known mainly through Muḥammad ʿAbduh’s standard edition first print 1889.

Licit Magic: The Life and Letters of al-Ṣāḥib b. ʿAbbād (d. 385/995), 2017

In Licit Magic: The Life and Letters of al-Ṣāḥib b. ʿAbbād (d. 385/995) Maurice A. Pomerantz expl... more In Licit Magic: The Life and Letters of al-Ṣāḥib b. ʿAbbād (d. 385/995) Maurice A. Pomerantz explores the biography and literary output of a major tenth-century Muslim statesman, literary patron, and intellectual.

Intellectual History of the Islamicate World, 2021

This article provides an editio princeps and English translation of al-Maqāma al-Hītiyya al-Šīrāz... more This article provides an editio princeps and English translation of al-Maqāma al-Hītiyya al-Šīrāziyya by al-Šābb al-Ẓarīf al-Tilimsānī (d. 688/1289) preserved in Berlin MS Wetzstein 1847. The maqāma describes a romantic liaison conducted between an older Mamluk and a younger boy. The analysis considers the various literary forms deployed by the author in the course of the maqāma, such as: an erotic epigram, a love letter, mujūn verse, and a marriage ḫuṭba. The conclusion of the article explores what this work reveals about the history of the maqāma form, language, and truth.

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 2020

be sure, it is a beautifully produced volume, replete with pictures, drawings, and a handy transl... more be sure, it is a beautifully produced volume, replete with pictures, drawings, and a handy translation table. However, for a book that someone might hope to use as a reference, it is an awkward size and weight; this is not a book that one can carry far beyond the office, and it is difficult to balance in one’s hands. These are, of course, small quibbles with what is otherwise an eminently useful text. Al-Salimi and Staples are to be commended for their efforts; I look forward to the excellent work it will generate in the future.

Annales islamologiques, 2015

This article discusses the Maqāma qāhiriyya from the Maqāmāt rayyāniyya of Saraf al-Dīn Abū ʿAbda... more This article discusses the Maqāma qāhiriyya from the Maqāmāt rayyāniyya of Saraf al-Dīn Abū ʿAbdallāh al-Ḥusayn b. Sulaymān b. Rayyān (702-770/1302-1369). Ibn Rayyān’s Maqāma qāhiriyya alludes to the popular epic (sīra) of ʿAntar b. Saddād. Discussing the motifs drawn from popular epic in this maqāma, the article argues that Ibn Rayyān’s maqāma references Sīrat ʿAntar b. Saddād to foreground differences and similarities between the maqāma and the popular sīra. This, in turn, shows the Qāhiriyya to be a site where the ethics of elite and popular forms contend.

In the Presence of Power, 2017

Rulers’ courts of the pre-modern Middle East have long been a staple of Western fantasies about t... more Rulers’ courts of the pre-modern Middle East have long been a staple of Western fantasies about the East. Yet in spite of the importance of the court as a symbol of the absolutist power of the “Orient,” relatively few scholars have explored the cultural production of the courts of the pre-modern Middle East. In the Presence of Power: Court and Performance in the Pre-Modern Middle East, edited by Maurice A. Pomerantz (New York University Abu Dhabi) and Evelyn Birge Vitz (New York University), offers twelve chapters that present a complex and nuanced image of rulers’ courts as vital spaces of performance. Building on previous studies that have examined the court as an important sociopolitical space but moving in new directions, this volume explores literary works produced about and for performance in courts from the eighth to the sixteenth century. Contributions address topics such as delight, persuasion, and entertainment in Byzantine and Abbasid rulers’ courts.

Journal of Abbasid Studies, 2015

This article provides the editio princeps of three previously unknown maqāmāt attributed to Badīʿ... more This article provides the editio princeps of three previously unknown maqāmāt attributed to Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamadhānī (d. 398/1008). It begins with a review of studies on the collecti4on of Hamadhānī’s Maqāmāt, and recent research by the authors on the manuscript tradition of this work. It discusses how these three maqāmāt are located in approximately one-fourth of the manuscripts of Hamadhānī’s Maqāmāt, including a thirteenth/nineteenth century copy of a sixth/twelfth century manuscript, ms School of Oriental and African Studies 47280. The authors then provide a sample of the manuscripts utilized in the edition, a critical edition of the maqāmāt, and an analysis of their contents. The conclusion considers their authenticity in light of other maqāmāt attributed to Hamadhānī.

Arabica, 2014

This article is a description and guide to the contents of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya by al-Ḥasan b.... more This article is a description and guide to the contents of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya by al-Ḥasan b. Abī Muḥammad al-Ṣafadī (fl. first quarter of the 8th/14th c.). The article begins with a discussion of the life of the author al-Ṣafadī and his works. It provides evidence for his biography derived from unpublished manuscript sources. The article then considers features of the authorial context of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya, including notes found in Laleli ms 1929, and evidence for the dedication of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya to the famed geographer, historian, and ruler of Hama, al-Malik al-Muʾayyad Abū l-Fidāʾ (672/1273-732/1332). The remainder of the article provides a description of al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya, its narrative structures, the contents of the thirty individual maqāmāt, and explores parallels between al-Maqāmāt al-Ǧalāliyya and other works of the maqāma genre. The final section includes a sample text of al-Maqāma l-Tīzīniyya and an accompanying commentary.

Arabica, 2013

This article provides the editio princeps of a previously unknown maqāma attributed to Badīʿ al-Z... more This article provides the editio princeps of a previously unknown maqāma attributed to Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamad̠ānī (d. 398/1008). It begins with a review of the scholarship on the manuscripts of Hamad̠ānī’s Maqāmāt and discusses how the text of this lost maqāma was uniquely preserved in one manuscript, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Salisbury collection no. 63. This manuscript, copied in 603/1206, was well-known to European scholarship, having been in the possession of Everard Scheidius (1742-1794), Silvestre de Sacy (1775-1838), and Edward Eldridge Salisbury (1814-1901). The maqāma, preserved therein, describes a fraudulent doctor’s sale of medicinal compounds allegedly composed of rare materia medica. The text of this maqāma, which the editors have entitled al-Maqāma l-Ṭibbiyya, is then provided in facsimile, a critical edition, and a fully-annotated English translation. A detailed analysis of the maqāma follows, in which the form, subject matter, language, and style of this ...

The "Uyun al-akhbar" is the most complete extant text by an Ismaili author on the histo... more The "Uyun al-akhbar" is the most complete extant text by an Ismaili author on the history of the Ismaili community from its origins up to Idris 'Imad al-Din's own time in the 15th century. The seventh volume, edited here together with a summary English translation, deals in particular with the period of the three Fatimid caliphs - al-Mustansir, al-Musta'li and al-Amir - in addition to the Tayyibi Ismaili community in Yemen.

Intellectual History of the Islamicate World, 2022

From the Séances of Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamadānī (d. 398/1008) Translated by Maurice A. Pomerantz M... more From the Séances of Badīʿ al-Zamān al-Hamadānī (d. 398/1008) Translated by Maurice A. Pomerantz Maqāma No. 8: Mosul ʿĪsā ibn Hishām 1 said to me: