Issa J. Boullata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Issa J. Boullata
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Issa J. Boullata, September 2012, Montreal
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| Born | February 25, 1929 |
| Died | May 1, 2019 (aged 90) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Citizenship | United States, Canada. |
| Occupation | Scholar, writer, translator |
Issa J. Boullata (Arabic: عيسى بُلاطه; February 25, 1929 – May 1, 2019) was a Palestinian scholar, writer, and translator. He was known for his work with Arabic literature, helping to share it with the world.
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About His Life
Issa J. Boullata was born in Jerusalem on February 25, 1929. At that time, the area was known as the British Mandatory Palestine. He studied at the University of London, where he earned his first degree in Arabic and Islamic studies in 1964. He then completed his PhD in Arabic literature in 1969.
After his studies, he taught Arabic for seven years at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. In 1975, he moved to Montreal, Canada. There, he taught at McGill University's Institute of Islamic Studies. He taught advanced courses on Arabic literature, modern Arab ideas, and studies about the Qur'an. He retired in 2004 and was given the special title of Emeritus Professor in 2009.
During his time teaching, Professor Boullata helped many students with their PhD and Master's projects. He guided ten PhD students and thirty-eight Master's students. Some of their works were even published later on! He lived in Montreal for 41 years.
Boullata wrote several books about Arabic literature and poetry, and also about the Qur'an. He also wrote many articles and book reviews for academic journals. He was a very respected translator of Arabic literature. He won the Arkansas Arabic Translation Award twice for his excellent translation work. He also helped edit Banipal magazine in London, and his translations appeared in many of its issues.
He also helped create "The Blue Metropolis Al-Majidi Ibn Dhaher Arab Literary Prize." This award was given to creative Arab writers at a festival in Montreal. It was named after the poet Al-Majidi Ibn Dhaher and was started in 2007.
Issa Boullata was married to Marita Seward for 56 years. She was a librarian at the university. They had one daughter and three sons. One of his sons, David Boullata, is a broadcaster and writer. Issa's brother, Kamal Boullata, is a painter and writer.
Books He Wrote
- Outlines of Romanticism in Modern Arabic Poetry (1960)
- Badr Shakir al-Sayyab: His Life and Poetry (1971)
- Modern Arab Poets, 1950–1975 (1976) (a collection of poems translated into English)
- Trends and Issues in Contemporary Arab Thought (1990)
- A Window on Modernism: Studies in the Works of Jabra Ibrahim Jabra (2002)
- Homecoming to Jerusalem (1998) (a novel in Arabic)
- A Retired Gentleman and Other Stories (2007) (a collection of short stories); later called True Arab Love and Other Short Stories (2016)
- Rocks and a Wisp of Soil (2005) (essays about literature)
- The Bells of Memory: A Palestinian Boyhood in Jerusalem (2014) (a memoir about his childhood from 1929 to 1948)
Books He Edited
- Critical Perspectives on Modern Arabic Literature (1980)
- Tradition and Modernity in Arabic Literature (1997, with Terri DeYoung)
- Literary Structures of Religious Meaning in the Qur'an (2000)
- The Miraculous Inimitability of the Holy Qur'an throughout History (2006)
Books He Translated
Issa J. Boullata translated many important works from Arabic into English, helping English speakers enjoy these stories and ideas.
- Embers and Ashes: Memoirs of an Arab Intellectual by Hisham Sharabi
- Flight Against Time a novel by Emily Nasrallah
- Fugitive Light a novel by Mohammed Berrada
- My Life an autobiography by Ahmad Amin
- Princesses' Street: Baghdad Memories an autobiography by Jabra Ibrahim Jabra
- The First Well: A Bethlehem Boyhood an autobiography by Jabra Ibrahim Jabra (This book won an award in 1993!)
- The Game of Forgetting a novel by Mohammed Berrada
- The Square Moon short stories by Ghada Samman (This book won an award in 1997!)
- The Unique Necklace a collection of classic Arabic writings by Ibn Abd Rabbih
- The Caliph's Sister, a novel by Jurji Zaidan
- Three Treatises on the I`jaz of the Qur'an, studies by al-Rummani, al-Khattabi, & `Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani.
- Many poems and stories in collections like Modern Arabic Poetry: An Anthology (1987) and Anthology of Modern Palestinian Literature (1992).
Books He Translated from English to Arabic
- Wallace Stevens by William York Tindall, 1962
- Edith Wharton by Louis Auchincloss, 1962
Other Contributions
As Journal Editor
Issa J. Boullata also helped edit important academic journals:
- The Muslim World (1970–1980)
- Al-'Arabiyya, Journal of the American Association of Teachers of Arabic (1977–1982)
Books Written to Honor Him
Two special collections of essays, called Festschrifts, were published to honor Professor Boullata's work:
- Tradition, Modernity, and Postmodernity in Arabic Literature : Essays in Honor of Professor Issa J. Boullata (2000)
- Coming to Terms with the Qur’an: A Volume in Honor of Professor Issa Boullata, McGill University (2008)
Awards and Recognition
In November 2004, Issa J. Boullata received the MESA Mentoring Award from the Middle East Studies Association of North America. This award recognized his excellent teaching and how much he influenced generations of students.
See also
- List of Arabic-English translators
In Spanish: Issa J. Boullata para niños
