45. Being Queer in Syria with Khaled Elesmael...

From the abortive attempt Damascus Spring to the deadliest civil war the Middle East has seen it was plagued by rampant corruption, a weakening of the party state and and the disintegration of the social contract underlying its rule. Could the regimes collapse have been avoided, ...  Show more

This episode was recorded at the 2026 Göteborg Book Fair. Edgar speaks to authors Ece Temelkuran and Aris Fioretos about finding a home in estrangement. To listen to the episode ad-free subscribe to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram at http ...  Show more

Today we'll be talking to Saleem Haddad. He is the author of Guapa, the director of Marco and a 2nd time guest on The Fire These Times.Topics discussed:What constitutes queer literature?; Muhammad Abdelnabi; Ocean Vuong; James Baldwin; The Personal is Political; Pedro Lemebel; Is ...  Show more

In a momentous week in the history of Syria, New Lines’ Middle East Editor Kareem Shaheen and Editorial Director Rasha Elass join Faisal Al Yafai on The Lede to discuss how the Assad regime’s collapse happened so quickly, the terrible symbolism of the Sednaya prison complex an ...

Nidal Betare joins Joey Ayoub to talk about growing up in Yarmouk, being Palestinian-Syrian and the links between Syria, Palestine and Lebanon.Recommended Books:Samir Kassir's books:ديمقراطية سوريا واستقلال لبنان: البحث عن ربيع دمشق، دار النهار، 2004andعسكر على مين؟: لبنان الجمهو ...  Show more