about Mansour
Mansour Ajami is an educator, critic, poet, editor and translator. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Arabic literature and Western philosophy from the American University of Beirut and a Ph.D. in Arabic literature and Islamics from Columbia University. In addition to his scholarly books and articles in academic journals and encyclopedias, Mr. Ajami is an anthologized poet in Arabic and in English, and is the cultural editor of Al-Haraka Al-Shi'riyya (A Review of Modern Arabic Poetry), which is published in Mexico and distributed throughout the world. He lectures extensively on literary topics and gives poetry recitals in English and in Arabic. He is an Arabist reviser/translator at the United Nations in New York.
Mr. Ajami is also a singer, songwriter and 'oud player. He has garnered a reputation and sizable following through many years of lectures, recitals and performances before large audiences in the auditoriums of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Brooklyn Museum, the United Nations, Joseph Papp's Public Theatre, the Eastman Theater in Rochester, New York City's Fourth of July celebrations and at major universities throughout the country through the World Music Institute.
Contact Information
Mansour Ajami
43 Tupelo Row
Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone and Fax (609) 921-0919
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Ph.D. Columbia University (1976--Arabic Literature and Islamics)
M. Phil. Columbia University (1974--Arabic Literature and Islamics)
M. A. American University of Beirut (1968--Arabic Language and Literature)
B. A. American University of Beirut (1965--Arabic Language and Literature)
Lebanese National Conservatory of Music, Arabic Section. (Eight years' study of the oud and voice)
Professional Experience
UNITED NATIONS, New York and Geneva, Arabist Reviser/Translator. 1996 - present.
EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, Princeton, New Jersey, Editorial Consultant, Translator, 2003- present.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY, Visiting Assistant Professor, 1995-96. Arabic Literature in Translation, Modem Arabic Poetry, Modem Arabic Fiction, Advanced Grammar and Syntax, Independent Studies Courses: Translations of Arabic Prose and Poetry.
WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, International Edition, 1993-1996: Editorial Consultant for the Arabic translation of the Encyclopedia.
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS: Visiting Assistant Professor. 1989-90. First- and Second- Year Arabic Language, Guided Readings in Modern Arabic Literature.
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: Assistant Professor. 1980-89. First-, Second-, Third-, and Fourth-Year Arabic Language, Levantine Colloquial Arabic, Medieval and Modem Arabic Literature.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Assistant Professor (Summer Sessions) 1981, 1986-1989. First- and second- year Arabic language. Preceptor 1974-75, Teaching Assistant 1969-74 (including intensive summer program, 1970). Elementary and Intermediate Arabic.
YARMOUK UNIVERSITY (Irbid, Jordan) Assistant Professor 1977-1979. Classical and Contemporary Arabic Literature, Medieval Arabic Literary Criticism, Poetry of al-Mutanabbi, Islamic Civilization.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 1975-1977. Instructor and Assistant Professor. Beginning and Advanced Standard Arabic, Levantine Colloquial Arabic, Classical and Contemporary Arabic Literature, Middle Eastern Music Appreciation.
VASSAR COLLEGE: Tutor 1972-1975. Elementary, intermediate and advanced Arabic.
Research and Publications
Books
The Neckveins of Winter: The Controversy over Natural and Artificial Poetry in Medieval Arabic Literary Criticism. E. J. Brill (Leiden, 1984)
The Alchemy of Glory: The Dialectic of Truthfulness and Untruthfulness in Medieval Arabic Literary Criticism. Three Continents Press (Washington, D. C., 1988)
And the Word Became Poem. by Kaissar Afif. Translated from the Arabic. Grindstone Press (Princeton, 1994)
Vignettes from a Different World (poetry, in Arabic). Dar Nelson (Sweden, Beirut, 2000)
Holy Land: A Cycle of Poems, by Omar S. Pound. Translated into Arabic. Supplement to the journal El Movimiento Poetico (Mexico City, Mexico, 2001)
For Poets Only, by Kaissar Afif. Translated from the Arabic. Supplement to the journal El Movimiento Poetico (Mexico City, Mexico, 2003)
The Trilogy of Exile, by Kaissar Afif. Translated from the Arabic. Supplement to the journal El Movimiento Poetico (Mexico City, Mexico, 2004)
