All living languages are promiscuous. We promiscuous speakers shamelessly shoplift words, plucking bons mots and phrases from any tempting language. We wear these words when we wish to be more formal, more elegant, more mysterious, worldly, precise, vague. Rabih Alameddine bonelegantformal share on social
I loved problems on paper, and I was good at math, but I was a mechanical engineer, and I never understood - or cared to - how a car worked. Rabih Alameddine carcareengineer Change image and share on social
I read Shakespeare when I was 14 because it's what we were taught. Rabih Alameddine readshakespeareteach Change image and share on social
Close friends consider me a literary snob. Rabih Alameddine closefriendliterary Change image and share on social
In the summer of 1988, my father took me up to look at the remains of our home, the dream house that he'd built. It was my first time since our family left four years earlier. Political and obscene graffiti covered the half-torn walls. There was no ceiling and surprisingly no floor: the parquet, the stone, the marble, all looted. Rabih Alameddine buildceilcover share on social
If I were to pray in Arabic, I'd pray to Allah. If I were to pray in English, I'd pray to God. Rabih Alameddine allaharabicenglish Change image and share on social
I was about 11 or 12 when I began to pick up my mother's books. Rabih Alameddine beginbookmother Change image and share on social
A soccer game is a Wagner opera. The narrative sets up, the tension builds, the music ebbs and flows, the strings, the horns, more tension, and suddenly a moment of pure bliss, trumpet-tongued Gabriel sings, and gods descend from Olympus to dance - this peak of ecstasy. Rabih Alameddine blissbuilddance share on social
I jokingly say if there was one great thing about, you know, the Lebanese Civil War was that it forced me to read. Rabih Alameddine civilforcegreat Change image and share on social
I've never had a problem finding a team, a league, or a pickup game. Actually, I'm not sure I want soccer to get bigger. We have so many teams in San Francisco that there aren't enough fields. Rabih Alameddine bigfieldfind Change image and share on social