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The story of Layli & Majnun is without a doubt the most globally-circulated and adapted love story to have emerged from West Asia. Together we will read Nezami Ganjavi’s (d. 1209) twelfth-century narrative of Layli & Majnun in English translation. We will use this story as an entry point into formative debates on ethics or akhlaq, socially subversive poetry, mystical and profane concepts of love, and representations of animals in literature. These debates were part and parcel of Muslim societies that developed diverse ideas and practices of spirituality. This class will help you develop more imaginative and nuanced reading practices and use academic writing as a medium for critical thinking. Intrigued yet?
The Legend of Leyli & Majnun as rendered by ChatGPT