Advice on how to write | Mohammed El-Kurd and Lex Fridman

TL;DR

This content explores the challenges faced by Palestinian writers in crafting their words, as they are constantly disrupted by the news and the relentless occupation. It also highlights the limitations imposed on their writing in English compared to Arabic.

Transcript

so as a poet as a writer I've written a book a poetry but not working a new book what can you say about your process of crafting words I think people listening to this can can hear that there's a poetry the way you speak in English so somebody that cares about the craftsmanship of words in both English and Arabic what can you say about your process... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥰 The writing process of Palestinian writers is often slow and meticulous, driven by perfectionism and a love for crafting sentences.
• ✍️ The news cycle and constant updates about the occupation disrupt their writing, making it difficult to move beyond reactionary pieces.
• 🧑‍🏭 Writing about the occupation in English poses challenges, as it requires constant explanation and fact-insertion to convey the reality to readers.
• 🇺🇸 The media coverage in the United States regarding Israel and Palestine is criticized for its omissions, biases, and framing analysis from the perspective of Israeli officials.
• 😀 Journalists who try to report on Palestine face battles within their news organizations and censorship in discussing the topic.
• 🥺 The rules and laws of journalism, particularly when it comes to Palestine, are often bent or overlooked, leading to biased reporting and passive voice usage.
• ✍️ Palestinian writers and journalists strive to evolve their writing beyond simply reporting news, but the denial of basic truths about their existence hampers their progress.

Questions & Answers

Q: How would you describe your process of crafting words?

As a perfectionist and lover of sentences, I take a long time to finish a piece of writing. Each sentence must be perfect before I can move on. However, my writing is often disrupted by constant news updates about the occupation.

Q: How does the relentless news cycle affect your writing?

The constant flow of news prevents me from moving beyond writing about current events. I worry that my writing is always in reaction to crimes and bombings, rather than delving into more nuanced exploration of topics.

Q: Why is it difficult to write about the occupation in English?

Writing about the occupation in English requires constant explanation and insertion of facts and figures to make readers understand the reality. This limitation hampers the ability to provide nuanced interpretations and complicates the writing process.

Q: How does the media coverage in the United States fare in terms of covering Israel and Palestine?

The media coverage in the United States is deemed poor and terrible by the speaker. The biggest failings include not mentioning when a town is occupied, framing analysis from the perspective of Israeli officials, and giving more coverage to Palestinians only when they have been victimized.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker, a Palestinian writer, describes their process of crafting words, emphasizing their obsession with sentences and their perfectionism.

• The constant news updates about the occupation often disrupt their writing and make it difficult to move beyond reaction-based writing.

• The speaker discusses the limitations of writing in English, where they feel the need to constantly provide facts and figures to make the reality of the occupation known to readers.