MUSE first edition d

MUSE

Faculty of Arts & Humanities magazine

Think  ISSUE NO.1 MARCH 2017

Write

Inspire

Joy Arrives  ART MEETS
LITERATURE
a short story
Dali & Caroll
Highlights

Muses: Queens of inspiration

Poetry
Preachers OR

Deceivers

Quotes of the
month



uses arts and sciences. A muse is a person or
personified force who is the source of
Queens of inspiration for a creative artist.” With the
rise of the Renaissance Era, belief in muses
MInspiration had declined and creative artists started
Fatma Atef believing in their individual capabilities,
negating any divine intervention.
Did you ever have sudden inspiration to
write a story or compose a piece of However, many contemporary writers are
music? Did you ever wonder where this calling for the reemergence of muses as a
inspiration came from? Well, you must source of installing creative genius. Eat,
have been visited by a muse! Pray, Love writer Elizabeth Gilbert held a
TED talk in 2009 to emphasize the
importance of believing again in the
power of muses. “On the one hand [the
modern view] places too much
responsibility on the individual, who feels a
constant pressure to reach or live up to
impossibly high standards; and on the
other, it leads to the temptation of
narcissism, of taking too much credit for
success,” she said. Unleash your creative
powers and let us help you show your
potential to a wide audience. We
certainly hope that Muse, our newly-
initiated magazine inspires you!

’

Clio, Euterpe and Thalia, by Eustache Le Sueur, 1652-55.

The ‘muse was an essential part of Greek
mythology. The ancient Greeks believed
that any artistic inspiration or creativity
they had was bestowed upon them by
goddesses of inspiration. The Oxford
Dictionary defines the muse as “Each of
nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus
and Mnemosyne, who preside over the

hort _______________________________
Story
Chantal Kurdy
S Joy arrives!
A slow breeze comes across Nia’s sweaty,
dark skin, covered with pain and frustration
face as she’s delivering Dayo into the world
on a sunny, breezy day.

Zuri, Nia’s mother in law, softly pulls out baby
Dayo with a warm smile and says and we shall
call you Dayo as she looks at Nia with loving
eyes.

Oluchi swiftly enters the Five years later, French men captured
room with excitement all over his face to Oluchi’s family and other Negros to be their
finally pull his baby into his arms. slaves. They were thrown into French ships like
animals and were locked down in a small
“What’s his name ma*?” Oluchi joyfully asks, dark room in the ship that all you can hear
Zuri replies with a steady response as if she across is pure pain, screams, sorrow and
knows something that they don’t “we’ll call achiness to be set free.
him Dayo”.
Nia was a strong woman; she knew from Zuri
Zuri goes off to her room that is filled up with (who was a seer and a hoodoo priestess) that
spells written on the wall, dead animals they may be kidnapped or captured to be
hanging upside down, spilling blood into her sold into slavery. But it wasn’t until she saw the
sacred jars and hoodoo* books in every broken spirit and sadness in Oluchi’s eyes that
corner. she started tearing up. Oluchi’s a protective,
loving man of his small family, but that wasn’t
She goes to pick up her messed up version of the main reason for his sadness as Nia thinks.
a dairy, it was dusty with blood droplets on it,
which contained her secret recipes for spells, It’s because he knew he could do so much,
blessings, and often she’d write important overcome so much with his past powers, but it
events like that day. She writes 01/10/1675, is only because of his sturdy affection for Nia
Nigeria. My beautiful Dayo is finally here to that he decides not to use them. He knew
avenge me how much Nia hated that he was a hoodoo
priest in the past, even though he had so

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

much power. However he knows now that this Félix wasn’t as haughty or arrogant like other
kind of power doesn’t mean well and that it slave owners were; he treated Oluchi’s family
always comes with a price, subsequently he with respect.
thought it wasn’t so bad to quit his past
practices and is in the safety of the loas*. Same thing for his classy and dressy wife
Claudette, she even let Dayo take music and
A few days go by and the ship arrives to reading lessons with their son Élie, who was
France, where each family kept as captives also ten years old and so it happens he was
were thrown into multiple carts to go to their Dayo’s best-friend.
assigned owners.
Élie and Dayo were much alike in their
Luckily Oluchi’s family was thrown together in kindness, playfulness, and smartness. They only
the same cart. As the cart is smoothly hopping had each other and they very much
up and down Oluchi and his family were appreciated each other’s existence.
starving, tired and helpless. They were tied
down with chains into the cart’s floor and their Everything was taking its course peacefully
hands with rough and tight ropes. until Louise the great, France’s king
announced the code noir*; which stated that
Of course Nia wasn’t cheerful at the time at slaves can’t practice anything of their own,
all, even though she was known for her light limited their movements and banished any
mood and decent smile at hard times, but practices of African religions other than
that wasn’t the day. She remembers the day Roman Catholicism. King Louise announced
Zuri sat her down and told her that her son will that baptism should occur after eight days
bring us joy and happiness, and for that we within the announcement.
shall call him Dayo; joy arrives. Nia shakes the
memory off with a smirk as she looks over at It broke Félix’s heart that he had to force this
Oluchi and whispers, “so much for your ma religion down their throats but he had to.
with her accurate prophesy about your son! Meanwhile Zuri had a meeting with her family,
Bringer of joy? Ha! I wouldn’t dare to live to she sat them down in a small circle which was
see what he could’ve been if he were bringer formed with lightened candles on the ground
of disasters”. in a dark room and said “We shall fool them
with trickery, we have to be cunning and
A quite laughter escapes Oluchi’s chained lips careful of what we’re about to do. We’ll
that were only chained to frown, as he tries to pretend to be what they want us to be, but
hug his wife and baby through his tied up will protect our roots and keep on practicing
arms, while whispering, “Ek is jammer”* voodoo* in secret. I shall seal our promise with
the blood of my beating heart.”
Five more years go by, as ten year old Dayo
roams Félix’s fancy house in France. Nia did not approve of the whole gathering
and did not want Dayo to take part in it but

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

what other choice did she have.. Dayo, on crashing through the windows into Zuri’s body.
the other hand was amused by the whole He sees and smell the blood splatter all over
arrangement, however as soon as he felt his the room with French men yelling in the
blood running in his veins with excitement and background “Traitor“ “ Kill her!” “Satan’s
curiously, he felt his guilt stabbing his heart, he child!” Dayo couldn’t take what he just
knew how much his mother hated hoodoo witnessed and started running aimlessly.
along with the magic that his grandma
practices and how many times his parents sat Dayo kept running as fast as he can, while
him down warning him about these kind of tears are blurring up his vision, his tears were so
practices. Dayo quickly brushes his thoughts intense that he couldn’t really make up a
away, and exits the room to sweep the floor logical explanation for what he has just seen
as Claudette nicely asked him. so he decides to rest by a tree in the woods.
As one breath goes in and another comes
Two weeks later after the baptism, Dayo out, his thoughts were tearing him apart,
wakes up excitedly, and rushes out of his bed. confusion is filling up his soul, torn between
It’s his birthday! sadness and wrath towards these French men.

Dayo runs towards Zuri’s room to give him Dayo spends the next few hours yelling, crying
once again the best gift of all; he rushes into and muttering to him-self; Dayo looks at the
her room but exits just as fast, she isn’t there. dark sky filled with bright stars with his sad,
As his search continues he notices that no teary and tired eyes and says
one’s home and as he crosses the
humongous, clean windows of the house he “Deprived from you since birth
sees his family and others outside cheering for Buried away from me into earth
the king while he passes the street. I knew your true meaning from books

Dayo hated such events, but it was a must
that everyone should cheer for the king what
could they do..

As Dayo leaves the house he notices Zuri And from the way my life looks
chanting and holding candles up high as a You’ll stay my forever, impossible dream
form of prayer and suddenly a cold, icy

feeling crashes Dayo’s heart. Something bad Oh, freedom.
is about to happen. He urgently runs towards I’m self-governed. So used to heteronomy
his grandma to warn her! Stop her! He rushes

to stop the madness otherwise she’ll be I faced the beast of monstrosity!
murdered, as he runs as fast as the wind and

the words are about to spill from his mouth he As he slipped you away from me.

suddenly stops as he sees the knives coming,

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic

voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief

Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

Oh, Ouma* However his wondering mind was satisfied
when Dayo sees handwriting in the form of
I saw him brutally, mercilessly small notes and immediately recognizes it. It’s
his mother’s handwriting! But how could it be?
Suck the life from your face He knew how much his mother hated hoodoo
and black magic in general. He felt betrayed!
I saw him furiously with his cruelty And in the spirit of everything that went
through this day he starts looking for a spell to
Steal the light from your face. avenge his grandma!

But for my word is my bond Dayo had an idea about how a ritual usually
preformed, he turns all lights off except for the
Forever you’re living in my heart candles and starts muttering un-familiar words
for him as he reads from the spell book. He
I’ll avenge your blood from him was trying to summon his grandma’s spirit to
help.
I’ll unclench your soul from him!”
Suddenly the temperature of the room drops
As emptiness and rage fills Dayo’s heart he dramatically down, its freezing cold and Dayo
walks back home, which was a small house feels this empty, evil vibe in the room, his heart
next to Félix’s villa. Dayo enters his Zuri’s room starts pounding so fast that he could hear his
and randomly starts throwing punches into heart-beating through his ears and fear
everything in the room, it wasn’t until he heard running through his veins. Eventually Zuri
the sound of the hole he just made into the appeared to him in her form when she was
wall then he stopped. He starts breaking more killed, except she was talking to him. Zuri holds
pieces of the wall, he thinks he sees something Dayo’s face between her palms and says “My
hidden inside. grandchild! I’m so proud of you! I was waiting
for that day. The day you’d avenge me and
He lights up one of Zuri’s witchcraft candle to free our family”
see through the hole, he sees a stack of books
into a box along with different herbs in Dayo agreed with what she said but he
containers and bizarre ornaments. Dayo couldn’t shake the feeling of that something
curiously gets the box out of the hole to reveal was off, that Zuri didn’t feel like Zuri his
more of what’s in there. grandma. Maybe it was her dead eyes or her
thirst for revenge or her constant
Dayo realizes that these are hoodoo books, encouragement to him that he should kill
and starts wondering why did Zuri hide them? Louis, the king. But he immediately shook the
She had everything out in idea off and thought he was reading too
much into it.
Her room already?

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

A few months go by as Élie notices that his to go since the code noir does not apply
best friend is different and acting weird, he anymore.
finally decides to break his silence and starts
talking to Dayo. They kept bickering and Few hours and Nia hears a knock on the door,
yelling at each other until Claudette hears Élie it’s her twelve-year-old son!
yelling at Dayo saying, “Hatred Stirs up
conflict, but love covers over all wrongs! We As Nia un-believingly takes Dayo between her
read this in out Bible together” Dayo gives an arms he softly whispers to her “I fulfilled my role
inconsiderable look and says “Your Bible Élie. ma, I made Ouma proud ma, but it’s too late
Your bible! Not ours. I was not like you and I for me ma, goodbye ma, a life for a life ma.”
never will be”
And these were Dayo’s last words as he falls
Dayo rushes out of the room, unaware that his between Nia’s arms.
body pushed Claudette’s against the wall.
Which she thought was rude and Through her tears she whispers to her dead
unacceptable, but it wasn’t until she knew son “sure you freed us son, but not this way!
what Dayo wants to do that her anger Not your life honey not your life, you were my
reached it limits and decides to tell Oluchi joy my happiness my reason to live, that
that his son is no longer welcomed in her wasn’t what your name meant”.
house!
Few years go by, Élie goes to Dayo’s grave,
Dayo packs up his books, few of his clothes which had
and mysteriously disappears.
“Joy arrives“written on it. Élie stops to think
Nia cried herself to sleep every day, ever about this joy. This joy that his best friend has
since her son left, the thought of his death given him. This joy that made them brothers,
cripples to her at night and she keeps on as he lays white flowers on his grave with a
wondering if he’s still alive. smile, a teary eye and a wave goodbye to his
long gone joy.

One year later, the two families wake up to a The End
loud noise and people running around, nearly
covering up the streets, as a French soldier
announced King Louise’s mysterious death.
And based upon his death all slaves are free

Ma: African for mom. hoodoo: an African practice of black magic
voodoo: an African religion The Loas: are god like spirits in the voodoo belief
Ek is jammer: I’m sorry in Afrikaans Code noir: black code

Ouma: grandma in Afrikaans

Highlights
TEDx is coming to BUE!

The Faculty of Arts & Humanities got the
lisence to organise TEDx events on campus!

Students and Staff with
the Dean and The
Head of Department
Successfully
participated in the Nile
TESOL professional
development event
organised by the
Faculty of Arts and
Humanities.

From left to right: Dr. Hend Khalil, Ms. Eman Samir, Ms. Nabila Nakhla, Dr. Mervat
Shukry, Dr. Shadia Fahim (Dean), Dr. Sherine Mazloum (Head of English
Department), Aya, Mariam, Mirna, Passant, Ms. Salma AlSaady and Ms. Rania
Salem.

Department of English
Language and Literature
students’ presentation day

From left to right: Salma, Noor, Chantal, Mariam, Ms.Shaimaa Saeed, Merna, Passant,
Aya & Menna; Center : Ahmed & Hesham
Center: Ahmed & Hesham

Some of the work of English
Language and Literature
students displayed in the
Faculty halls.



Psychology students visited Abo Alazayem Hospital in an excursion.
Psychology Students held a Secret Santa contest last Christmas!

English Language and Literature students with the Dean, Professor Shadia
Fahim and Head of English Department, Dr. Sherine Mazloum and actor
Mohamed Sobhi. Sobhi held a seminar on the effective role of art and
education in enhancing Egyptian values. The seminar was held in Dusit Thani

hotel.

PoetryPreachers or deceivers? God is kind; he blessed you with spice.
Chantal KurdyColors all around you,
Amen, amen Dancing between the clouds above you.
To the holy scripts
To the holy tips Following orders
For they make one kind. Like the fools you are.
Or do they make one blind? Damning fragile believers
To be like the tools you are.
All hail and bow down Oh isn’t that gone too far?
To thee up above
For he created one Put the rights and wrongs
Within dusk to dawn. Over pity.
Commanded one to be kind. Put do’s and don’ts
Commanded one to find, Over being witty.
Goodness within their heart.
Does it satisfy you?
But have you, you To make people feel guilty?
Manipulating, hypocrite, Or does it make you feel nifty?
Selfish religion preachers
Find goodness within you? Oh, won’t you do
Or are you too busy Humanity a favor
Planning to infringe And take back your lies
On holy laws For a chance to change lives?
Pointing out flaws? Like a leaf that dies,
Blown away by the wind.
You confused goodness with kindness So will be your lies.
Demanded blindness over wisdom
God is good; he blessed you with sight.

Quotes

“There is a place, like no place on earth. A land full of wonder, mystery,

and danger. Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter.
Which, luckily, I am.”

Lewis Carroll

RT meets

ALiterature
Salvador Dali’s illustrations of
Alice in Wonderland