On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of al-Andalus

Abstract

In his seminal work On Earth or in Poems, Eric Calderwood, who is a specialist in North Africa and al-Andalus Literature at the University of Illinois and the author of Colonial Andalusia: Spain and the Modern Moroccan Culture Industry (2018, Harvard University Press), draws inspiration from Mahmoud Darwish's poem "On the Last Evening in This Land" to present a unique exploration of al-Andalus, departing from conventional historical narratives. The book, structured cyclically with Cordoba marking both the beginning and end, stands out for viewing al-Andalus as a symbol of intercultural existence, known as Convivencia. It is not a traditional history but an examination of how al-Andalus' history has been imagined and utilized from the nineteenth century to the present. The book explores how al-Andalus is depicted in various media such as literature, cinema, television, music, tourism, and political discourse across diverse contexts, including Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. In doing so, it encourages a form of cultural memory that is broad and inclusive, embracing even conflicting historical perspectives.