Adnan, Etel, 1925-2021

Etel Adnan was born in 1925 in Beirut, Lebanon. She received a degree in philosophy from the University of Paris and did gradutae work at the University of California, Berkeley and at Harvard University. Adnan returned to Lebanon and worked as a journalist and cultural editor for Al Safa newspaper, a French-language newspaper in Beirut. In addition, she also helped build the cultural section of the newspaper, occasionally contributing cartoons and illustrations. Her tenure at Al Safa was most notable for her front-page editorials, commenting on the important political issues of the day. She was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Arab American authors. Besides her literary output, Adnan made visual works in a variety of media, such as oil paintings, films, and tapestries.