Jean and Kahlil G. Gibran are unusually qualified to present this story. The younger Kahlil Gibran, a noted Boston sculptor, is the poet's cousin and namesake. Jean Gibran is the author of Love Made Visible: Scenes from a Mostly Happy Marriage.
Painter and poet, immigrant, rebel, global citizen, author of the beloved classic, The Prophet. Kahlil Gibran: Beyond Borders tells the inspiring saga of the artist's life and creative vision Gibran's story is one of overcoming barriers faced by many immigrants at the turn of the twentieth century and still today. From his childhood and spiritual roots in Mount Lebanon to the city wilderness of urban America; from his apprenticeships in the creative circles of Boston, Beirut, Paris, and New York to his art and activism for 'Greater Syria'; and from his friendships and loves to his emergence during the populist waves of the early 1900s as a people's poe, Gibran crafted an art embracing a universal message that has become treasured in over forty languages. Exiled between the worlds and conflicts of the Middle East and the West, Gibran defied boundaries to assert a vision of an underlying humanity and faith that people share. This colorful, richly illustrated biography draws on a lifetime of dedicated, persistent research to bring Gibran's compelling story into our time. It will make obsolete all previous accounts and will become the definitive study of this extraordinary and well-loved writer.
A splendid biography... --Boston Globe Lebanese-American poet
Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931), is unquestionably interesting, and this
book features plenty of new research and many more photographs an
important addition given that Gibran was also a visual artist.
Gibran was a young boy when his father became involved in a
political scandal in their home of Bsharri, Mount Lebanon. His
mother took her children to Boston, where they lived in the Syrian
section of town. Publisher and art photographer Fred Holland Day
initially spotted Gibran's talent for art, and he helped him learn
English, sparking his interest in literature. By the age of 15,
Gibran was creating illustrations for Day's books and submitting to
New York publishers. However, around the same time, he was sent
back to Lebanon to study; his family feared he was too
Americanized. The strong connections the authors have for their
subject illustrate the deep ties of the Syrian people to their
heritage. They are also excellent at explaining how the
artist/writer lived a dual life: two languages, two careers, and
both Arabic- and English-speaking colleagues. Gibran was lucky to
find good mentors, including Day, fellow writer Josephine Peabody,
and Mary Haskell, his patron. Haskell was his lifelong financial
savior, but she also helped him translate his work into English
while maintaining the feel of his thoughts. Gibran was always
involved in groups of writers, Syrians, and politicians and his
strong feelings for his homeland were a vital part of his soul.
Auguste Rodin called him the William Blake of the 20th century, and
his influence is still felt today, most notably with the continued
sales of The Prophet, which was published in 1923 and has never
been out of print. An enjoyable, generously illustrated book that
will stimulate readers to reconsider Gibran, his work, and his
heritage.
Kirkus Reviews Jean Gibran (Love Made Visible) and artist Kahlil G.
Gibran, godson of Kahlil Gibran, work as a husband-and-wife team,
in collaboration with the Interlink Gibran Project, to continue
their biographical exploration of the late poet. The book is
chronologically organized from Gibran s birth in Ottoman Syria to
his early death at the age of 48 in 1931. It reveals many of the
persons who shared time with the author/artist during his short
life writing, designing book covers, and producing multiple forms
of visual art. For instance, the photographer and publisher Fred
Holland Day, whose involvement in Gibran s early years assisted him
onto the path that would be his life. But Gibran, during his whole
life, also felt split between his adopted home of Boston, MA, and
his birthplace in the Middle East. The authors make a point to draw
attention to his cross-national identity, the details that
connected him to his birthplace as well as to the Arabic
language... that zoom lens on Gibran s life positively reflects the
authors use of many special archives to produce this narrative.
VERDICT Recommended for readers who have a soft spot for... upbeat
literary narratives of writers. --Library Journal
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