Essay from Feruza Muzaffarova

Young Central Asian teen girl with dark straight hair and dark eyes. She's resting her hand on her neck and wearing a white collared blouse.
Feruza Musaffarova

O`TKIR HOSHIMOVNING “IKKI ESHIK ORASI”ROMANIDA QAHRAMONLAR OBRAZI TALQINI.

Muzaffarova Feruzabonu Yodgor qizi.
Buxoro psixologiya va xorijiy tillar instituti talabasi.
muzaffarovaferuzabonu2com@gmail.com

Annotatsiya: Ushbu maqolada O`zbekistonning taniqli yozuvchisi,adib O`tkir Hoshimovning “Ikki eshik orasi” romani qisman tahlil etilgan,asar qahramonlarining hayot yo`li,ijobiy va salbiy xarakterlari,inson umrining murakkabligi haqida so`z yuritilgan.
Kalit so’zlar: insonparvarlik, “Ikki eshik orasi”, qahramon, pafos, roman.

ИНТЕРПРЕТАЦИЯ ОБРАЗА ГЕРОЕВ В РОМАНЕ ОТКИРА ГАШИМОВА "МЕЖДУ ДВУМЯ ДВЕРЯМИ".
Аннотация: В данной статье частично анализируется роман известного писателя Узбекистана Откира Гашимова «Между двумя дверями», обсуждаются жизненный путь героев произведения, положительные и отрицательные персонажи, сложность человеческой жизни.
Ключевые слова: гуманизм, «Между двумя дверями», герой, пафос, роман.

INTERPRETATION OF THE IMAGE OF THE HEROES IN THE NOVEL "BETWEEN TWO DOORS" BY OTKIR HASHIMOV.

Annotation: In this article, the novel "Between Two Doors" by Otkir Hashimov, a well-known writer of Uzbekistan, is partially analyzed, the life path, positive and negative characters of the heroes of the work, and the complexity of human life are discussed.
Key words: humanitarianism, "Between Two Doors", hero, pathos, novel.

Although O`tkir Hashimov's novel "Between Two Doors" was written in 1986, it is one of the masterpieces that readers have not lost their hands to today. A reader who reads the work will have a strange feeling in his heart. In the novel, the scenes of the bloody war of the last century are illuminated by the example of the fate of people. At the same time, through the system of events in the play, it is said that the war left an indelible mark on the hearts of every family member. 

There is a saying in the work, "Between the truth and the lie - four latitudes". This single proverb compares the difference between the change of a person's destiny for the better or for the worse to four steps. This is characterized by the writer's deep understanding of all aspects of life, skillfully interpreting this fact in the case of the heroes of the work. At the same time, there are four latitudes between a person's eyes and ears. There is a saying in our people, "Believe what you see, not what you hear." This is also a sign that our wise people have tasted the bitter and sweet life and that they have come to a deep meaningful conclusion.

The skill of the writer is that the person who reads the work feels the inner experiences of the hero. When they cry, he cries, and when they rejoice, he rejoices with them.

The scenes of life depicted in the work, interpersonal relations, their dialogues, as well as the author's own artistic style are distinguished by their naturalness and sincerity. The compositional structure of the novel is also unique. The writer skillfully connects the stories of the characters in it. Such a poetic method chosen for the image requires high skill from the writer.

In the character of Muzaffar in the work, one can see the image of a sincere person who has experienced many difficulties. Especially, the image of the elder Arif gives the novel its charm. His humanitarianism, the reputation he gained among people, and his strength to overcome difficulties in the most difficult moments will be imprinted in the reader's memory.

When talking about the image of Robiya, the reader imagines the qualities typical of a real Uzbek girl: beautiful, hardworking, sincere, with long hair. Fate does not smile at Robiya. Robiya, orphaned by her mother since she was young, grows up under the care of her father. How complicated the fate of people in the work is can be seen in the image of Robiya alone.

The character of Kimsan, the only son of Black aunt, who embodies the image of a truly brave, brave, selfless Uzbek boy, which increases the value of the work. Through the image of Kimsan, we can see that the writer clearly expressed the image of loyalty, who literally sacrificed himself at the hands of the Nazis to protect his country, family, and his beloved. Through the image of Kimsan, we can learn how dangerous war is and its consequences.
Some of the characters in the work have a positive place in the reader's mind with their honesty, conscience, and faith typical of the Uzbek people, but Umar, like Zakunchi, is strict, unscrupulous, and will do anything for his own benefit. The unattractive, unpopular person occupies a negative position.

In short, the reader reads each work of the writer with great interest and enthusiasm. O`. In Hashimov's novel "Between Two Doors", the emotions of the characters acquire a negative meaning.  The reason is clear, war is a great burden for the people. In the age of technology, we young people should be proud of our endless opportunities to read our golden heritage and spiritual masterpieces whenever we want, under whatever conditions we want.  In such a time, let's not get tired of stepping towards new opportunities in New Uzbekistan, contributing more to the development of my country, and let's use all our opportunities in this way.

Times pass, people change, development reaches its climax, but it is not surprising that O`tkir Hashimov's novel, like other classic works, remains in the public eye!

References:
1.	O`. Hoshimov. Between two doors, "Nurli Dunya" publishing house, 2022
2.	Bakhronova, M.A., & Sayfullayeva M. Dictation as language learning tool. Pedagogy and psychology in the modern world: theoretical and practical research 2022. B.-252-258. https://in-academy.uz/index.php/zdpp/article/view/1812

Essay from Evie Petropoulou

Men in suits and women in dresses and skirts and headscarves stand behind a table with a white tablecloth in a wooden room with windows and greenery.

Egypt celebrates the International Day of the Poet Cavafy and awards the Yorgos Foudoulis Prize for Culture 2024

Egypt participated in the celebration of the International Day of the Greek Poet Cavafy, including the Yorgos Foudoulis Prize for the year 2024.
The Egyptian-Greek ceremony was held at the Grand Hotel
Organized, sponsored and chaired by the Commissioner General of the Foudoulis Award in Egypt:
Dr. Atef Khair
The vice president of the celebration 

Manar Marouf
And Dr. Reda Abdel Rahim
And the journalist Andy Al-Arabi
And journalist Marwa Abdel Ghani

The ceremony, started with the playing of the Greek National Anthem and then the Egyptian Republican Anthem
The Yorgos Foudoulis Prize for Culture was awarded with honors
Honor, shields and certificates of appreciation by  the name of the Yorgos Foudoulis
 Culture Award
The Foudoulis Prize for Culture for the year 2024 was awarded to :

Professor Dr. Mona Haggag, Greek archaeologist and civilizationist

And the Greek archaeologist and civilization scientist, Professor Dr. Wafaa Al-Ghanem

And the distinguished artist of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Culture, Dr. Ali Abdel Ghani
And historian and writer Dr. Reda Abdel Rahim
The Vice-Chairman of the Celebration is Mrs. Manar Marouf
Issam Helmy, the Egyptian guitar expert

He knows the semsimiya instrument and the leader of the traditional semsimiya band, the artist Ahmed Ashry
And the international visual artist, Dr. Adel Benjamin
And Mrs. Amani Ahmed Tarraf
And President of OCD Academy of Arts
Visual artist Abdullah Kharouba

And the artist Marian Muhammad
And the artist Imad Muhammad Ibrahim
And the artist Nisreen Al-Lawandi
And the  artist and calligrapher Ahmed Tariq
And the poet Hana Al-Gharabawi
And the poet Maryam Al Faraskouri
The artist is the leader of the Storm Team performing arts team
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Grand Hotel, Mr. Jamil Farah, was honored
And the head of the Egyptian Society for Human Rights, Counselor Gamal Al-Najjar
The ceremony included speeches delivered by  the presidency of the celebration, and Dr. Atef Khair thanked and appreciated the attendees. 

He also thanked and appreciated the international Greek musician Giorgos Foudoulis, who authorized him to award the award in Egypt.
The ceremony was presented in English by journalist Marwa Abdel Ghani
The ceremony was presented in Arabic
Journalist Muhammad Al-Jazzar
Professor Mona Haggag and Professor Wafaa Al-Ghanem spoke about Greek civilization in Egypt and the historical relations between Egypt and Greece.
The poet Hana Al-Gharabawi recited the poem Greece
The poet Maryam Al Faraskouri also recited the poem “Ithaca” by the poet Kafafis in Arabic

Storm Team Performing Arts performed
A dancer's performance to the music of Zorba the Greek
Pharaonic review
A review of Egyptian folklore
Guitarist Issam Helmy played musical pieces
Singer Hamsa Ekramy presented singing segments
The ceremony included a musical performance by musician Yorgos Foudoulis
And Cavafy's poems
And the Greek song of Alexandria
Certificates of honor were presented to the attendees and participants from the Egyptian governorates and cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, Damietta, Asbut, and Sharqia.
In the conference hall of the Grand Hotel Ras El Bar.




Poetry from Sandip Saha

Heaven on the earth

I remember those golden days
thirty minutes past nine evening
the sun was still in the west sky 
yet to touch the horizon
our dinner was over
it was time to go to bed
but my eyes were not blinking
lest I miss the beauty of nature

I did not sleep much that night
at three o’clock early morning
the sun already rose 
illuminated surroundings 
as well as my mind
no traffic at all in the roads
below our hotel 
night survived only for a few hours.

Standing on the shore of the Atlantic
covered in thick woolen wares
as pricking cold piercing to skin
we went to see the sunset,
in panoramic view of my camera
I caught the sun in between cliffs
partly submerged in the ocean, its roar
appeared to be loud laugh of joy

our coach was running in snow fall
both sides of the road were flooded
not by water but with ice
it was dawn, the red sun threw
its first ray of light
to the peaks of hills
white, it was only white everywhere
my mind found heaven on the earth.




I saw you                                                                                        

When I saw you last time	
you had one squirrel that
came running from the bush
jumped up on your palm
swallowed three almonds
ran away back to the jungle

your fondness of birds
was as profound as ever
couple of them were 
sitting on your head
so colorful and lively
it was a pleasure to look

as I left, you took up
a book on your lap
sitting on a door step
on a trimmed green lawn
with a cup of coffee
you got lost in it

the smiling roses and marigolds
were soaked in dew on the lawn
the golden sun just reached
from the morning horizon
making them pleasant
bees came on them buzzing

the cowboy left home 
to graze his cattle herd
long way to go for meadows
over hills calm and quiet
he took his lunch box 
as at dusk only he will return.




I want to dissolve my mind

Every moment of my life is dying
drowning in the ocean of the past
the stories that are composed 
become history forever.

My mind and body are floating
in the flowing river of time
they are destined to die
one day or the other.

My Self is observing 
sitting on the bank
it will do so
till the show is over.

Whatever once started
is going to finish 
body will perish
mind mourning melancholy.

Body suffers sadness
till it dies
mind carries the grief forward
from one body to the other.

How to slain the mind
is the job in hand
let it dissolve in the Self
abolishing painful existence.







I met God

Meeting God is a wonderful experience
for which many devotees hanker after 
considering it the highest goal of life.

God has been met by different people
in many different means and ways
most of them by bhakti yoga.

They want to meet It as the beloved
the endless ocean of love
in which they like to dissolve themselves.

Some get It as the divine mother
or the father who is the savior
Yashoda got It as son and so on.

Experiencing the immense power of God
is also meeting It, not as the lovable 
but as the most unconquerable entity.

I went against the God vehemently
for many unfortunate ills It causes to us
abused It left and right spurring venom.

I was about to leave for Japan with my wife
paid huge amount of money to the tour operator
but two days before the journey I got typhoid.

It attacked me with Its deadly weapons
typhoid was accompanied by 
asthma cough, severe dysentery, arthritis.

Over and above that my brain was invades by gas
I could not lift my head lost control on myself
soiled my bed passing stool and vomiting.

It was so severe that I felt I may die
it was deep at night, my wife was also helpless
that day I bowed to It seeing Its supreme power.




Preposterous politics

Now a days there are rushes among politicians
to fall at the feet of poor people of lower cast.
Some greats men described this as worship
it seems, according to them, presence of God
is more in poor unprivileged public than riches.

Ha, ha, ha, these pretentious politically motivated
unscrupulous actions are nothing to do with love.
One elderly woman made a lavatory in her house 
for that the prime minister of a country bows down
touches her feet. What a ridiculous action to appease!

Another chief minister of a state appeases a poor man
on whom one upper cast rowdy guy peed in public
by brings him to felicitate with garland, washes his feet,
puts the washed water on own’s forehead as though the man
who hardly can meet his both ends will be benefited.

Democracy has developed devotion to downtrodden,
do you know why? Because of vote bank politics.
Politicians can spit and lick the same for votes
TV channels have become a dumping ground of debris
of societal actions to irritate the senses of viewers.




Sandip Saha (India) won two awards from India and one from USA, published six poetry collections. He also published 152 poems in 47 journals including The Gateway Review, 300 Days of Sun, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Brushfire Literature & Arts, Sheepshead Review, In Parentheses in six countries- India, USA, UK, Australia, Romania and Mauritius.



Essay from Behruz Toshtemirov

“What is the difference between literature and other sciences?”

Republic of Uzbekistan

Surkhandarya region

in Jarkurgan district

 of secondary school No. 2

native language and literature teacher

Muhabbat Mahmudova Pardayevna

              Literature is related to all fields. Literature is closely related to the fields of spirituality, sophistication, art, and history. Spirituality (Arabic for “moral state” is the image of the nation. It directs a person to perfection and purifies his soul. Our first president I.A. Karimov “Literature is anthropology and poets and writers are described as engineers of the human soul, it is not for nothing that it is not difficult to understand that literature is one of the tools that elevates spirituality. literature will live forever. Because it reflects a high spirituality. For example, the epic “Alpomish” embodies the high spirituality of the Uzbek nation. When we read it, courage, honesty, and kindness are the most important, and the feeling of love for the motherland grows in our blood. beats more violently.

          The relationship between literature and art is that through its only tool, the word, it evokes a world of impressions and pleasure in the reader. Look at the two verses of A. Navoi;

You made us a victim by decorating your face with flowers,

He touched your face and made us victims.

through similes and beautiful lies, the creator has turned these stanzas into art. As an artist can create a work of art, a poet has created a work of art that is no less enjoyable.

literature goes hand in hand with history. History tells what happened, literature describes how it was.

        Imagery is an important tool in literature, as in all works of art. Imagery (Russian “common image”) is the reflection of the reality of existence in creative artistic thinking. For example; A flower is a plant that brightens the eyes, but in the eyes of a poet, it turns into a beautiful flower.

       The artist enjoys and is influenced by life while creating his work. The more the work is based on the logic of life, the more readers it will have. Literature takes all its materials from life; It expresses reality in an artistic way. That is, it is the opposite (perception) of literature, but exactly not himself. Because life is not based on literature, literature is based on life. A work inspired by imagination and high emotions is also built on a vital, logical basis. Because life and emotions themselves are vital concepts. The perception of reality in a person’s mind is an understood, meaningful perception.

          Life is not simply reflected in literature. The reflection of life in literature is a known, understood, meaningful reflection the artist observes life and comes to general conclusions and reflects these conclusions in his work – judges reality…

                                    “This article was written on October 3, 2023 at 16:30″…

Essay from Tuliyeva Sarvinoz

Young Central Asian woman with long dark hair, brown eyes, small hoop earrings, standing in front of a planter full of multicolored blooming flowers. She's got on a dark suit and tie and a medal and is holding on to a bouquet of flowers.
Tuliyeva Sarvinoz

Our society is in the hands of young people!

The growing young generation is the future of our society. Parents should lay the foundation for their education, language learning, and professional development. They should be an example to their children.

There is a saying in our people: "A bird does what it sees in its nest." Of course it is. Parents are role models for their children.

We found it permissible to give examples from events in life. A friend of mine from a long time ago used to take all his pain from his little child as a result of misunderstandings in his family, relations between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. His child was still two years old. The quarrels and passions that took place at home were getting imprinted in the child's memory. He was growing up as a timid, shy, lonely child...

Big mistakes of parents in child rearing started to surface. The result of their mistakes knowingly and unknowingly hit them like a slap in the face in the example of their children...

When the child reaches adulthood, he does not respect his parents, gets angry at the slightest problem, and fights with his friends on the street every day. His life was meaningless and fruitless...
You definitely don't want to get into this situation. But such mistakes are made in case of ignorance.

Dear parents, let's open our eyes. Let's not ignore the future of our children.

The future of our society is in the hands of our children and youth! They should be given knowledge in every field, be an example, read books together, and have useful activities. Then the child develops.
Why does a child born in a family of intellectuals necessarily get a higher education? Why does a child born in an artistic family become an artist? So?! Because such talents and abilities are a process that passes through genes. If you want to change the genes of your ancestors, first change yourself. Read, develop, gain knowledge, set goals. Action and action.

Let's not forget that it is in the hands of parents to form an educated, intelligent class for our society!

Tuliyeva Sarvinoz
The owner of the state award named after Zulfiya.
Teacher of native language and literature at Shaikhontohur District Vocational School of Tashkent city.

Poetry from Taylor Dibbert

Marital Reflections




They had an

Ernest Hemingway

Old Man and the Sea

Kind of marriage,

A big catch

And a lot

To be

Excited about

But then they

Went through

A bunch

And once they

Returned home

Everything was gone.



Taylor Dibbert is a writer, journalist, and poet in Washington, DC. “Rescue Dog,” his fifth book, was published on May 7.

Poetry from Saad Ali

Edward Munsch's Rain. 1902, Abstract Expressionism. Two women, one in a black dress with a red hat, and another with a straw hat and a tan blouse and a black skirt, stand with their backs to us on a deck overlooking a yard with trees and clouds. A red building is to the right.

The Regntiden1

for Lloyd A. Jacobs, Ejaz Rahim & Leonidas Efthmiou

after Rain (Regn) by Edvard Munch (Norway), 1902 C.E.

 I

 The Bookshelf // 
I assemble the newly procured bookshelf 
and place the wooden statues of The Zulu Warriors—
my father had brought back with him from Kenya 
in the Summer of ’96 C.E.—
on either side of the five-shelved rack, 
as if The Valkyries at the Valgrind to Valhalla. 
I place the books horizontally on the wooden planks, 
not vertically—since, the weight of the words 
can also force the spine of the book to bend.

*

The weight of the words of some books 
is also (in)famous for forcing the minds-of-wo/men 
to bend & mend! And I ponder: if the weight of the words 
of my books will also succeed in serving such a purpose?

 II

 East & West // 
I literally use the compass to figure out 
the exact eastern-end and the western-end of my room, 
and place the 4’ tall wooden lamp—
a present I had received from my ex-girlfriend 
in the Summer of ’14 C.E.—
in the Eastern Corner. 

[Perhaps,] it’s the effect of the sweet intoxication 
from the aroma of the freshly rain-bathed soil 
that forces me to take the proverb, 
the sun rises in the East 
and sets in the West, 
 literally! 

And I place the stone incense burner 
(with an uncovered opening to the compartment 
inside for hosting a miniature candle)—
procured from The Body Shop—
atop the lid of the lamp to symbolise the Stella/Sol.2

 III

 The Vahana //3
 I think of pulling my vahana – 
Toyota Aqua (Hybrid) 1500 cc 
(procured via a local car dealer 
in the Summer of ’17 C.E.) –
out of the porch and 
letting her also bathe and breathe 
in the mint-fresh rain. 

*

This early, early ante meridiem 
cata-doxa4 is a call for Celebration ‘n Change: 
the (in)famous Indian Monsoon is early 
in the Summer of ’22 C.E. 

Both the man & the beast will be observing 
the Thanksgiving early, too—
since the sunrays, like the uninvited guests,
had the dramas-of-life rather shackled, lately.

______________

1. Regntiden (Norwegian): The Rains.
2. Sol (Roman Mythology): The Sun God.
3. Vahana (Hindu Mythology): The Ride of a God/Goddess.
4. Cata-Doxa (Greek idiom): (Raining) Cats and Dogs.
Mary Cassatt's Children Playing on the Beach. 1884. Two small light-skinned toddlers, one with a straw hat with a red ribbon, in little white dresses with black underclothes playing with little pails in the sand on the beach. Water and a ship with white sails in the distance.
On the Beaches in Bulgaria: 2016 C.E.

for Cameron, Monika & Aleksandra

after Children Playing On The Beach by Mary S. Cassatt (USA), 1884 C.E.



 I

Today —
 Solis-roasted Sand2;
 	Solis-burnt Sea2.

It makes you appreciate e=mc2
in a rather strange, strange way.
Or maybe it’s the beer (?)
Under the gaze of the Thirsty Solis,
a pint of Heineken barely manages
to stay cool for > 300 seconds.
 
 II

“… And pile it up more around the chest, belly & limbs.
… But spare the face!
You know I’m rather proud of my Persian Face!”
He asks me to help him
cover his body with the sunbaked sandy beach.
“Don’t turn this into a burial rehearsal now!”
I mock his idea of the sand-therapy.

~

The Scene / Act reminds me of the street hawkers
from back home—
roasting the corn-on-the-cobs & chickpeas
in the salty-sea shore-sand on their mobile-stalls.

 III

“We won’t let you drown.
Trust Us!”
Monika & Aleksandra make a support
with their arms and teach me
how to make my body float on the water.
“When I was 9, I had drowned
in The Indus River on a picnic day-out,”
I stutter as I raise my legs &
let the buoyancy take charge.

 IV

Today —
I’ve been rather unfaithful to myself:
I violated the vow of Literary-Celibacy
i.e. I broke the promise-to-self
to not to indulge in any poetry & poems.


 
Henri Rousseau, The Muse Inspiring the Poet, 1909. Woman in a long blue dress with flowers in her hair standing outdoors among leafy trees and red flowers next to a man in a suit with buttons and a bowtie holding a scroll of paper and a quill pen.
Cigarette-Smoke Halos

for Family & Friends

after The Muse Inspiring The Poet (La Muse Inspirant le Poete) by Henri Rousseau (France), 1909 C.E.

 I

Mercury/Steel Cigarette-Smoke Halos for all my dreams.
Why 		shalt I 			feel
intimidated by an Israfel?*

 II

Of late – poems are frequenting me
like 	an Ottoman Emperor 		frequents
his favourite mistresses in the harems.

 III

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m a Socrates,
a Constantine, 		a Rumi, 		a Ghalib,
but without any fast acolytes.

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m a line
without 		any 		alphabet
and commas and apostrophes and periods.

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m an epic
that 		can’t be		bound
by any spiral or saddle-stitched spines.

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m a thumb,
a forefinger,	a middle finger		on a hand
that can’t seem to be able to strangle the wind.

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m a medallion,
an 		untied		knot
on an Eshfahan, a Kashan, a Farahan kilim.

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m a verse,
a couplet,	a ghazal, 	a sonnet,
but without any regards in her chest.

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m a curse,
a prayer		on a broken		mother’s lips,
who lost a youngling to some war.

Sometimes – I feel like/as if I’m a Man
—with 		a		Free Will—
but only as free as his idioms and narratives.



______________

*Israfel: One of the Four Archangels in the Islamic Theology. The named Angel is assigned with the duty of making the announcement for the arrival of Youm al Qiyama (The Judgement Day).Saad Ali (b. 1980 CE in Okara, Pakistan) has been brought up and educated in the United Kingdom and Pakistan. He holds a BSc and an MSc in Management from the University of Leicester, UK. He is a bilingual poet-philosopher and literary translator. His new collection of poems is titled Owl Of Pines: Sunyata (AuthorHouse, 2021). He has translated Lorette C. Luzajic’s ekphrastic poetry and micro/flash fictions into Urdu: Lorette C. Luzajic: Selected Ekphrases: Translated into Urdu (2023). He is a regular contributor to The Ekphrastic Review. He has had poems published in The Mackinaw and Synchronized Chaos. His work has been nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology. He has had ekphrases showcased at an Art Exhibition, Bleeding Borders, curated at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada. He has had poems featured in two anthologies of poetry—Poetry is a Mountain (2019) and This Uncommon Place (2019)—by Kevin Watt (ed.). Some of his influences include: Vyasa, Homer, Attar, Rumi, Nietzsche, Freud, Jung, Kafka, Tagore, Lispector, et alia. He enjoys learning different languages, travelling by train, and exploring cities/towns on foot. To learn further about his work, please visit: www.saadalipoetry.com; www.facebook.com/owlofpines.