Mikhail Naimy | |
|---|---|
| Native name | ميخائيل نعيمة |
| Born | (1889-10-17)October 17, 1889 |
| Died | February 28, 1988(1988-02-28) (aged 98) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Lebanese and American |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Literary movement | Mahjar |
| Notable works | The Book of Mirdad |
Mikha'il Nu'ayma (Arabic:ميخائيل نعيمة,ALA-LC:Mīkhāʼīl Nuʻaymah; US legal name:Michael Joseph Naimy), better known in English by his pen nameMikhail Naimy (October 17, 1889 – February 28, 1988), was aLebanese[1][2] poet, novelist, and philosopher, famous for his spiritual writings, notablyThe Book of Mirdad. He is widely recognized as one of the most important figures inmodern Arabic literature and one of the most important spiritual writers of the 20th century.
In 1920, Naimy re-formed theNew York Pen League, along with its original foundersNasib Arida andAbd al-Masih Haddad, and otherMahjari literary figures such asKahlil Gibran.
Naimy was born into aGreek Orthodox family and completed his elementary education at theBaskinta school.[1][2] He then studied at the Russian Teachers' Institute inNazareth and the TheologicalSeminary inPoltava. He moved to the United States in 1911, joining his two older brothers inWalla Walla, Washington, where they owned a furniture store. He then moved to Seattle to study at theUniversity of Washington, earning degrees in law and liberal arts. After his graduation in 1916 he moved to New York City, and in 1918 he was drafted in the U. S. Army.
After the war, Naimy returned for a time to Walla Walla, where he began his writing career in 1919. He wrote poetry in Russian, Arabic and English.[3] He then moved back to New York, where he joined with Khalil Gibran and eight other writers to form a movement for the rebirth of Arabic literature, theNew York Pen League. Gibran was its president and Naimy its secretary. In 1932, having lived in the States for 21 years, Naimy returned to Baskinta, where he lived for the rest of his life. He died of pneumonia at the age of 98 on February 28, 1988, inBeirut.
The mysticOsho had this to say aboutThe Book of Mirdad: "There are millions of books in the world butThe Book of Mirdad stands out far above any book in existence".
(from theMLA database, March 2008)
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