Poetry Thursday

The magazine Shi'r has resumed its weekly gathering, which it has named "Poetry Thursday," on November 7 at the American University Alumni Club in Ras Beirut.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Youssef al-Khal, proprietor and editor-in-chief of the magazine Shi'r, who welcomed those present and reviewed some of what the gathering accomplished last year and what it intends to organize this year in the way of talks on poetry and poetry evenings.

New faces were noticed, and it seems the temperature of "Poetry Thursday" will rise this year, for the poetic movement these circles have created is no longer to be taken lightly.

And speaking of the magazine Shi'r and its activity, we relate an amusing story — a novelty, perhaps, that has never before occurred in this country or in any other Arab country. When the fourth issue of the magazine appeared at the end of last October, Mr. Youssef al-Khal made an experiment that was counted a gamble, but he bore its responsibility alone: he placed fifty copies of the magazine Shi'r on a small table at the entrance of the Jafet Library at the American University, and above the table he hung a paper on which was written: (Put down the price — 150 piasters — and take a copy of the magazine), and he left the money in an open box, unwatched, all day and part of the night. A few days later the result came in — astonishing!