GrayLit Vol. 1
“GrayLit is a digital culture hub and print periodical presenting art and thought at the intersection of Palestinian and Jewish histories and movements for justice. It takes its name from a term (“gray literature”) that refers to information produced and circulated outside of commercial publishing. As an evolving editorial collective, we present creative work in a variety of media—from paintings to protests—that challenges political, social, and cultural hierarchies.
GrayLit strives to contribute to an emergent culture shift motivated by opposition to the violences of white supremacy, colonialism, and oppressive nationalisms by asking questions about access, representation, and resources. Through our curation, we hope to address a glaring gap between the richness and complexity of Jewish culture and the limited scope of mainstream definitions of Jewishness. For many, white Ashkenazi history and culture serve as pre-dominant reference points, and the history and culture of Jews of Color, Sephardism, and Mizrahim too often serve as footnotes to institutional Jewish life or are not acknowledged at all.
This inaugural print edition offers examples of the kinds of art and thought we are excited to feature. NYC based Philipinx-Jewish-American artist Camille Hoffman uses mixed media paintings to investigate meanings of home and land, constructing imaginary landscapes where disposable bodies, histories, and materials might be valued. Lebanese-American poet Zein El-Amine offers a translation of Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour’s writings from Israeli prison and his own in tribute to Lebanese freedom fighter Souha Bechara. Algerian Israeli author an dtheorist Ariella Azoulay shows how the power relations of photography and archives erase Palestinian history. We hope these and other contributions will help us learn, imagine, and build together.”