Andrew Simon
@simongandrew.bsky.social
Historian of media, pop culture, and the Middle East; senior lecturer @dartmouth; author of "Media of the Masses: Cassette Culture in Modern Egypt"; founder of “Ideas to Ink”; andrewgsimon.com
Pinned
The Making and Mourning of Ahmad Adawiya, a Musical Legend
The singer was banned from the airwaves, but the humble cassette allowed him to circumvent the rules and sell directly to his audience
newlinesmag.com
I never had the chance to meet Ahmad Adawiya, but I felt like I lost a friend when the artist recently passed. In this essay, I reflect on what he meant to me and many others. I hope it serves as a small testament to his immense impact and the obstacles he overcame. newlinesmag.com/essays/the-m...
A new article I can’t wait to read!
November 10, 2025 at 4:36 PM
A new article I can’t wait to read!
Reviews in academic journals are great, but to be read by writers across the Arab world is truly a gift. www.alaraby.co.uk/culture/%D8%...
"ثقافة الكاسيت في مصر".. كيف تأثر الإعلام والسوق والمزاج العام
يرصد الكتاب، الذي صدر حديثاً، كيف تمكّنت تقنية جديدة من التسلل إلى أعماق المجتمع المصري، مخترقة الطبقات كافة، لتصنع تاريخها الخاص، ومستخدمة ملايين البشر.
www.alaraby.co.uk
November 5, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Reviews in academic journals are great, but to be read by writers across the Arab world is truly a gift. www.alaraby.co.uk/culture/%D8%...
Cairo friends, this book discussion looks brilliant!
November 4, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Cairo friends, this book discussion looks brilliant!
Well this post made my day : )
November 2, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Well this post made my day : )
One of the many times I wish I could travel with the Arabic edition of “Media of the Masses,” which is now available in Algeria.
November 1, 2025 at 12:57 PM
One of the many times I wish I could travel with the Arabic edition of “Media of the Masses,” which is now available in Algeria.
Reposted by Andrew Simon
A conference call concerning media in the global south that is perhaps of interest! www.qatar.northwestern.edu/research/ias...
ICA 2026 Preconference
Echoes and Overlaps in Arab and African Thought on Media and Culture: Forging New Directions for Research
www.qatar.northwestern.edu
October 27, 2025 at 3:46 PM
A conference call concerning media in the global south that is perhaps of interest! www.qatar.northwestern.edu/research/ias...
What a treat to share my latest work on family planning at this conference in Cairo. I can’t recall such a generative and generous Q&A. I only wish I could’ve been there in person, back on the campus where I was a fellow during the 2011 Revolution.
October 26, 2025 at 2:33 PM
What a treat to share my latest work on family planning at this conference in Cairo. I can’t recall such a generative and generous Q&A. I only wish I could’ve been there in person, back on the campus where I was a fellow during the 2011 Revolution.
Just landed in Toronto and did what anyone would do. Immediately went to a Syrian restaurant. Also, they have a cassette player?!
October 23, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Just landed in Toronto and did what anyone would do. Immediately went to a Syrian restaurant. Also, they have a cassette player?!
Grateful for this engagement! m.youtube.com/watch?v=uoyb...
لمن الحكم اليوم! قراءة في كتاب إعلام الجماهير تاريخ الكاسيت في مصر - أندرو سايمون
YouTube video by هوامش قارئ - Hawamish Qare2
m.youtube.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Grateful for this engagement! m.youtube.com/watch?v=uoyb...
Cairo friends, this exciting event, featuring Fayrouz Karawya, will be taking place tomorrow!
October 22, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Cairo friends, this exciting event, featuring Fayrouz Karawya, will be taking place tomorrow!
A wonderful writer on a brilliant podcast.
New! I spoke with Raphael Cormack about his book Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age (@wwnorton.com). Listen to find out how one historian wrestles with myth, unreliable (or inaccessible) sources, & what he's learned about writing from his mother (you may have heard of her). tinyurl.com/raphcormack
October 21, 2025 at 2:27 PM
A wonderful writer on a brilliant podcast.
Taking place tomorrow in Brooklyn at 8!
October 20, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Taking place tomorrow in Brooklyn at 8!
Next Tuesday, at Sisters in Brooklyn, I'll serve as the storyteller for a show revolving around Sheikh Imam. Brooklyn Maqam will perform several of Imam's songs, which challenged the tales told by Egypt's ruling regimes and are experiencing a revival. If you'll be in the city, I'd love to see you!
October 18, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Next Tuesday, at Sisters in Brooklyn, I'll serve as the storyteller for a show revolving around Sheikh Imam. Brooklyn Maqam will perform several of Imam's songs, which challenged the tales told by Egypt's ruling regimes and are experiencing a revival. If you'll be in the city, I'd love to see you!
Dartmouth will not sign the Trump Administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”
October 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Dartmouth will not sign the Trump Administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”
An important new review essay, titled "Untangling Jews from Zionism," in the International Journal of Middle East Studies, exploring Geoffrey Levin's "Our Palestine Question" and Oren Kroll-Zeldin's "Unsettled." doi.org/10.1017/S002...
October 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
An important new review essay, titled "Untangling Jews from Zionism," in the International Journal of Middle East Studies, exploring Geoffrey Levin's "Our Palestine Question" and Oren Kroll-Zeldin's "Unsettled." doi.org/10.1017/S002...
A delightful surprise on my birthday: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoyb...
لمن الحكم اليوم! قراءة في كتاب إعلام الجماهير تاريخ الكاسيت في مصر - أندرو سايمون
YouTube video by هوامش قارئ - Hawamish Qare2
www.youtube.com
October 12, 2025 at 9:19 PM
A delightful surprise on my birthday: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoyb...
Very much looking forward to this conference!
October 6, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Very much looking forward to this conference!
Life Goal Accomplished: Become a Hakawati! So looking forward to this evening of songs and storytelling in NYC!
October 3, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Life Goal Accomplished: Become a Hakawati! So looking forward to this evening of songs and storytelling in NYC!
An exciting opportunity for Middle East historians at MIT!
September 25, 2025 at 10:09 PM
An exciting opportunity for Middle East historians at MIT!
When a reviewer wishes your book was longer 🙏
September 25, 2025 at 8:24 PM
When a reviewer wishes your book was longer 🙏
Reposted by Andrew Simon
The fall term is officially underway and I found this note in my mailbox, from a former student, on the first day of it. Messages like this one mean so much.
September 18, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The fall term is officially underway and I found this note in my mailbox, from a former student, on the first day of it. Messages like this one mean so much.
The fall term is officially underway and I found this note in my mailbox, from a former student, on the first day of it. Messages like this one mean so much.
September 18, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The fall term is officially underway and I found this note in my mailbox, from a former student, on the first day of it. Messages like this one mean so much.