Manal Al Natour, PhD

Armand and Mary Singer Professor of Humanities

Associate Professor of Arabic Studies

We are thrilled to learn that Manal Al Natour, PhD, Associate Professor of Arabic Studies at WVU, has been named Armand E. and Mary W. Singer Professor of Humanities. Congratulations, Dr. Al Natour!

This endowed professorship in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences was created in 2000 by the Singers, their daughter Fredericka Hill, and their son-in-law Thomas Hill. The Singers, both beloved WVU professors of world languages and mentors in the humanities, set up this endowed professorship to promote humanistic scholarship and teaching at the University.

Dr. Al Natour has a PhD in comparative literature and cultural studies from the University of Arkansas and has been teaching at WVU since 2012. She is a former recipient of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award, the WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching, and a Big 12 Scholar. She will use this opportunity to complete her book, “Mapping the Syrian City: Home, Identity, and Place in Contemporary Syrian Literature” and write a scholarly article on Syrian feminism for Cambridge University Press’ forthcoming “Handbook on Feminism in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Research for both projects will involve extensive field work in Connecticut, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan, and the Zaatri refugee camp in Jordan. Dr. Al Natour’s work focuses on the experience of refugee women and explores a reshaping of the sense of place, home, and belonging in contemporary Syrian literature.

Q&A with Dr. Al Natour

The Singer Professorship honors work in the humanities. What do you think is so important about the work we do in the humanities?

The work we do in the humanities addresses what it means to be human, and it bridges gaps between cultures and has the potential to bring us together. Despite varied life experiences, we share a lot just by virtue of being human.

 

As a professor of world languages and a translator, how does learning a new language contribute toward what is so valuable about the humanities?

Learning a language helps you to understand others’ most important experiences, values, and cultures. A lot resists translation and while a dictionary might translate a word into a different language, you cannot translate culture with a dictionary. Some of the most interesting and valuable ways to understand others can only be grasped within their language. Really understanding the experiences of others is not just about a bit of terminology, it is about grasping values, cultural norms, emotions, reading in between the lines, understanding the contexts of expression, hearing intonation, and appreciating intent.

 

Given your scholarly interests in home, place, and belonging, what is home for you?

I am a hybrid person with two genuine homes where I feel a deep sense of belonging. I am from Jordan. I spent my childhood there, I still have family there, and I connect with the food, language, culture, and history of Jordan. One of my favorite things to do, and something I miss while I am away from Jordan, is walking along the Dead Sea or visiting Petra. Jordan is certainly my home.

However, I built myself as a scholar, an independent woman, and a single mom as a young woman in the U.S. My children, who were both born in the U.S., are American. My colleagues and students are here. If you take me away from my books and my people in Morgantown, you cancel a part of me. Morgantown is my home, too.

 

What has been the most interesting lesson that you have learned through travel?  

Travel can provide a deeply intimate understanding of the lives of others. Through my work, which involves travel, I have interviewed hundreds of people who have invited me into their homes and vulnerably shared their life experiences with me in the hope that I will be the strong voice to tell their stories. While hearing these stories, I must also respect boundaries while narrating as a scholar. I feel proud and privileged to tell their stories—especially those of women who have lost their homes, become widowed refugees, and have successfully provided for their families in strange new lands.

 

What is your highest hope for the work you are doing right now?

My highest hope is that the world will read my work, not just professional scholars. The women’s stories I am telling are real stories of triumph from the glue of family and glue of the culture. These stories are lived examples of feminism in action. What these women have accomplished in the circumstances they were thrown into is truly amazing and inspiring. I feel privileged and honored to be trusted to be a voice for these people.

 

How do you enjoy spending your time when you are not engaged in your scholarship?

I love being in nature. I enjoy caring for my plants, going to Coopers Rock, and just being outside. However, the most meaningful moments for me are those spent around the dinner table with my children.

 

When you were a child, how did you answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I always wanted to be a “good teacher” because I loved school, and I loved my teachers. I hope to leave a positive trace on the lives of my students. I want them to inspire them to explore the world and be devoted to thoughtfully addressing the social challenges of our time.

Given your life experience, what is one piece of advice would you share with others?

Be persistent and don’t give up. If you get knocked down, clean off the dust and stand again. Nothing good you do as a human being goes away. Kindness, loyalty, love, and care will endure no matter what.