Book DIscussion: The Monk of Mokha

06 Dec 2018

pittadmin

A book book discussion on the Monk of Mokha, by David Eggers facilitated by Will Picard.

"The Monk of Mokha tells the incredible true story of Yemeni American Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a twenty-four-year-old college dropout working as a doorman in San Francisco, and his dream of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee. When Alkhanshali journeys deep into his family’s ancestral homeland, where coffee was first brewed in the 16th century, war breaks out and he finds himself trapped in Sana. Dave Eggers captures Mokhtar’s death-defying journey through an active war zone to get on a flight to Seattle with one suitcase full of unroasted coffee and his mission to share Yemen’s lost treasure—and the farmers who grow it—with the world."

Will Picard, Executive Director of The Yemen Peace Project will facilitate the discussion.

Will Picard founded the YPP in 2010. Will's fascination with Yemen began upon visiting the country for the first time in 1999. Will is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, having studied the history, politics, and cultures of Southwest Asia. Will has conducted extensive research on Yemen's 20th- and 21st-century conflicts, and on the rise of anti-state social movements.

Will has written about the war in Yemen for Just Security, and has appeared on and been quoted by major international outlets including NBC, Foreign Policy, Huffington Post, VICE News, Middle East Eye, RT America, and Al Jazeera. Will is currently co-authoring an academic paper on the social and political impact of Yemen’s 2011 peaceful revolution with YPP board member and assistant professor of sociology Dana M. Moss.

Register here to participate: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTvOo1oGoqYRWS51q0conQrp5eWP4t...

Those attending can get a ticket to attend David Eggers and Mokhtar Alkhanshali's presentation on December 10 as part of the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Series. Global Studies also has a limited number of books available at no cost.

Event Date: 
Thursday, December 6, 2018 - 7:00pm
Institution(s): 
Sponsored By: 
The Global Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh
Contact: 
Maja Konitzer, majab@pitt.edu
Location: 
4130 Posvar Hall, 230 South Bouquet Street, University of Pittsburgh