A Forkful of Theory, a Spoonful of Dialogue
“There is no knowledge that is not power,” such were the words of Transcendentalist poet, essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. At LAU’s School of Arts and Sciences (SoAS), this power is put into motion through diverse forms, from interactive learning expeditions to workshops that bridge theory and practice.
This year, the Department of English and Creative Arts revived a long-standing departmental tradition that serves the school’s pursuit of knowledge dissemination: the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
Named for their informal lunchtime setting, where attendees are encouraged to bring their own meals should they please, “the series is a reminder that learning doesn’t only happen in classrooms or labs,” said Associate Professor Luma Balaa, who moderated the lectures. “It happens when we gather, share ideas, and have conversations that might otherwise slip by unnoticed.”
In its 2025 spring iteration, the series gathered faculty members in the field to share their research, pedagogical insights and creative approaches to teaching and learning.
Each session was conducted online via Webex and made accessible to students, staff, faculty and the LAU community in order to promote intellectual exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue. The sessions featured presentations on topics ranging from poetry and literary criticism to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic writing.
The series kicked off with a lecture by Assistant Professor Omar Sabbagh titled A Vocation for Poetry that delved into the evolution of the poetic voice as a medium for exploring complex human experiences.
Through readings and personal reflections, Dr. Sabbagh examined poetry’s capacity to grapple with layered human experiences, such as identity, memory and emotional vulnerability, while also tracing how a poet’s voice matures over time in response to both internal growth and external realities.
“Personally speaking, I find that poetry is not only an artistic practice but also a lens through which to examine intellectual and personal growth,” he said.
Following Dr. Sabbagh’s lecture, Dr. Balaa provided a critical analysis of Hanan al-Shaykh’s short story, I Sweep the Sun off Rooftops, focusing on its interrogation of cultural dichotomies between East and West.
Drawing on postcolonial theories, Dr. Balaa examined the protagonist’s nonlinear journey toward transcultural identity, particularly that of Arab women navigating postcolonial spaces.
“What drew me to this story is how it resists easy categorization,” she said. “The author doesn’t just present East and West as opposites but rather blurs the boundaries through a female protagonist who is both shaped by but pushing back against cultural expectations.”
In their presentation on the intersection of technology and pedagogy, instructors Deliah Taoum and Maya Akiki advocated for a balanced approach to integrating such tools into writing instruction and preserving students’ critical thinking and authorship.
“We aim to ensure that these tools enhance rather than undermine our students’ analytical and creative capacities,” said Akiki. “We want students to see technology as a companion in the learning process, not a shortcut,” added Taoum.
The final lecture in the series by Associate Professor Nuwar Mawlawi Diab focused on the impact of learner differences on second language (L2) writing development, based on her research.
Titled The impact of language learning strategies and motivation on L2 writers’ lexical accuracy in response to written corrective feedback, Dr. Diab’s research investigated how individual factors, such as language learning strategies and motivation, influence word choice in second-language (L2) writing.
“My study involved 63 learners who received coded teacher feedback and participated in training sessions on error revision techniques,” she said. “I aimed to show that cognitive and emotional factors shape writing accuracy, which in turn gives valuable insights for language teachers in multilingual classrooms.”
All sessions were archived to ensure they remain a lasting resource for students and teachers alike.