Scripts for Wonder and World Making
in Classical Arabic
A Book Talk with Travis Zadeh
Moderated by Sarah R. bin Tyeer and Matthew Keegan
Abstract: To write of wonder and rarity in classical Arabic was to enumerate, to fascinate, and to numb through the authoritative language of mastery and endless inventory. Collections on wonders and rarities promised to open up the secrets of nature, which when unleashed could produce marvelous results. Faced with the expanse of creation, the abiding illusion-that the wonders of the world could be captured within the pages of a single book-was irresistible. This talk addresses the lasting place of wonder in Islamic natural philosophy, through a broader reflection on the epistemic challenges of fathoming premodern cosmologies.