Come back, come back,
even though you have broken your vows a thousand times,
Ours is not a house of despair,
ours is a house of hope.
-Jelaluddin Rumi
Shems Friedlander, whose The Whirling Dervishes and When You Hear Hoofbeats, Think of a Zebra became instant classics, now offers us another jewel--unique in that it brings to light hitherto unpublished material on the sacred music and dance, or
Friedlander himself has been a member of the Mevlevi order of dervishes (known in the west as the Whirling Dervishes), founded by Jalaluddin Rumi, for 25 years and has been initiated as a
He brings an insight and understanding of the work of Rumi which links it to the roots of Rumi's thought. This offers the reader an insider's in-depth view of Rumi which other contemporary
As Friedlander presents the "Roots of His Thought," the story of Rumi's life unfolds in an entirely fresh and accessible manner, sprinkled with the Master's poetic insights. The work concludes with a most admirable explanation of the inner and outer nature of sacred music and we are shown how a "glimpse of Truth is revealed by vibrations and sound."
About Author:
Shems Friedlander is a professor of practice in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at The American University in Cairo. Friedlander graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1963 and since then has been prominent in the art world as a photographer, graphic designer, documentary filmmaker
As a professor of practice in the Department of Mass Communications (since 1994), Friedlander teaches visual communications. He also teaches a drawing class in the Department of the Arts. In 2005 he was awarded Teacher of Excellence by the School of Business, Economics
Friedlander’s paintings, drawings