The Personal Voice: The Telephone, Hair, and Silent Dancing Summary and Analysis

The Telephone by Anwar F. Accawi: Accawi recalls growing up in a small town in Jordan and pleasantly remembers the quaint virtues of village life. He remembers, for example, how events were dated by their proximity to other events. When Accawi asked his grandmother how old a certain woman is, she did not give him a date; instead, she said that she was born the same year that a big snow caused the mayor's roof to cave in, which was the same year that an earthquake damaged their kitchen. Though born decades after those events, Accawi immediately understood how old she was. This style of history, as it were, speaks to the closeness of the community, for it was only possible because everyone shared the...