Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Acknowledgements vi
4. Note on Transliteration and Style viii
5. Introduction: A Guide for Everyone 1
6. 1 Situating Wisdom 16
7. 2 ʿAttar and Persian Literary Sufism 53
8. 3 Talk Therapy: Poetry as Spiritual Medicine 90
9. 4 The Hoopoe on the Pulpit 126
10. 5 Making Texts Speak 163
11. 6 Allegory and Ascent 190
12. 7 Anecdotal Disruptions 222
13. Conclusion: Towards a Didactic Performativity 251
14. Bibliography 257
15. Index 282