Gibran Khalil Gibran
January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931
Born in 1883 in Lebanon, Kahlil Gibran moved to the United States in 1895 and was exposed to Boston’s artistic community. Initially showing promise as an artist, he also began writing newspaper columns and books in Arabic, drawing attention for his prose poems. After moving to New York City, Gibran began writing books in English, including his most famous work, The Prophet (1923). The popularity of The Prophet endured well after the author’s death in 1931, making him the third-best-selling poet of all time.
Gibran wrote an open letter, in Arabic, to Lebanese parliamentarians in 1925, during the fall of the Ottoman Empire. His letter was titled ”The New Frontier”. In it, he states”Are you a politician asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one asking what you can do for your country? If you are the first, then you are a parasite; if the second, then you are an oasis in the desert.
