By Glen Kalem-Habib
All rights reserved © 2022
Kahlil Gibran's, 1926 work 'Sand and Foam' officially entered the public domain on January 1st, 2022, Ninety-Six years after it was first published.
Perhaps it was the eagerness of his publishers Alfred A. Knopf who in 1926 wanted to get Gibran to finish and publish his much-anticipated book, Jesus Son of Man (1928), to capitalize on the rising readership/fame of The Prophet (1923) that Sand and Foam came to fruition first in 1926. Gibran referred to this book as a "stop-gap" work, but to me, a gem of a book, one filled with treasures and a unique insight into Gibran's creative and mystical world.
A collection of parables, and aphorisms, it captures glimpses of his thinking over many years, both in Arabic and English, some of which strike tonalities and themes found in other published works like The Madman, The Forerunner, and The Prophet.
For example, The sermon on 'Giving' in The Prophet reads: "You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."
Compare this with aphorisms in Sand and Foam:
"Generosity is not in giving me that which I need more than you do, but it is in giving me that which you need more than I do"
John Lennon must have read and loved the book, dedicating the opening line of the song 'Julia" with a Sand and Foam quote. "have of what I say is meaningless, but I say it just to reach you, Julia". A must-read for any Gibran Lover.
