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GUEST: Palestinian American poet Suheir Hammad, author of “ZaatarDiva”

Poet Suheir Hammad was born in Amman, Jordan to refugee Palestinian parents. She immigrated with her family to Brooklyn, New York when she was just five years old. Inspired by poet-performers such as Nikki Giovanni, Hammad has traveled the world reciting her poetry in various venues and universities. Suheir was an original cast member of the Tony-award winning “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway.” In fact, she was the first Palestinian to star in a Broadway show, and she continues to be the first Palestinian in many artistic spaces throughout the States. Her writings have appeared in over a dozen anthologies. Suheir Hammad’s newest collection, entitled ZaatarDiva, is available in bookstores now. Author Elmaz Abinader has said of ZaaterDiva that, “The humility and generosity of her poems lament our dead, chant our prayers, entice our love, inspire our revolutions and comfort our distressed eyes.”

For more information, visit www.suheirhammad.com