SUHEIR HAMMAD
Saturday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Co-presented with the ARAB CENTER OF WASHINGTON, the SIMPSON CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES at the UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, and HEDGEBROOK. Making this most welcome return visit to Elliott Bay and Seattle is acclaimed poet, essayist and performer Suheir Hammad. This past spring she was part of an extraordinary series of appearances around the region, all presented under a co-produced effort of Hedgebrook and the Arab American Community Coalition, that brought six distinguished women poets and writers of the Arab World here. A disappointment of the time was that Suheir Hammad, author of an early collection of poems, Born Palestinian, Born Black, and a memoir, Drops of This Story, was here with both of those books out of print. She returns tonight from her New York home, a recent recipient of a prestigious Sisters of Fire Award, with a long-awaited new collection of poems in hand, ZaatarDiva (Cypher/Ratapallax). "Suheir Hammad’s ZaatarDiva summons through moments of lyrical insight and urbane wit, again and again, and before we know what has happened, we are hooked. Here’s a poetry that urges a wholeness—a crossing of borders—as the personal is woven into the public, whereby a ‘prodigal daughter’ possesses her own knowing voice. Each poem in ZaatarDiva is heart-driven by the urgent, raw orality of need. And, there is a glistening barb in each turn of phrase—a lure of quicksilver accuracy." - Yusef Komunyakaa. Suheir Hammad is also known, among other things, as a Tony Award-winning participant in Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on Broadway. This is one not to be missed. For more on the Arab Center of Washington, please see www.arabcenter.net. For more on Hedgebrook, please see www.hedgebrook.org.

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