Naomi Shihab Nye

Book release: "Poets for Palestine"

3 September 2008



Sixty years after the dispossession of the Palestinian people, Poets For Palestine, a unique collection of poetry, spoken word, hip-hop, and art has been released. Unifying a diverse range of poets who have used their words to elevate the consciousness of humanity, this book aims to bridge a younger generation of poets with those who, for decades, have cultivated and strengthened the poetic medium. 

Video: Suheir Hammad reading 'Beyond Words' at ADC 2004

12 June 2004



At the 21st National Convention of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in Washington DC, from June 10th-13th, EI’s Nigel Parry shot video footage of Palestinian-American poet and political activist Suheir Hammad reading her poem Beyond Words. Recipient of the Audre Lourde Writing Award from Hunter College, the Morris Center for Healing Poetry Award, and a New York Mills Artist Residency in Minnesota, Suheir has recently been touring with the Tony Award-winning Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam. Video in MPEG-4 format. 

More than just stories: The portrayal of Palestinians in American children's literature

Elsa Marston 11 March 2004



Over the last fifteen years or so, multiculturalism in children’s literature has brought some much-needed attention to the Middle East. But what about the Palestinians — key players in the most controversial issue in the whole region? Do Palestinians benefit from the open-minded approach promoted by multiculturalism — the basic idea that all cultural, national, and ethnic groups are worthy of positive attention and deserving of respect? Elsa Marston reports for EI on the representation of Palestinians in children’s literature, which has a lasting impression on readers and shapes their future perceptions of the world and its peoples.