Podcast Summary:

All Of It with Alison Stewart
Episode: A Celebration of Arab American Poetry
Aired: April 6, 2026 | WNYC

Episode Overview

In this episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart celebrates both National Poetry Month and Arab American Heritage Month by spotlighting poetry from Arab American writers. The discussion centers around the themes, language, and cultural contexts of contemporary Arab American poetry, shining a light on poets whose work navigates identity, memory, exile, and the current political climate. Alison is joined by Cleo Delassa, a member of the New York Public Library’s poetry committee, who shares recommendations and insights from several standout poetry collections, including works by Zaina Hashem Beck, Fady Joudah, Mohammed El-Kurd, and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Selecting Poetry for the NYPL List

[02:33–04:08]

• Cleo describes the process and criteria for the New York Public Library's 25 best poetry books list.

• Not just following trends, the committee prioritizes collections that "spoke to the contemporary moment," reflecting current social and political realities.

• Aesthetic diversity is valued: collections that engage with myth, experiment with traditional forms, and push the boundaries of the genre.

• Quote:

  "Looking for poetry that stood out, was outside of the box, but reached in with the history of the form." – Cleo Delassa [03:21]

• Cleo describes the committee’s process: everyone reads independently, then shares and debates favorites.

2. Featured Poem Reading: "The Economy" by Ariana Reines

[04:10–07:16]

• Cleo shares Ariana Reines' poem "The Economy" from her collection The Rose (“one of my favorites of the year”).
• The poem explores themes of self-perception, authenticity, and a sense of dispossession in consumerist culture.
• Notable Excerpt:

  "I know what it's like to pay money for such, the three-dimensional image of things, to find them feeling hollow and smelling wrong." – Ariana Reines, read by Cleo [05:35]
  "You are not a thing. You are not the object against which forces tilt that you cannot control. You are the entire subject of the world." – Ariana Reines, read by Cleo [06:37]

3. Spotlight on Arab American Poets and Their Work

a. Zaina Hashem Beck, O

[07:16–08:51]

• Highly regarded for bilingual work interwoven with Arabic and English.
• Her poetry uses translation, echo, and contradiction between languages, exploring themes of memory, family, homeland, and exile.
• Quote:

  "The Arabic and English serve both as like a translation, as an echo, and as like a contradiction of one another." – Cleo Delassa [07:40]

• Cleo praises its universality and emotional resonance, especially concerning national identity and heritage.

b. Fady Joudah, The Earth in the Attic

[08:51–10:22]

• Joudah is both a physician and a poet, and his medical and humanitarian work informs the gravity of his themes: war, displacement, and care.
• Poems rooted in his experience with Doctors Without Borders post-Second Intifada.
• Cleo’s favorite from this collection is "Resistance," which depicts an elderly couple’s domestic life amid conflict, reflecting healing and endurance.
• Quote:

  "There are a lot of poems ... with very intense themes of war and of healing as well, of caring for others." – Cleo Delassa [09:35]

c. Mohammed El-Kurd, Rifqa

[10:22–11:38]

• A deeply political collection named after the poet’s grandmother, connecting personal and collective memory with the land of Palestine.
• El-Kurd's poetry directly addresses war, loss, and the realities of occupation.
• Notable Quote (from Beck’s O, referenced by Cleo):

  "If I told you I do not choose to write about war and the children, would you believe me? I’m tired of knocking on the doors of empires." – [10:55]

• Cleo emphasizes El-Kurd’s boldness and the collection’s deserved acclaim:

  "He has a really strong poetic voice. I found his writing to be, like, really cutting and beautiful." – Cleo Delassa [11:09]

d. Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, Something about Living

[11:46–12:51]

• Written after the March of Return protests; winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry.
• The poems center on Palestine but have universal relevance, touching on issues like empire, borders, environmental destruction, and the cost of convenience.
• Quote:

  "Every empire seems invincible as borders submerge, its manicured hillsides incinerate between guaranteed next day deliveries." – Cleo Delassa (reading from Tuffaha) [12:21]

• Cleo hears echoes of climate anxiety and broader societal critique in these lines.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Search for Standout Poetry:

  "It's not necessarily books that were following a certain trend, but things that really reflected where we are in the world." – Cleo Delassa [02:49]

• On Bilingual Poetry:

  "The large majority of maybe what the poet's intentions are are going to wash by you ... other people will be able to have that interpretation that you don't." – Cleo Delassa [08:05]

• On the Intersection of Profession and Poetics:

  "He’s caring for others with, you know, destruction around them." – Cleo Delassa, on Fady Joudah [09:52]

• On the Political Weight of Poetry:

  "Mohamed El-Kurd is not afraid to write about war and the children. It will directly confront, you know, the genocide in Gaza." – Cleo Delassa [10:51]

Episode Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:34] – Criteria for NYPL poetry list selection
• [04:10] – Poem reading: "The Economy" by Ariana Reines
• [07:16] – Arab American poetry recommendations begin
• [07:36] – Discussion: O by Zaina Hashem Beck
• [08:51] – Discussion: The Earth in the Attic by Fady Joudah
• [10:22] – Discussion: Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd
• [11:46] – Discussion: Something about Living by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
• [12:51] – Episode wraps up, further reading links mentioned

Summary & Takeaway

This episode provides a vibrant portrait of the diversity and urgency of Arab American poetry today, highlighting writers whose linguistic choices, personal histories, and political realities resonate on a global scale. Through readings, analysis, and personal reflection, Alison Stewart and Cleo Delassa guide listeners to works that challenge, enlighten, and ultimately deepen our understanding of both poetry and the world it reflects.

For further reading:
Check out the full list of featured poetry collections at nypl.org.