From poetry, to short stories, to novels...... every time I congregate with people from the wonderful community I'm a part of we ruminate over notions of home and belonging. A lot of us share how being Palestinian, or more widely, Arab, greatly influences or steers how we think of the world around us.
From Ghassan Kanafani, Mourid Barghouti, to Adania Shibli, we've explored how our own experiences affect our comprehension of the stories of others. Where and how do we see ourselves in them? What lives have they lived that are unfamiliar to us? What would we do if we were in their places?
I'm very proud of this little community that I created mid 2021, we're still running strong.
- I've learned the significance of going beyond the classroom and examining narratives that wouldn't be necessarily centered in academic spaces.
- As people interpret literature in different ways, which are especially influenced by their level of knowledge and personal experiences, it is so powerful how eye-opening and nurturing it is to have others fill up the gaps in your understanding.
- It is by exposing ourselves to other peoples stories and perspectives do we become more empathetic as communities.