"The moment of change is the only poem."
--Adrienne Rich |
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha is a poet, writer, and translator. She is the winner of the 2016 Two Sylvias Chapbook Prize for Arab in Newsland, and the author of Water & Salt, a book of poems from Red Hen Press published in April 2017.
You can follow her @LKTuffaha |
News
September 2017
I’m looking forward to reading poems and hopefully meeting readers and writers along the way. Click here to find out where I’ll be travelling with Water & Salt this fall. Visit this site again soon as we add new events!
August 25, 2017
Journalist Zahraa Farhat and I talk about heritage, childhood writing dreams, and the poets whose imaginations keep homelands alive in this interview for the Arab American News
August 9, 2017
To learn more about my next poetry adventure, click here!
July 28, 2017
Gratitude to Poet Jenna Le for her review of Water & Salt in The Rumpus
July 15, 2017
My poem “In Case of Emergency” from Arab in Newsland was first published here in the Massachusetts Review. I talked to the editors about the process of writing the poem, coffee rituals, and geraniums as resistance.
July 12, 2017
When I hear poet Elizabeth Austen’s voice on KUOW, my pulse settles into a gentle hum and I know I am about to enter a rewarding conversation about poetry. I’m so grateful to her for the invitation to take about Water & Salt and the way poetry can help us navigate a thorny world with our children. You can listen to our conversation here
June 27, 2017
I gushed about Safia ElHillo’s gorgeous debut full-length The January Children in Poetry Northwest’s appreciations. Treat yourself to a copy of this book as soon as possible!
May 2, 2017
I love the appreciations that Poetry Northwest debuts this month, in which poets write about the books they’ve read and admired, a kind of gushing to your friends about what stays with you. Poet and editor Erin Malone’s beautiful words here about Water and Salt are a gift.
April 27, 2017
It was such a pleasure to talk with my Hedgebrook sister Crystal Kim about Water & Salt here in the Apogee Journal.
April 26, 2017
Thrilled by this generous review of Water & Salt here in Library Journal's "13 Highly Recommended Titles That Will Shock You Awake!" and equally thrilled to be in the company of so many poets I admire. It concludes with a "verdict". Thank goodness the judgement is in favor of the poems!
April 23, 2017
It is a gift to be read well, to have a generous and thoughtful reader meet you on the page. I am deeply moved by this review of Water & Salt by Paul Constant in the Seattle Weekly.
April 22, 2017 Water & Salt book launch at Elliott Bay Book Company at 7:00PM. More details soon. Thank you to Rich Smith and the Stranger for the shout out!
March 11, 2017 Chapbook launch for Arab in Newsland at Open Books in Seattle. Warm thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with me, and thanks to Two Sylvias Press and the magnificent Open Books team for hosting us! For pictures from the event check out the Two Sylvias Facebook page here
February 16, 2017 Immigrants Wanted! at SoulFood Poetry Night in Redmond, Washington. A reading with poets Faiza Sultan and Mitra Lotfi Shemirani celebrating the languages, heritage, and poetry of three local poets. Hosted by Redmond poet laureate Michael Dylan Welch.
February 10, 2017 Pre-release copies of Water & Salt sold out at AWP2017! It was a pleasure to read some poems from the book with fellow Red Hen authors at Busboys and Poets in Washington DC. For an ARC, please contact Keaton at www.redhen.org
February 8, 2017 What a lovely surprise to find my book on this list just as I am heading to AWP2017! Thank you Paul and Martin at Seattle Review of Books
October, 2016
Winner of the 2016 Two Sylvias Poetry Prize.
Thank you to poet January Gill O'Neil for selecting my manuscript Arab in Newsland for the Two Sylvias Chapbook Prize! Stay tuned for more information about the Spring 2017 publication date.
September 21, 2016
WordsWest begins its third year with a reading by WA State Poet Laureate Todd Marshall and Friends.
Click on the link to hear Todd, former WA State Poet Laureate Kathleen Flenniken, Seattel Civic Poet Claudia Castro Luna, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, and at minute 45:06 two new poems by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CX6cYretMs
April 28, 2016
Join Alan Lau, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, and EJ Koh for the Beacon Arts National Poetry Month Reading.
Beacon Hill Public Library, 6:00pm, Beacon Bards.
April 1, 2016
In Our Own Words: Muslim Women Poets at AWP
Poets Deema K. Shehabi, Shadab Zeest Hashimi, and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha read poems and engaged the audience in conversation at AWP 2016 in Los Angeles.
April 2016
New Poems in Compose
My poems "When the Sky is No Longer a Womb for Prayers" and "Exceptional" have been published in the journal Compose.
March 2016
New Poems in diode
My poems "Maqaam" and "Nakba" have been published in the Spring 2016 issue of the poetry journal diode (volume 9 number 1).
March 2016
New Poems in the Pittsburgh Poetry Review
My poems "Rootwork" and "Bleu Blanc Rouge" have been published in the March 2016 issue of PPR. To order a copy of the issue, click here.
December 9, 2015
Seattle Arab-American Poet Seeks to "Remind Us of the Human"
Thank you to Washington State Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen on KUOW
December 2015
Ruin
My poem "Ruin" is nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Lunch Ticket.
November 11, 2015
New Poem
My newest poem, "Arrest", inspired by Palestinian children living under occupation, is exclusively available here.
October 25, 2015
"Middle Village" nominated for Pushcart Prize by OFI Press Mexico
Thank you to Jack Little and OFI Press Mexico for nominating my poem "Middle Village" for a Pushcart Prize. The poem is included in my book, Water & Salt, forthcoming from Red Hen Press in 2017.
October 22, 2015
The James Franco Review
Capitol Hill Branch Library (Seattle Public Library), 425 Harvard Ave. E.
Highlighting underrepresented writers—i.e., pretty much everyone but Mr. Franco--JFR welcomes contributors Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, EJ Koh, Isaiah Swango, and Youth Poet Laureate Leija Farr. Founding editor Corinne Manning and Aaron Counts host.
June 4, 2015
Thank you to the Ofi Press in Mexico City for publishing my poems "Tu'burni" and "Middle Village" in the June-July 2015 Issue of the magazine. Check out Volume 42 of the Ofi Press here.
May 27, 2015
Thank you to Michele Penaloza and the James Franco Review for selecting my poems "Linger" and "(Dis)Placed" for publication in the journal's third issue. Read the Issue 3 of JFR here.
I’m looking forward to reading poems and hopefully meeting readers and writers along the way. Click here to find out where I’ll be travelling with Water & Salt this fall. Visit this site again soon as we add new events!
August 25, 2017
Journalist Zahraa Farhat and I talk about heritage, childhood writing dreams, and the poets whose imaginations keep homelands alive in this interview for the Arab American News
August 9, 2017
To learn more about my next poetry adventure, click here!
July 28, 2017
Gratitude to Poet Jenna Le for her review of Water & Salt in The Rumpus
July 15, 2017
My poem “In Case of Emergency” from Arab in Newsland was first published here in the Massachusetts Review. I talked to the editors about the process of writing the poem, coffee rituals, and geraniums as resistance.
July 12, 2017
When I hear poet Elizabeth Austen’s voice on KUOW, my pulse settles into a gentle hum and I know I am about to enter a rewarding conversation about poetry. I’m so grateful to her for the invitation to take about Water & Salt and the way poetry can help us navigate a thorny world with our children. You can listen to our conversation here
June 27, 2017
I gushed about Safia ElHillo’s gorgeous debut full-length The January Children in Poetry Northwest’s appreciations. Treat yourself to a copy of this book as soon as possible!
May 2, 2017
I love the appreciations that Poetry Northwest debuts this month, in which poets write about the books they’ve read and admired, a kind of gushing to your friends about what stays with you. Poet and editor Erin Malone’s beautiful words here about Water and Salt are a gift.
April 27, 2017
It was such a pleasure to talk with my Hedgebrook sister Crystal Kim about Water & Salt here in the Apogee Journal.
April 26, 2017
Thrilled by this generous review of Water & Salt here in Library Journal's "13 Highly Recommended Titles That Will Shock You Awake!" and equally thrilled to be in the company of so many poets I admire. It concludes with a "verdict". Thank goodness the judgement is in favor of the poems!
April 23, 2017
It is a gift to be read well, to have a generous and thoughtful reader meet you on the page. I am deeply moved by this review of Water & Salt by Paul Constant in the Seattle Weekly.
April 22, 2017 Water & Salt book launch at Elliott Bay Book Company at 7:00PM. More details soon. Thank you to Rich Smith and the Stranger for the shout out!
March 11, 2017 Chapbook launch for Arab in Newsland at Open Books in Seattle. Warm thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with me, and thanks to Two Sylvias Press and the magnificent Open Books team for hosting us! For pictures from the event check out the Two Sylvias Facebook page here
February 16, 2017 Immigrants Wanted! at SoulFood Poetry Night in Redmond, Washington. A reading with poets Faiza Sultan and Mitra Lotfi Shemirani celebrating the languages, heritage, and poetry of three local poets. Hosted by Redmond poet laureate Michael Dylan Welch.
February 10, 2017 Pre-release copies of Water & Salt sold out at AWP2017! It was a pleasure to read some poems from the book with fellow Red Hen authors at Busboys and Poets in Washington DC. For an ARC, please contact Keaton at www.redhen.org
February 8, 2017 What a lovely surprise to find my book on this list just as I am heading to AWP2017! Thank you Paul and Martin at Seattle Review of Books
October, 2016
Winner of the 2016 Two Sylvias Poetry Prize.
Thank you to poet January Gill O'Neil for selecting my manuscript Arab in Newsland for the Two Sylvias Chapbook Prize! Stay tuned for more information about the Spring 2017 publication date.
September 21, 2016
WordsWest begins its third year with a reading by WA State Poet Laureate Todd Marshall and Friends.
Click on the link to hear Todd, former WA State Poet Laureate Kathleen Flenniken, Seattel Civic Poet Claudia Castro Luna, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, and at minute 45:06 two new poems by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CX6cYretMs
April 28, 2016
Join Alan Lau, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, and EJ Koh for the Beacon Arts National Poetry Month Reading.
Beacon Hill Public Library, 6:00pm, Beacon Bards.
April 1, 2016
In Our Own Words: Muslim Women Poets at AWP
Poets Deema K. Shehabi, Shadab Zeest Hashimi, and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha read poems and engaged the audience in conversation at AWP 2016 in Los Angeles.
April 2016
New Poems in Compose
My poems "When the Sky is No Longer a Womb for Prayers" and "Exceptional" have been published in the journal Compose.
March 2016
New Poems in diode
My poems "Maqaam" and "Nakba" have been published in the Spring 2016 issue of the poetry journal diode (volume 9 number 1).
March 2016
New Poems in the Pittsburgh Poetry Review
My poems "Rootwork" and "Bleu Blanc Rouge" have been published in the March 2016 issue of PPR. To order a copy of the issue, click here.
December 9, 2015
Seattle Arab-American Poet Seeks to "Remind Us of the Human"
Thank you to Washington State Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen on KUOW
December 2015
Ruin
My poem "Ruin" is nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Lunch Ticket.
November 11, 2015
New Poem
My newest poem, "Arrest", inspired by Palestinian children living under occupation, is exclusively available here.
October 25, 2015
"Middle Village" nominated for Pushcart Prize by OFI Press Mexico
Thank you to Jack Little and OFI Press Mexico for nominating my poem "Middle Village" for a Pushcart Prize. The poem is included in my book, Water & Salt, forthcoming from Red Hen Press in 2017.
October 22, 2015
The James Franco Review
Capitol Hill Branch Library (Seattle Public Library), 425 Harvard Ave. E.
Highlighting underrepresented writers—i.e., pretty much everyone but Mr. Franco--JFR welcomes contributors Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, EJ Koh, Isaiah Swango, and Youth Poet Laureate Leija Farr. Founding editor Corinne Manning and Aaron Counts host.
June 4, 2015
Thank you to the Ofi Press in Mexico City for publishing my poems "Tu'burni" and "Middle Village" in the June-July 2015 Issue of the magazine. Check out Volume 42 of the Ofi Press here.
May 27, 2015
Thank you to Michele Penaloza and the James Franco Review for selecting my poems "Linger" and "(Dis)Placed" for publication in the journal's third issue. Read the Issue 3 of JFR here.
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