The Institute for Middle East Understanding Literature One on one with Palestinian-American poet Suheir Hammad Al Jazeera English, Apr 1, 2009 As the child of Palestinian refugees who moved to Brooklyn, New York at the age of five, award-winning poet and author Suheir Hammad's early life was infused with the city's bustling hip-hop scene and the angst of Arab dispossession, much of which reveals itself in the depths of her poetry and writing. Although she was born in Amman, Jordan, her childhood was constantly filled with her parents' stories about their ancestral home in Palestine before becoming refugees, and the Muslim Quran to Suheir was God's own epic poem. These stories continued even after Suheir Hammad moved to New York, and were instrumental in cultivating her creative talent. Read more about Suheir Hammad © 2009 Al Jazeera This page was printed out from the website of the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) found at www.imeu.net. The IMEU provides journalists with quick access to information about Palestine and the Palestinians, as well as expert sources, both in the U.S. and the Middle East.