Zaatar Diva

by Suheir Hammad

ZaatarDiva is poetry about love, politics and Brooklyn, all coming out of Hammad's bag of zaatar. The poems in this collection are at once seductive and dangerous; they are possessed by a singular lyricism and awareness, and her call to action has a major presence in her work.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

102 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[عماد العتيلي · Rating 2 out of 5]

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Well, I don't like this kind of poetry!
Surely there are some really good lines that I liked and quoted, but I didn't like most of the poems! They were kinda weak and prosaic - nothing special!

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is not only a book but also a CD, and listening to the audio versions of her poems makes me cry. so amazing. you can read a couple of the poems online, including Daddy's Song. this poem on the CD features her father on the track, and it is makes my heart hurt with love and family and mourning. you can see a performance of it on youtube but it's a different version, not with her dad. also you can read the stunning, beautiful, clear-eyed first writing since online, or watch her perform it on youtube. but then you should get the book and read & listen to the whole thing.

[Suhaib · Rating 4 out of 5]

What kind of poetry to expect in ZaatarDiva?

Expect no punctuation, a continuous flow of words, of energy. Expect expectations deflated. Expect surprises … lots of them.

Hammad writes in a vigorous style with no punctuation—a continuous pouring of words. Her lyrical diction and fitting repetitions heighten the liveliness of her poems. This musicality often renders the horrific in somewhat light humorous tones reminiscent of postmodern parodies. Here is a glimpse:

“poem supposed to be about
one minute and the lives of three women in it
writing it and up the block
a woman killed
by her husband
poem now about one minute
and the lives of four
women in it”

In a way, this sums up the spirit of her style, relying heavily on unexpected repetitions and surprising quirks in word choice and word grouping.

[Noel نوال · Rating 5 out of 5]

“a woman will tell you
every home she has ever inhabited
has been broken into
starting with her body”
~Suheir Hammad

Help, I've fallen in love with Suheir Hammad and I can't get up. Her words, her prose, her voice, her writings spark a flame in my heart when I read her poems. I love this collection. Suheir writes poems about Palestine, being Palestinian, being Arab American in Brooklyn New York on 9/11 and afterwards, about love, about women, about the magnificent beauty in simple things, and drinking in life. I loved these poems so much I took my time reading this book to savor every word. What was even more exciting about the copy I bought of Zaatardiva is that it comes with a CD of Suheir performing some of her poems. I cannot wait to read every single one of her other books.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

actually, i am always "currently reading" this book of poetry. and it comes with a cd. this woman is amazing. read/listen if you want to connect with your rage and be inspired to do something about it.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

suheir tells us the things we sometimes dont want to hear, the things that are always inside our heads. like my favorite stanza of hers "you forgive those/ who hurt you/ i'll hold your grudge for you"

[Pure heroine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will not
dance to your war
drum. I will
not lend my soul nor
my bones to your war
drum. I will
not dance to your
beating. I know that beat.
It is lifeless. I know
intimately that skin
you are hitting. It
was alive once
hunted stolen
stretched. I will
not dance to your drummed
up war. I will not pop
spin beak for you. I
will not hate for you or
even hate you. I will
not kill for you. Especially
I will not die
for you. I will not mourn
the dead with murder nor
suicide. I will not side
with you nor dance to bombs
because everyone else is
dancing. Everyone can be
wrong. Life is a right not
collateral or casual. I
will not forget where
I come from. I
will craft my own drum. Gather my beloved
near and our chanting
will be dancing. Our
humming will be drumming. I
will not be played. I
will not lend my name
nor my rhythm to your
beat. I will dance
and resist and dance and
persist and dance. This heartbeat is louder than
death. Your war drum ain’t
louder than this breath.

[Amy Clements · Rating 4 out of 5]

at first i really struggled to connect with her poetry subjects (palestinian new yorker) but as the book went on her poems about violence against Palestinians unfortunately felt very current and were heartbreakingly beautiful and unfortunately even though this was published almost 10 years ago it's even more important now. i wasn't a huge fan of her style of prose but she is very talented.

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meh stars for a lot of poems (but I'm coming to realize reading poetry is maybe just like that), 4 stars for a lot of poems, and ALL THE STARS IN THE WORLD for First Writing Since and What I Will. Now how do I average that?

[David Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another flat-out excellent collection by Suheir Hammad. Everything's tight here. It's a shame she only has a handful of poetry books. Is she my favorite contemporary poet? Yeah, pretty much.

[Emily Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suheir has been one of my main insprirations for writing poetry, alogside, my mother especially when I first started writing. Suuheir uses beautiful, strong imagry to express what she is feeling in her poems. I WOULD STRONGLY RECCOMEND THIS BOOK! Suheir touches topics from love to war to violence to family. I think that whoever reads this could probably find atleast one poem that they can conncet to. especially for those who say that they do not prefer poetry I would reccomend this book, because it feels as though Suheri's words fly off the the page, it's as if you can feel the emotion behing every stanza. Although a thin book, I often read one poem repeatadly and each time I would get a new image or inspiration from her words. I would reccomend this book pf poems to anyone who wants to be inspired.

[kripsoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having traveled the world via her poetry Brooklyn-raised and Tony-Award winning poet Suheir Hammad has published the long-awaited follow-up to her 1996 collections Born Palestinian Born Black and Drops of This Story (Harlem River Press) In the minimalist ZaatarDiva a deeply spiritual and maternal Hammad wastes not a single word in tightly wrapped flower bud poems that blossom in the reader mind where her words give voice to unconscious thought With roots as a spoken-word poet she use of popular language to de-scribe and connect complex subjects and express the intimate can only be described as genius Strong in her weakness her raw intimacy defeats armies The endless love that provides the backbone for her work transcends and eclipses simple politics to pure and beautiful revolution

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were teaching history to teens, I would play her poems to share what it's like to be of Arab parents, living in Brooklyn, in the times during and after 9/11. If I were teaching poetry to teens, I would share "cloud kissing" to make them all squirm with its swoon -- and challenge them to write about their crushes and loves. And "lipstick" -- because the lipstick talks. Then again, if I'd read this as a teen, this is the kind of book that would make me feel like chopped liver. The little white girl history ignores (boohoo).

But back to Suheir Hammad: her voice is sure and rich. I admire both her strength and her restraint.

[Jennifer Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hammad's work is clearly meant to be heard more than to be read, but nevertheless, the power of her poems is undeniable. Though some pass by quietly, others demand to be read again immediately, and then can't be forgotten. The strongest ones, which won't let go of a reader for even a breath, are those which speak of survival and of terror, and of the experience of being suppressed or serving as a witness to horrors such as war and 9-11. Whether speaking as a woman, a survivor, or simply a human, though, Hammad's work hums with power, and the collection as a whole is one which is well worth exploring, remembering, and sharing.

Absolutely recommended.

[M R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to Suheir perform her poetry on the disc included with the book. What I didn't hear I imagined as I read her work that was so raw and powerful at moments and then quiet and unassuming in others, but still powerful. There was an especially poignant verse from the end of "first writing since" that I am excited to create an art piece for.

[Hafsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing work of poetry by one of my favorite poets/spoken word artists. Many of her poems are about Palestine, as she is a Palestinian-American. The book even comes with a CD so you can hear her perform---she's absolutely brilliant.

[Jamae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the physical book is such a poignant experience, but hearing Suheir Hammad’s voice guiding the reader through the poetry is even more striking. Also, find a few bonus sections sprinkled in the audiobook version. Must read / listen!

[Cima D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

God Bless Suheir...check this one out.

[Pandanator · Rating 5 out of 5]

another brilliant poet. it's even better when read aloud by the author.

[nadya · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite poem is "what i will"...absolutely powerful. suheir hammad is a brilliant poet, weaving together love and the political.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where did I put it? I have an iTunes U download of her reading at a Diwan celebration. Would like to finish reading the rest of the poems but can't find the book anywhere.

[Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

[Eboni Sade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding poet

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several great poems, and a whole lot of love poems in between them.

[Kara Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic poetry. And I don't usually care for poetry. I suggest listening to the cd that accompanies some editions, and/or looking up videos of her reading the poems. It truly enhances the message.

[jillian (jill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sections of this where she gets really urban with it seem contrived. IDK. I Like it though. Especially "Lipstick" and "my father after"

[Carla Gregoire · Rating 5 out of 5]

she's my queen be.

[Colton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have always loved criminals"

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goddamn that was good.

[Doris Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice. Book