The question of identity has always been a murky issue in my own life and my writing bounces that right back. My father was adamant that my sisters a…

- Diana Abu-Jaber

Here is something you have to understand about stories: They point you in the right direction but they can't take you all the way there. Stories are …

- Diana Abu-Jaber

Consider the difference between the first and third person in poetry [...] It's like the difference between looking at a person and looking through t…

- Diana Abu-Jaber

My heritage will always be an element in my work but as I've written, traveled, and lived more, I've found that the questions and the search - for me…

- Diana Abu-Jaber

Every day I try to do some small thing connected to writing. Or I'll station myself at a café and try to hold myself captive with chocolate. I find t…

- Diana Abu-Jaber

Dad says that everyone invented baklava.” It occurs to me now to wonder what that means. Aunt Aya rolls her eyes. “Your father? He is the worst of th…

- Diana Abu-Jaber

Love and prayer are intimately related.

- Diana Abu-Jaber

I heard friends and strangers saying, "You don't look Arab - what are you supposed to be?" It really is a tired old problem for children of immigrant…

- Diana Abu-Jaber

The daily writing practice is something I used to hear batted around a lot in writing workshops - which is probably why I dropped out of all the writ…

- Diana Abu-Jaber