Episode 100 Notes and Links to Susan Muaddi Darraj’s Work
On Episode 100 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Susan Muaddi Darraj, and the two talk about their shared love for S.E. Hinton and public libraries, in addition to Susan’s history with language and words. They also discuss, among other topics, Susan’s versatile writing and knack for getting inside the heads of her characters and her reading public, her experience with Palestinan-American representation in literature, as well as her award-winning work for adults and middle-graders.
Susan Muaddi Darraj’s short story collection, A Curious Land: Stories from Home, was named the winner of the AWP Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, judged by Jaime Manrique. It also won the 2016 Arab American Book Award, a 2016 American Book Award, and was shortlisted for a Palestine Book Award. Her previous short story collection, The Inheritance of Exile, was published in 2007 by University of Notre Dame Press.
In 2018, she was named a Ford Fellow by USA Artists. Susan also is a two-time recipient of an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. She has also been awarded a Ruby’s Artist Grant from the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and a grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation.
In 2019, she launched the viral #TweetYourThobe social media campaign to promote Palestinian culture. Later that year, she was named winner of the Rose Nader Award, by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), an award given by the Nader family to a person who “demonstrates an unwavering dedication and commitment to values of equality and justice.”
In January 2020, Capstone Books launched her debut children’s chapter book series, Farah Rocks, about a smart, brave Palestinian American girl named Farah Hajjar.
Buy Susan Muaddi Darraj's Work
"Memory, home and belonging in 'A Curious Land' "
Susan Muaddi Darraj’s Articles for Middle East Eye
Necessary Fiction’s Review of A Curious Land: Stories from Home
At about 3:00, Pete asks Susan about her childhood relationship with language and reading
At about 8:45, Susan lists and describes some memorable books that have informed her work and that she loved as a kid
At about 10:20, Susan discusses representation and how she felt or didn’t feel represented as an adolescent and beyond; she also describes her groundbreaking series, Farah Rocks
At about 11:55, Susan discusses how “demoralizing” it was in not seeing her experience in what she read as a kid, and the implications of a pertinent quote from Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
At about 13:20, Susan describes in late high school and college how Naomi Shihab Nye’s Habibi was shocking and transformative for her
At about 14:30, Pete references the Episode 94 kudos and appreciation for Naomi Shihab Nye
At about 15:45, Pete wonders about lack of representation or negative representation for Arab-Americans/Palestinians, and Susan details the negative stereotypes that often lead to/come from Aladdin
At about 18:55, Susan responds to Pete’s question about inspirations and “ “Eureka’ moments” that catapulted her writing career, and she cites writers like Sylvia Plath, bell hooks, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende, and more
At about 22:50, Pete inquires about Susan’s relationship with Richard Wright’s work
At about 23:55, Susan details her college experience and her parents’ view of her studies; she references common career expectations in Arab-American/immigrant communities and how she began to write as she taught literature
At about 28:30, Susan references #5amwritersclub and Maya Angelou’s philosophy about early morning writing
At about 29:35, Pete asks Susan about who she’s reading now; she shouts out S.K. Ali, Aisha Saeed, Hena Khan, and Saadia Faruqi
At about 31:00, Susan describes the excellence of poetry that draws her back, including T.S. Elliott’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
At about 31:35, Pete wonders how being a successful published writer has affected the way she reads
At about 33:30, Susan talks about being “energized” by movies and TV and their structure and characterization
At about 35:10, Susan talks about the biographies for young readers she wrote for Chelsea House Publishing, as well as the phenomenon of “reluctant readers for preteen boys”
At about 37:50, Pete wonders about how Susan gets her work to the correct level for young readers
At about 38:40, Pete and Susan use S.E. Hinton’s work as an example of an impeccable sense of what young readers are drawn to; Pete talks about the chills that came with the cyclical nature of the book, and Susan is reminded of the iconic Theme for English B by Langston Hughes
At about 40:50, Pete recommends That Was Then, This is Now
At about 41:15, Susan gives some background on the title character’s name and significance for the Farah Rocks… Series, as well talking about her choices in translation
At about 45:00, Susan and Pete talk about ableism and “the new girl” as theme, as well as some subtle
At about 48:00, Susan talks about two upcoming projects
At about 48:40, Pete asks about the seeds for the book and the title of A Curious Land: Stories from Home, and Susan discusses the connection between the collection and her first book, The Inheritance of Exile: Stories from South Philly
At about 51:00, Susan discusses research done for A Curious Land: Stories from Home
At about 53:10, Pete wonders about any pressures Susan might feel in writing from the point-of-view of a member of the Palestianian diaspora, and in talking about her changing attitude regarding this, Susan quotes Jacqueline Woodson
At about 55:00, Pete asks Susan who else is “doing the work” in writing varied stories of the Palestinian community, including Eta Frum and Susan Abulhawa
At about 56:00, Susan gives background on the epigraphs for A Curious Land…
At about 58:00, Pete and Susan highlight the beginning of the collection in setting the scene for the thematically-linked collection and talk about themes of agency and women’s role in society, and sacrifice
At about 1:00:45, Pete asks Susan about her goal/rationale for using the town of the collection as a “character,” almost like Faulkner’s Yoknaptawpha County, including the effects of the Occupation
At about 1:03:00, Susan talks about the diversity of The Middle East and the ironies of people assuming that she needs to be taught about Christianity; she references an article on these misconceptions by Ryan al-Natour
At about 1:07:00, Susan describes a “family-tree effect” that she instituted for her collection
At about 1:08:30, Pete reads from a review of the collection
At about 1:10:00, Susan goes in-depth about upcoming projects
At about 1:13:25, Susan gives her contact info and social media info
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Please tune in for the next episode, Episode 101 with Mia St. John, former five time world champion boxer and dedicated advocate for improved mental health facilities and care. She is the author of the recently-published Fighting For My Life: A Memoir about a Mother's Loss and Grief. The episode will air on January 25.
Episode 217 with Jeff Sharlet, Author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, and Sharp-Eyed Chronicler of Impending Fascism and Previous Fighters in The Movements
Episode 216 with Kate Maruyama: Author of Bleak Houses, Master Worldbuilder, and Skilled Observer and Chronicler of Family Traumas, Class and Privilege, and Psychological Horrors Modern and Timeless
Episode 215 with Nick Fuller Googins, Reflective and Dynamic Worldbuilder, Educator, and Creator of the ”Hopeful” Climate Crisis Novel, The Great Transition
Episode 214 with Leah Myers, Chronicler of the Heartfelt, the Specific, the Universal, and the Myth and Proud History of the Jamestown S’Klallam in the Memoir, Thinning Blood
Episode 213 with Andrew Porter, Reflective and Genius of the Understated and Resonant, Creator of Unforgettable Characters, and Author of the Story Collection, The Disappeared
Episode 212 with Theresa Rundstedtler, Savvy, Reflective, Thorough Researcher on Race and Sport, and Author of Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood and the Generation that Saved the Game
Episode 211 with Chris L. Terry and James Spooner, Passionate Researchers, Veteran Punk Rockers, and Stewards and Proponents of Black Punk Excellence for Future Generations
Episode 210 with Dan Sinykin, Wise, Thorough Chronicler of The Publishing Industry’s Changing Mores, & Author of Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature
Episode 209 with Julie Carrick Dalton, Standout Worldbuilder and Crafter of Plot Twists, Memorable Characters, Salient Storylines, and Author of The Last Beekeeper
Episode 208 with Sowmya Krishnamurthy, Author of Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion, and Keen Chronicler and Thoughtful Observer of Hip Hop, Pop Culture, and Fashion
Episode 207 with Ursula Villarreal-Moura, Master of Flash Fiction, Short, Powerful Stories, and Prose that Explores Intricate Emotions in Clever and Profound Ways
Episode 206 with David Mura, Thoughtful, Thorough, Wise Student and Chronicler of the Ills of White Supremacy and the Ways in Which Racism Works, and Author of The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself
Episode 205 with Josh Riedel, Author of Please Report Your Bug Here, Standout Worldbuilder, and Sage Observer and Chronicler of the Evolution/Devolution of Tech and its Impact on Our Society/Ourselves
Episode 204 with Kara H.L. Chen, Standout YA Writer of Love and Resistance and Crafter of Believable and Relatable and Empathy-Inducing Characters
Episode 203 with V.V. (Sugi) Ganeshananthan, Master Craftswoman of Tender and Gutting Storylines and Characters, and Author of the Modern Classic, Brotherless Night
Episode 202 with Dennis J. Sweeney, Reflective and Persistently Profound Thinker and Craftsman of Poems Both Abstract and Concrete and Author of You’re the Woods Too
Episode 201 with Erica J Berry, Thoughtful and Thorough Writer Who Seamlessly Combines Multiple Disciplines and Genres in Her Enthralling Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear
EPISODE 200 with Adam Vitcavage, Raconteur, Skilled Writer of Literary and Music Criticism, and Charismatic Advocate for Debut Authors Through his Podcast Debutiful: Discover Debut Authors
Episode 199 with Jared Beloff, Reflective Thinker, Painter of Beautiful Imagery and Debut Standout Author of the Climate Change-Themed Poetry Collection, Who Will Cradle Your Head
Episode 198 with Sarah Thankam Mathews, Master of the Visceral and Rational, Beautiful Sentence and Sentiment Creator, and Author of 2022’s National Book Award Shortlisted All This Could Be Different
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