Homepage of Dima Hilal

Reading Tonight at "East/West Convergences" Art Reception

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:38:00 +0000

I'll be reading at the Levantine Cultural Center tonight.

Jan 29, 2010
6:00pm - 10:00pm

Price:
Free to the public. Poets present starting at 8 pm.

Where:
Levantine Cultural Center
5998 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90035

UC Riverside Reading - May 19 @ 2 pm

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:16:00 +0000

My son

I will (finally) be giving my first poetry reading since becoming a mother.

Diapers can't hold me back!

The reading will take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 2 pm in 268 Commons (HUB), the Highlander Union Building (formerly Commons), on the UC Riverside campus in Riverside, California.

Hope to see you there.

CSULA READING: NOVEMBER 10, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:55:00 +0000

Picture of Alhambra in Granada, Spain

Save the date! I'll be reading at California State University Los Angeles on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 6:15 pm.

The reading will take place at the CSU LA Student Union, 5154 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032.

More details to follow.

Memorial for Mutanabbi Street

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:31:00 +0000

(Click on the image to see larger version)

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, I'll be one of many performers to memorialize the destruction, a year ago, of Mutanabbi Street, which is Baghdad's literary and intellectual heart.

The event will take place from 3-6 pm at the Newport Beach Library, 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach.

The event is sponsored by the Levantine Cultural Center, Newport Beach Library and the Mutanabbi Street Coalition, along with cosponsors Los Angeles Poetry Festival, PEN Center West, Red Hen Press and Writers at Work.

To memorialize the blast's wounding of Baghdad's cafes and bookstores, there will be live music by the Saadoun Al-Bayati Ensemble and readings by Beau Beausoleil, Doris Bittar, Michael Datcher, Sesshu Foster, Sam Hamod, Dima Hilal, Janet Sternberg and Carina Topal. A short documentary of Mutannabi Street will be screened and the event concludes with a light Middle Eastern reception.

Advance reservations are strongly suggested. Hope to see you there!

For those in Orange County, call 949/548-2411 to RSVP. In Los Angeles, call 310/657-5511. Or reserve in advance now by donating online.

WOWEE, I'M ON RAWI

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:12:00 +0000

Every few weeks, RAWI (Radius of Arab Writers, Inc) selects a poet to spotlight on their website. And I'm honored to be featured this go-around.

Check out the poems while they're still up on this featured writers page.

You can read four of my poems, including one I wrote for my darling nephew, whose photo is above.

Article on Women's Literary Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 06:57:00 +0000

The Santa Barbara Independent published an article on the upcoming Women's Literary Festival, including a short interview with yours truly. You can read the article here.

Women's Literary Festival in Santa Barbara

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:28:00 +0000

I'm quite honored to be part of a lineup of amazing writers who are being featured at this year's Women's Literary Festival in Santa Barbara: DIMA HILAL * JACQUELINE HIGUERA McMAHAN * KATIA NOYES * CAROLYN SEE * STARSHINE ROSHELL * ALISA VALDES-RODRIGUEZ * REBECCA WALKER * JACQUELINE WINSPEAR.

This year's festival takes place on Saturday, February 24, 2007 at Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

You can click here to register and find out more.

This Saturday: June Jordan Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 05:53:00 +0000

My husband and I will be hosting a tribute to the late June Jordan at the Aliso Viejo Library this Saturday, February 3, at 10 am in celebration of Black History Month.

June was our mentor, teacher, friend, and the reason we met. As you can imagine, we owe her a great deal.

Please join us as we celebrate her life and words.

Free Admission. Donations accepted payable to American Association of University Women / Laguna Beach Foundation. All proceeds will fund a Saddleback Scholarship for a female re-entry student.

Location:
Aliso Viejo Library
1 Journey
Aliso Viejo, CA

"poem to you written in whispers" on YouTube!

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 02:46:00 +0000

Here is a link to a video on YouTube of "poem to you written in whispers."

The music is written by Erling Wold. Vocalist Dina Emerson and the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra performed this at the Capp Street Community Music Center a couple of years ago. The libretto is by yours truly.

"I Want George W. Bush" on KPFA's Women's Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 00:26:00 +0000

My recording of "I Want George W. Bush" (a poem formerly known as "I Want Bill Clinton") was used to open a show, Women's Magazine, on the excellent KPFA 94.1 FM in the Bay Area on Monday, August 14, 2006.

You can listen to it by clicking here.

Yesterday and Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 20:16:00 +0000

I wrote the following poem, "Only Seconds", for the Roads to You concert at UCLA's Royce Hall. I read it alongside Israeli poet Sami Shalom Chetrit with the beautiful orchestra accompanying us. It was an honor to perform this poem next to Sami and to hear the last three lines aloud in English, Arabic and Hebrew.

Sami wrote to me recently, "I think your poem reads now like a prophecy." At the time we read it aloud, I felt like it was a somewhat universal poem about war and suffering. But now, it hits even closer to home because of the many relatives and friends of mine currently at risk of living out the poem. If only I could foresee an end to this madness.

May we see a brighter tomorrow.

* * *

Only Seconds

“My sweetheart, yesterday you were playing with me.
Who will I play with tomorrow?”

- A Lebanese woman crying over a coffin in Tyre,
as quoted in the Washington Post, July 22, 2006

it took only seconds
to erase her eyes
hazel tinged with specks of gold
her shy peek beneath lashes
cheeks flushed from every compliment
her sleepy gaze as she slid into dreams
tousled hair on a pillow
a half-opened book beside her

it took only seconds
to drown her voice
how she rolled her r’s
the laugh rising from her throat
startling and singular
how she picked the perfect pomegranate
the way she sang off-key while sweeping

it took only seconds
to still his body
its frenetic movements
sudden burst of energy
as he chased the setting sun
gulps of air feeding his heaving chest
the trickle of sweat falling from his forehead

it took only seconds
to vanish his tomorrow
the beauty he captured in a puddle of rain
his neighbor’s stalled car
the shadow of a building
stretching across the ground
he longed to preserve his vision
in black and white
stories to send the world

how many years
until a newborn’s cry
eclipses the siren’s wail
until the streets awaken
strewn with gardenias and orange blossoms
instead of rubble
until music drifts through every window
down alleyways to the open sky
until each balcony overflows
with colorful clothes drying
in time for the next
bar mitzvah
zaffeh
celebration
until all coffee shops fill
with glasses clinking
dice hitting backgammon tables
brazen laughter engulfing the night

may we wear strands of jasmine
around our necks
each wrist and both ankles
lean against our love
gaze at the moon
and know how precious the second
how priceless the moment
how permanent our love
wear strands of jasmine
gaze at the moon
remember every second
and pray for tomorrow

Roads To You Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 07:20:00 +0000

I know I'm late with the announcement (as usual) but this Tuesday evening, June 6th, 2006, please come check out “Roads to You: Celebration of One World,” a concert in UCLA's Royce Hall that will showcase over 30 talented musicians from 25 different countries such as Iran, Israel, Korea, Tunisia, China, Canada and the U.S.

Promoting peace, tolerance, and cultural understanding through music, this concert will feature original compositions by Jordanian pianist/composer Zade and a new poem by yours truly. The music will blend Eastern Arabic scales with Western contemporary influences and everything in between.

Sponsored by Berklee College of Music and Seeds of Peace, this Roads to You tour is unique because musicians were auditioned not only for their musical ability but also for their leadership skills and their ability to share their talent and heritage with fellow tour members and audiences.

Roads to You Tour / Celebration of One World concert
Tuesday, June 6, 8:00 PM, Royce Hall, UCLA Campus

Tickets are $50, $35, $25, 15

available at TicketMaster Tel: (213) 365-3500 or by emailing bnhilal @ cox.net.

For more information please visit http://www.roadstoyou.com/ and www.zade.com

Hope to see you there!

Sunbula - May 6 Reading in SF

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 16:01:00 +0000

I'll be reading this Saturday and a poem of mine will (hopefully) be displayed as part of this incredible art exhibition.

Details below:

PROLOGUE and EPILOGUE: ARAB FEMINISM PAST and PRESENT

Blue Studio Gallery
2111 Mission St. (@17th St.)

Friday May 5- Sunday May 7

Opening Event:
Saturday, May 6, 7:30 pm
Night of Art, Live Poetry, & Music
$10-25 sliding scale (no one turned away for lack of funds)

Gallery Hours:
Friday 11-6; Saturday 11-4; Sunday 11-6
Admission: Free, donations welcome

Featured artists:
May Hariri Aboutaam, Andrea Ali, Doris Bittar, Sandra Estafan, Simone Fattal, Kinda Hibrawi, Dima Hilal, Happy Hyder, Hiba Kalache, Kendall Karam, Aisha Mershani, Maysoon Salah, Nada Shalaby

Prologue and Epilogue: Arab Feminism Past and Present is an art exhibition on the theme of Arab feminism and its impact on Arab women artists. Curated by Sunbula: Arab Feminists for Change, this exhibition highlights Arab/Arab American women artists in California. Arab and Arab American women make a sizable community in the US. Yet, Arab feminism is rarely visible in American culture and excluded from public discussion, dialogue and decision-making. This exhibition will promote knowledge by and about Arab and Arab American feminists that is not disguised by archaic Orientalists and patronizing discourses. Prologue and Epilogue is a multi-disciplinary visual presentation that consists of sculpture, painting, installation, live poetry reading, and photography engaging Arab/Arab American women artists in an intergenerational, creative dialogue about issues addressing Arab feminisms.

Sponsored by: ADC-SF, Arab Cultural and Community Center, Arab Film Festival, Center for Middle Eastern Studies-UCB, Free Palestine Alliance, Global Institute for Technology Advancement, Golden Thread Productions, Incite: Women of Color Against Violence, KPFA, La Pena Cultural Center, LEF Foundation, National Council of Arab Americans, Network of Arab American Professionals, Palestinian American Women's Association, RAWAN, SUSTAIN, Zawaya. Endorsed by: Voices of the Middle East and North Africa, KPFA.

For more info contact: sunbulawomen@yahoo.com or visit www.sunbulawomen.org

Fresno Reading: April 20, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:22:00 +0000

If you're in the central valley, I'll be reading along with the incredible Elmaz Abinader and Tony Khalife at a National Poetry Month event in Fresno, California.

Here's the information below:

(click to enlarge)

Ululate Productions Presents:

The Poetry & Music of Arab-American Artists

In celebration of National Poetry Month

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Featuring world-renowned artists:

Elmaz Abi-Nader

Elmaz Abinader is an Arab American author, playwright and poet and the winner of the 2002 Goldies Award for Literature. Her poetry collection In the Country of My Dreams... won the 2000 Josephine Miles/ Pen Oakland Award. Her major work, a memoir Children of the Roojme, chronicles the lives of 3 generations of Lebanese immigrants. Her works are included in The Poetry of Arab Women; Grape Leaves, New Letters, ZYZZVA and other collections. Touring with the Country of Origin Band, Elmaz has presented her plays to audiences throughout the Middle East, Central America, Europe and the United States. The play, Country of Origin won two Drammies, (Oregon Drama Critics Awards).She is a co-founder and faculty member of the Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA) which holds summer writing workshops for writers-of-color. She is chair of the English Department at Mills College.

Dima Hilal

Dima Hilal is a poet and writer, born in Beirut and raised in California, where she studied at the University of California at Berkeley. Her work has appeared in various publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Mizna and Orion Magazine. Her writing has been anthologized in The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology (Interlink Books, 2001) and Scheherezade's Legacy: Arab and Arab American Women on Writing (Praeger, 2004), among others. Her numerous readings include radio appearances on KPFA, KXLU and KPFK. She has been featured at the Beyond Baroque Cultural Center, World Stage, Levantine Cultural Center, Autry Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and at the first International Reading Series held at the Alexandria Library in Egypt. Her libretto was a finalist in the Words and Music Project, commissioned by the Oakland East Bay Symphony. She has taught poetry workshops and given lectures on issues of identity, culture and community in contemporary Arab poetry.

Tony Khalife

Tony Khalife is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and tabla player who captivates his audience with a brilliant interweaving of Indian, Middle-Eastern, Flamenco and Rock 'n Roll styles. His original blend of world music inspires a vision of global unity and peace.

Samba Brazilian Steakhouse -The Amazon Lounge
6737 N. Palm, Fresno, CA 93704

Thursday, April 20, 2006. 7:00 pm Cover $10,
$7 w/ student ID

For tickets and more information please visit www.ululateproductions.org or email maysoon@ululateproductions.org.

Other Voices International Project

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 01:35:00 +0000

You can find some new poems of mine on the wonderful Other Voices International Project website.

Click the link and read works by many great writers, including E. Ethelbert Miller, Lisa Suhair Majaj, and Nathalie Handal.

ARTISTS FOR PEACE WEEK @ UC IRVINE

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 17:25:00 +0000

I'll be reading at the "Poetry and Art Night," which is part of UC Irvine's Middle East Studies Student Initiative's "Artists for Peace Week."

Monday, February 13, 2006
7-9 pm
Bren Events Center Berry Terrace
UC Irvine

The week's events include many other artists as well. In particular, on February 14, my friend, Zade Dirani, a fantastic Jordanian pianist, will also be performing.

The events are designed, in part, to build support for a Middle East Studies program, which currently doesn't exist at UC Irvine. All in all, a great cause.

Come support!

Valley of Contemporary Poets' Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 04:29:00 +0000

Hi y'all! Just wanted to let you know that I, along with a few other poets featured in the new Valley of Contemporary Poets' anthology, will be reading at:

The Ugly Mug Caffé
produced by Two Idiots Peddling Poetry
Orange, CA
Wednesday, November 9, 2005
at 8pm

For more info on the reading and venue, along with the address and directions, visit www.poetryidiots.com.

I promise I'll only be reading a couple of poems.

Updated, at last!

noreply@blogger.com (Junichi) — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 18:20:00 +0000

Hello friends! After being long overdue to update my website, here it is! Take a look around and help me fix the place up.

Among other things, in the "Poems" section, you'll find information about my new poetry CD -- "ghaflah: the sin of forgetfulness" -- available for sale. Several tracks feature the music of Wael Kakish on 'oud. Click here for more info.

I also added a complete list of publications (see Poems section) and previous readings (see Calendar section).

Thanks for checking back!