Something about Living [L0106]

2024 PB in Gift-Worthy condition. Winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry,

2025 ALA Notable Book, Winner of the 2025 Washington State Book Award for Poetry,

2025 Arab American Book Award Winner (George Ellenbogen Poetry Award)

Winner of the 2022 Akron Poetry Prize. It's nearly impossible to write poetry that holds the human desire for joy and the insistent agitations of protest at the same time, but Lena Khalaf Tuffaha's gorgeous and wide-ranging new collection Something About Living does just that. Her poems interweave Palestine's historic suffering, the challenges of living in this world full of violence and ill will, and the gentle delights we embrace to survive that violence. Khalaf Tuffaha's elegant poems sing the fractured songs of Diaspora while remaining clear-eyed to the cause of the fracturing: the multinational hubris of colonialism and greed. This collection is her witness to our collective unraveling, vowel by vowel, syllable by syllable. In these poems Khalaf Tuffaha reminds us that love isn't an idea; it is a radical act. Especially for those who, like this poet, travel through the world vigilantly, but steadfastly remain heart first. -Adrian Matejka, author of Somebody Else Sold the World"--

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "This collection of poetry is absolutely heartbreaking in all the ways that it should be. Each verse strikes with an intensity that resonates deeply, leaving a lasting emotional impact. The raw and brave vulnerability of the poet creates a disturbingly immersive experience in the lives of those being aggressively oppressed."; "Upon opening Something About Living it is immediately apparent why this was the winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry and it is deservingly so. A brilliant collection on language and translation amidst ongoing violence against Palestinians as well as the systems of imperialism and capitalism that enable such horrors. "This is a courageous, necessary book. A weaving of elegy and declaration. For readers who seek poetry that holds both grief and love, that probes identity, memory, and place without flinching, this collection delivers deeply. It is a testament to the power of poetry to keep the conversation going across borders, across generations, across silences." An insightful, inspiring and important collection."; "Something About Living has some of the best and most impactful poetry I've had the pleasure of reading. The poems clearly communicate the love the author has for her land, her people, her customs, her culture, and her language and her despair at how colonization and genocide are affecting these things. Tuffaha's final sentences, "Let the stars fall. I have no idea / what hope is, but our people / have taught me a million ways to love," encapsulate both of these feelings."