When Poetry Becomes Resistance: Maha Hashwi on Identity, Culture & the Power of Words

Can poetry be an act of resistance? Can a few carefully chosen words preserve a culture, challenge expectations, and give a voice to stories the world needs to hear?

In this episode of Arab Is Me, Said Durrah sits down with Lebanese American poet, author, and educator Maha Hashwi, whose powerful poetry collection, The Pomegranate Is a Grenade, explores identity, heritage, belonging, and the emotions that shape the Arab experience.

From the significance of the pomegranate to the power of storytelling, Maha takes us into the mind of a poet and the heart of a writer who understands that words can be both beautiful and disruptive.

Together, Said and Maha explore the importance of preserving Arab stories, the role of poetry in challenging expectations, the complexities of cultural identity, and the journey of finding your voice in a world that doesn't always make room for it.

But this isn't just a conversation about poetry. It's about who gets to tell our stories, why our voices matter, and what happens when we refuse to let others define us.

Whether you're an aspiring writer, a lover of poetry, or simply someone who appreciates meaningful conversations about culture and identity, this episode is for you.

📚 SUPPORT MAHA & DISCOVER YOUR INNER WRITER

Want to explore your own creativity? Maha also offers Anyone Can Write workshops to help aspiring writers discover their voices and strengthen their storytelling skills.

🌐 Maha's Website: https://www.maha.hashwi.com

📖 Get The Pomegranate Is a Grenade: Available through Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold.

Order here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Pomegranate-is-a-Grenade/Maha-Hashwi/9781771684705

🎙️ ABOUT ARAB IS ME

Hosted by comedian and storyteller Said Durrah, Arab Is Me explores Arab identity, culture, creativity, and the conversations our communities need to have. Sometimes funny, sometimes uncomfortable, but always authentic.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @arabismepodcast

🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: Search Arab Is Me Podcast

📅 New episodes every Wednesday at 10 AM ET!

❤️ If this conversation resonates with you, share it with someone who believes in the power of storytelling. Supporting Arab voices means making sure our stories continue to be heard.

Send us Fan Mail

Arab Is Me is a podcast hosted by Said Durrah exploring the many ways people experience, express, and define what it means to be Arab. Through conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, activists, comedians, and community leaders, each episode celebrates the stories, cultures, and perspectives that make our community so unique.

🎙️ New episodes released regularly.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow @arabismepodcast for behind-the-scenes content, clips, and upcoming guests.

🌐 Website: arabismepodcast.com
📺 YouTube: arabismepodcast
🎧 Apple Podcasts:
🎧 Spotify:
📸 Instagram: @arabismepodcast
🎵 TikTok: @arabismepodcast
📘 Facebook:

🔥 Some conversations need to be had — especially within our own community.

This week, Said is joined by his wife, Reem, for a special episode of Arab Is Me that gets honest, funny, fiery, and maybe a little uncomfortable.

The question at the heart of it all: Are we doing enough to support our own — and are we willing to speak up when it matters?

Said and Reem get into why Arab artists and creators sometimes struggle to get support before they become famous, whether Arab celebrities have a responsibility to speak up about issues affecting our communities, where comedians should draw the line when joking about Arab culture, and whether mainstream America actually embraces Arabs — or just the parts of our culture it likes.

They also get into Arab-owned businesses, asking for the “Arab discount,” what happens when your favorite Arab restaurant suddenly isn’t what it used to be, cultural appropr

Send us Fan Mail

Arab Is Me is a podcast hosted by Said Durrah exploring the many ways people experience, express, and define what it means to be Arab. Through conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, activists, comedians, and community leaders, each episode celebrates the stories, cultures, and perspectives that make our community so unique.

🎙️ New episodes released regularly.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow @arabismepodcast for behind-the-scenes content, clips, and upcoming guests.

🌐 Website: arabismepodcast.com
📺 YouTube: arabismepodcast
🎧 Apple Podcasts:
🎧 Spotify:
📸 Instagram: @arabismepodcast
🎵 TikTok: @arabismepodcast
📘 Facebook:

🇵🇸 IT’S NOT JUST FOOD.

It’s memory. Identity. Culture. Resistance.

This week on Arab Is Me, Said sits down with Farah, founder of Sitti’s House, a Palestinian cultural cooking experience bringing people together through food, storytelling, and the traditions passed down through generations.

🍉 Food as resistance. Farah talks about why preserving Palestinian recipes means preserving something much bigger than what’s on the plate—and why our grandmothers may be some of our greatest cultural preservationists.

👵 What does “Sitti’s House” really mean? Farah shares the story behind the name, her own journey with Palestinian food, and how building Sitti’s House has also helped immerse her children in their culture.

☕ Are Arab food & coffee having a moment? Said and Farah get into the explosion of Arab-owned restaurants, Yemeni coffee shops, supporting our own businesses, and why Arabs will pay to make candles and pasta…but apparently not always knafeh. 😂

🔥 And then the important debates begin…

Khishneh or na’ameh?
Is hummus actually a meal?
What Arab food is BETTER the next day?
Can knafeh ever survive the microwave?
And if you had to restart Arab civilization on a deserted island, which two ingredients are coming with you?

😂 Food gets serious on this one.

📲 FOLLOW THE GUEST
Sitti’s House: @sittishouse
Farah: @callhersitti

🎙️ FOLLOW ARAB IS ME
@arabismepodcast

❤️ Like. Follow. Share. And send this episode to the person who takes Arab food debates WAY too seriously.

⚠️ DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Arab Is Me, its host, partners, or affiliated organizations.

Send us Fan Mail

Arab Is Me is a podcast hosted by Said Durrah exploring the many ways people experience, express, and define what it means to be Arab. Through conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, activists, comedians, and community leaders, each episode celebrates the stories, cultures, and perspectives that make our community so unique.

🎙️ New episodes released regularly.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow @arabismepodcast for behind-the-scenes content, clips, and upcoming guests.

🌐 Website: arabismepodcast.com
📺 YouTube: arabismepodcast
🎧 Apple Podcasts:
🎧 Spotify:
📸 Instagram: @arabismepodcast
🎵 TikTok: @arabismepodcast
📘 Facebook: