In Rodman Hall this past Tuesday, November 14, JCU was graced by the presence of Randa Jarrar—an Arab American writer who shared with us her latest book Him, Me, Muhammad Ali (Sarabande Books). An award-winning novelist, Jarrar’s work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, Salon, Guernica, The Rumpus, and many more impressive publications. Her latest collection of short stories has been receiving plenty of attention from literary critics since its release in October 2016. A few of its awards include one of Electric Literature’s 25 Best Short Story Collections of 2016 and the 2017 Story Prize Spotlight Award.
Despite her claim that “funny writers aren’t taken seriously,” Jarrar, 39, easily managed to captivate her audience while eccentrically dressed in a polka dot skirt with a bright flower in her hair and sea horse earrings proudly flaunted. Before sampling excerpts from her book, the witty writer pulled up a photo of a talented group of fellow Arab American writers reenacting the Last Supper, appropriately projected directly beneath a plaque of the famous depiction in Rodman. She pointedly discussed the achievements of these creative people who are representing Arab American success and literary diversity in the world today.
Jarrar read from a few of her short stories, including that of an 18-year-old Palestinian American student who gets pregnant and moves in with her troubling boyfriend due to isolation from her family. This character has no trouble speaking her mind to her mother, and reads Beloved in the library when defeated in discovering there are no books by Arab American women. Her characters are bold and fearless, much like the writer who formed them.
Jarrar’s stories grapple with some heavy topics, which she coats with her exceptionally witty comic relief. Her ideas come from her imagination, as well as the stories and experiences she encounters from others—”I am like a sponge,” the author explained. Jarrar has also pulls inspiration from her own life, and in writing about some considerably scandalous topics, she challenges herself to “leave [her] comfort zone as much as possible,” in her own words.
Growing up in Kuwait and moving to America at only 13, Jarrar scatters pieces of her identity within her writing to share her experiences and expand upon the experiences of others. She has been writing since she was little, and her imagination was fostered by her parents. Him, Me, Muhammad Ali presents themes of love, sex, history and survival in a way that catches readers by surprise. Jarrar commented on her inspiration to write about “naughty things” that would get her in trouble. Not wanting to succumb to a conventional route in her depiction of Muslim women and men and their experiences, Jarrar does not hold back in her writing, nor does she look back with regrets. “I find American culture to be very prudish,” said Jarrar in response to how her work has been received by certain critics. As someone who grew up with censorship in the Middle East, Jarrar “wanted to make all of that possible because it was missing.” In her own way, she fills in the blanks that were left out in media when she was growing up.
Randa Jarrar’s writing is quick as a whip, which upon first read will leave you in a double-take. She unapologetically uses her talents to wreak inspirational havoc on the literary world. Overall, she is an exceptional addition to the speakers who have visited JCU thus far.