Olivia Elias presents Three Poems

Vera Tamari, "New Olive Tree," collage, watercolors,mixed media on paper, 27x34 cm, 2015 (courtesy Dalloul Art Foundation).

24 NOVEMBER 2024 • By Olivia Elias, Kareem James Abu-Zeid
Acclaimed French-language poet of the Palestinian diaspora Olivia Elias probes deeply into the upheavals of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Her English-language debut, Chaos, Crossing is a powerful chronicle of uprootedness, of times marked by inequality, injustice, and disconnection.

Olivia Elias

“One has first to lose faith in words, these poems suggest, then grapple with each word, each line break, their placement on the page, in order to regroup them. Kareem James Abu-Zeid’s translation conveys Elias’s tension and urgency, asking us to stop at each word and to approach one of her central questions: is it possible that too much rage kills rage?” —Ahmad Almallah

 



Chaos, Crossing is published by World Poetry.

 





 

Olivia Elias

Olivia Elias Poet of the Palestinian diaspora, born in Haifa in 1944, Olivia Elias writes in French. As a child she lived in Lebanon where her family had taken refuge in 1948. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Montréal, Canada,... Read more

Kareem James Abu-Zeid

Kareem James Abu-Zeid Kareem James Abu-Zeid, PhD, is an Egyptian-American translator of poets and novelists from across the Arab world who translates from Arabic, French, and German. He has received the Sarah Maguire Prize for poetry in translation, an NEA translation grant, PEN Center USA's... Read more

Join Our Community

TMR exists thanks to its readers and supporters. By sharing our stories and celebrating cultural pluralism, we aim to counter racism, xenophobia, and exclusion with knowledge, empathy, and artistic expression.

RELATED

Book Reviews

What Will People Think? Blends Comedy, Culture and Family Secrets

3 OCTOBER 2025 • By Natasha Tynes
<em>What Will People Think? </em>Blends Comedy, Culture and Family Secrets
Essays

You Want Your Friends to See Who You Really Are

3 OCTOBER 2025 • By Christina Adranly
You Want Your Friends to See Who You Really Are
short story

Come See the Peacock

3 OCTOBER 2025 • By Aya Chalabee
Come See the Peacock
Poetry

Pramila Venkateswaran presents Two Poems

4 JULY 2025 • By Pramila Venkateswaran
Pramila Venkateswaran presents Two Poems
Poetry

Nasser Rabah on Poetry and Gaza

4 JULY 2025 • By Nasser Rabah
Nasser Rabah on Poetry and Gaza
Essays

Unwritten Stories from Palestine

4 JULY 2025 • By Thoth
Unwritten Stories from Palestine
Essays

A Kashmiri in Cashmere

2 MAY 2025 • By Nafeesa Syeed
A Kashmiri in Cashmere
Editorial

For Our 50th Issue, Writers Reflect on Going Home

2 MAY 2025 • By TMR
For Our 50th Issue, Writers Reflect on Going Home
Poetry

Three Poems by Najwan Darwish

22 APRIL 2025 • By Najwan Darwish
Three Poems by Najwan Darwish
Advice

Dear Souseh: Existential Advice for Third World Problems

4 APRIL 2025 • By Souseh
Dear Souseh: Existential Advice for Third World Problems
Book Reviews

Maya Abu Al-Hayyat’s Defiant Exploration of Palestinian Life

20 DECEMBER 2024 • By Zahra Hankir
Maya Abu Al-Hayyat’s Defiant Exploration of Palestinian Life
Poetry

Lena Khalaf Tuffaha: Two Poems

19 DECEMBER 2024 • By Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha: Two Poems
Poetry

Annahita Mahdavi West: Two Poems

19 DECEMBER 2024 • By Annahita Mahdavi West
Annahita Mahdavi West: Two Poems
Art & Photography

Palestine Features in Larissa Sansour’s Sci-Fi Future

6 DECEMBER 2024 • By Larissa Sansour
Palestine Features in Larissa Sansour’s Sci-Fi Future
Poetry

Olivia Elias presents Three Poems

24 NOVEMBER 2024 • By Olivia Elias, Kareem James Abu-Zeid
Olivia Elias presents Three Poems
Poetry

Waqas Khwaja—Two Poems from No One Waits for the Train

15 OCTOBER 2024 • By Waqas Khwaja
Waqas Khwaja—Two Poems from <em>No One Waits for the Train</em>
Art & Photography

Featured Artists: “Barred From Home”

6 SEPTEMBER 2024 • By Malu Halasa
Featured Artists: “Barred From Home”
Book Reviews

Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew by Avi Shlaim—a Review

19 JULY 2024 • By Selma Dabbagh
<em>Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew</em> by Avi Shlaim—a Review
Theatre

The Return of Danton—a Play by Mudar Alhaggi & Collective Ma’louba

7 JUNE 2024 • By Mudar Alhaggi
<em>The Return of Danton</em>—a Play by Mudar Alhaggi & Collective Ma’louba
Poetry

“WE” and “4978 and One Nights” by Ghayath Almadhoun

4 FEBRUARY 2024 • By Ghayath Al Madhoun
“WE” and “4978 and One Nights” by Ghayath Almadhoun
Book Reviews

Arthur Kayzakian’s Stolen Painting and The Nameless Father

4 FEBRUARY 2024 • By Sean Casey
Arthur Kayzakian’s Stolen Painting and The Nameless Father
Columns

A Student’s Tribute to Refaat Alareer, Gaza’s Beloved Storyteller

18 DECEMBER 2023 • By Yousef M. Aljamal
A Student’s Tribute to Refaat Alareer, Gaza’s Beloved Storyteller
Book Reviews

What We Write About When We (Arabs) Write About Love

23 OCTOBER 2023 • By Eman Quotah
What We Write About When We (Arabs) Write About Love
Books

Edward Said: Writing in the Service of Life 

9 OCTOBER 2023 • By Layla AlAmmar
Edward Said: Writing in the Service of Life 
Theatre

Hartaqât: Heresies of a World with Policed Borders

9 OCTOBER 2023 • By Nada Ghosn
<em>Hartaqât</em>: Heresies of a World with Policed Borders
Poetry

Allen C. Jones—Two Poems from Son of a Cult

12 SEPTEMBER 2023 • By Allen C Jones
Allen C. Jones—Two Poems from <em>Son of a Cult</em>
Essays

A Day in the Life with Forugh Farrokhzad (and a Tortoise)

3 SEPTEMBER 2023 • By Fargol Malekpoosh
A Day in the Life with Forugh Farrokhzad (and a Tortoise)
Columns

Open Letter: On Being Palestinian and Publishing Poetry in the US

21 AUGUST 2023 • By Ahmad Almallah
Open Letter: On Being Palestinian and Publishing Poetry in the US
Essays

Bound Together: My Longings for Ishmael

14 AUGUST 2023 • By Albert Swissa, Gil Anidjar
Bound Together: My Longings for Ishmael
Book Reviews

Arab American Teens Come of Age in Nayra and the Djinn

31 JULY 2023 • By Katie Logan
Arab American Teens Come of Age in <em>Nayra and the Djinn</em>
Theatre

Jenin’s Freedom Theatre Survives Another Assault

24 JULY 2023 • By Hadani Ditmars
Jenin’s Freedom Theatre Survives Another Assault
Essays

“My Mother is a Tree”—a story by Aliyeh Ataei

2 JULY 2023 • By Aliyeh Ataei, Siavash Saadlou
“My Mother is a Tree”—a story by Aliyeh Ataei
Art & Photography

Deniz Goran’s New Novel Contrasts Art and the Gezi Park Protests

19 JUNE 2023 • By Arie Amaya-Akkermans
Deniz Goran’s New Novel Contrasts Art and the Gezi Park Protests
Poetry Markaz

Arthur Kayzakian, The Book of Redacted Paintings

4 JUNE 2023 • By Arthur Kayzakian
Arthur Kayzakian, <em>The Book of Redacted Paintings</em>
Fiction

“Mother Remembered”—Fiction by Samir El-Youssef

5 MARCH 2023 • By Samir El-Youssef
“Mother Remembered”—Fiction by Samir El-Youssef
Essays

More Photographs Taken From The Pocket of a Dead Arab

5 MARCH 2023 • By Saeed Taji Farouky
More Photographs Taken From The Pocket of a Dead Arab
Cities

Coming of Age in a Revolution

5 MARCH 2023 • By Lushik Lotus Lee
Coming of Age in a Revolution
Essays

Conflict and Freedom in Palestine, a Trip Down Memory Lane

15 DECEMBER 2022 • By Eman Quotah
Art

Museums in Exile—MO.CO’s show for Chile, Sarajevo & Palestine

12 DECEMBER 2022 • By Jordan Elgrably
Museums in Exile—MO.CO’s show for Chile, Sarajevo & Palestine
Music Reviews

From “Anahita” to Ÿuma, Festival Arabesques Dazzles Thousands

26 SEPTEMBER 2022 • By Angélique Crux
From “Anahita” to Ÿuma, Festival Arabesques Dazzles Thousands
Centerpiece

“What Are You Doing in Berlin?”—a short story by Ahmed Awny

15 SEPTEMBER 2022 • By Ahmed Awny, Rana Asfour
“What Are You Doing in Berlin?”—a short story by Ahmed Awny
Essays

Exile, Music, Hope & Nostalgia Among Berlin’s Arab Immigrants

15 SEPTEMBER 2022 • By Diana Abbani
Exile, Music, Hope & Nostalgia Among Berlin’s Arab Immigrants
Book Reviews

After Marriage, Single Arab American Woman Looks for Love

5 SEPTEMBER 2022 • By Eman Quotah
After Marriage, Single Arab American Woman Looks for Love
Music Reviews

Hot Summer Playlist: “Diaspora Dreams” Drops

8 AUGUST 2022 • By Mischa Geracoulis
Hot Summer Playlist: “Diaspora Dreams” Drops
Art

Abundant Middle Eastern Talent at the ’22 Avignon Theatre Fest

18 JULY 2022 • By Nada Ghosn
Abundant Middle Eastern Talent at the ’22 Avignon Theatre Fest
Book Reviews

Between Illness and Exile in “Head Above Water”

15 JULY 2022 • By Tugrul Mende
Between Illness and Exile in “Head Above Water”
Essays

“Disappearance/Muteness”—Tales from a Life in Translation

11 JULY 2022 • By Ayelet Tsabari
“Disappearance/Muteness”—Tales from a Life in Translation
Book Reviews

Poems of Palestinian Motherhood, Loss, Desire and Hope

4 JULY 2022 • By Eman Quotah
Poems of Palestinian Motherhood, Loss, Desire and Hope
Book Reviews

Leaving One’s Country in Mai Al-Nakib’s “An Unlasting Home”

27 JUNE 2022 • By Rana Asfour
Leaving One’s Country in Mai Al-Nakib’s “An Unlasting Home”
Art & Photography

Steve Sabella: Excerpts from “The Parachute Paradox”

15 JUNE 2022 • By Steve Sabella
Steve Sabella: Excerpts from “The Parachute Paradox”
Fiction

“The Salamander”—fiction from Sarah AlKahly-Mills

15 JUNE 2022 • By Sarah AlKahly-Mills
“The Salamander”—fiction from Sarah AlKahly-Mills
Book Reviews

Fragmented Love in Alison Glick’s “The Other End of the Sea”

16 MAY 2022 • By Nora Lester Murad
Fragmented Love in Alison Glick’s “The Other End of the Sea”
Featured excerpt

Arguments Toward a Universal Palestinian Identity

11 MAY 2022 • By Maurice Ebileeni
Arguments Toward a Universal Palestinian Identity
Book Reviews

Egyptian Comedic Novel Captures Dark Tale of Bedouin Migrants

18 APRIL 2022 • By Saliha Haddad
Egyptian Comedic Novel Captures Dark Tale of Bedouin Migrants
Columns

On the Streets of Santiago: a Culture of Wine and Empanadas

15 APRIL 2022 • By Francisco Letelier
On the Streets of Santiago: a Culture of Wine and Empanadas
Book Reviews

The Art of Remembrance in Abacus of Loss

15 MARCH 2022 • By Sherine Elbanhawy
The Art of Remembrance in <em>Abacus of Loss</em>
Essays

Taming the Immigrant: Musings of a Writer in Exile

15 JANUARY 2022 • By Ahmed Naji, Rana Asfour
Taming the Immigrant: Musings of a Writer in Exile
Editorial

Refuge, or the Inherent Dignity of Every Human Being

15 JANUARY 2022 • By Jordan Elgrably
Refuge, or the Inherent Dignity of Every Human Being
Featured excerpt

The Displaced, the Unwanted, by Viet Thanh Nguyen

15 JANUARY 2022 • By Viet Thanh Nguyen
Book Reviews

Meditations on The Ungrateful Refugee

15 JANUARY 2022 • By Rana Asfour
Meditations on <em>The Ungrateful Refugee</em>
Interviews

The Fabulous Omid Djalili on Good Times and the World

15 DECEMBER 2021 • By Jordan Elgrably
The Fabulous Omid Djalili on Good Times and the World
Beirut

Sudden Journeys: The Villa Salameh Bequest

29 NOVEMBER 2021 • By Jenine Abboushi
Sudden Journeys: The Villa Salameh Bequest
Book Reviews

From Jerusalem to a Kingdom by the Sea

29 NOVEMBER 2021 • By Rana Asfour
From Jerusalem to a Kingdom by the Sea
Film Reviews

Victims of Discrimination Never Forget in The Forgotten Ones

1 NOVEMBER 2021 • By Jordan Elgrably
Victims of Discrimination Never Forget in <em>The Forgotten Ones</em>
Essays

Voyage of Lost Keys, an Armenian art installation

15 SEPTEMBER 2021 • By Aimée Papazian
Voyage of Lost Keys, an Armenian art installation
Weekly

Heba Hayek’s Gaza Memories

1 AUGUST 2021 • By Shereen Malherbe
Heba Hayek’s Gaza Memories
Weekly

World Picks: May – June 2021

16 MAY 2021 • By Lawrence Joffe
World Picks: May – June 2021
Latest Reviews

The World Grows Blackthorn Walls

14 MAY 2021 • By Sholeh Wolpé
The World Grows Blackthorn Walls
Weekly

World Picks: April – May 2021

18 APRIL 2021 • By Malu Halasa
World Picks: April – May 2021
TMR 4 • Small & Indie Presses

Trembling Landscapes: Between Reality and Fiction: Eleven Artists from the Middle East*

14 DECEMBER 2020 • By Nat Muller
Trembling Landscapes: Between Reality and Fiction: Eleven Artists from the Middle East*
Film

Threading the Needle: Najwa Najjar’s “Between Heaven and Earth”

14 DECEMBER 2020 • By Ammiel Alcalay
Threading the Needle: Najwa Najjar’s “Between Heaven and Earth”
What We're Into

Dismantlings and Exile

14 SEPTEMBER 2020 • By Francisco Letelier
Dismantlings and Exile
Columns

Why Non-Arabs Should Read Hisham Matar’s “The Return”

3 AUGUST 2017 • By Jordan Elgrably
Why Non-Arabs Should Read Hisham Matar’s “The Return”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 + five =

Scroll to Top