American spoken word poet, Dorian “Paul D” Rogers sat down for Turkish coffee with Palestinian filmmaker and Dubai poetry/spoken word pioneer, Hind Shoufani to talk about her impact on the arts in the UAE.
Paul D: Tell me something about you that few people know.
Hind: I love children more than I have ways to express; I can make a mean salad – with all sorts of funky ingredients; I have never in my life cooked a piece of meat. There’s more…I secretly pick up pieces of glitter off the street if I see them. I write poems in my head in the shower all the time. I cannot drive; I never learnt how to. I dance a lot, alone, with costumes. Your turn, any deep dark secrets you long to share?
Paul D: My shoulder was dislocated twice as a toddler because my sister used to drag me around like a rag doll. In some weird instance of fate, I managed to get on stage with Stevie Wonder and rap in front of thousands in 2007. I hate raw tomatoes even though I love ketchup. Hmmm…That was cathartic. Now back to you. Should a poet be required to expose truths and raise social awareness?
Hind: There are no rules I suppose. I am the daughter of serious socialists. Everything I was raised to believe and act on is related somehow to edifying ‘the people’, to aiding community, to empowering women, to resisting oppression, and to giving voice to the suffering around us. I am Palestinian. I was born in Lebanon. I lived in Syria. My father died there. I know what the suffering of communities looks like, even if my personal life has been very blessed and safe – mostly. So, yes, for me, poetry is inextricably linked to the beautification of the lives of others. Even if my content is dark and painful, I think it allows people to feel something intensely, and that creates a strong human bond, foments empathy, and somehow acts like a strong group hug. You too have some amazing social commentary in your work. Race, gender, class, money, all play a role in your spoken word. What drives you to choose these topics? And do you find that people here can identify with your words?
Paul D: As a Black man of multi-ethnic background raised in the Southern United States, I found many issues with feeling unaccepted and misunderstood. Poetry was a way of expressing myself in a positive way and getting acceptance through intellectual discourse. Because of feeling under-represented for much of my life, I feel the need to speak up for others that do not have voices. People anywhere in the world can identify with those same themes.
Hind: As you know I am curating a show called the Poeticians. And all it takes to be a ‘poetician’ is the ability to write well and share your work. I don’t tend to like cheesy, rhyming poetry. As long as it’s not racist, misogynistic, or needlessly offensive, I will consider the work. I have been criticized for not liking classical poetry or rhyme. It’s fine. People can appreciate what they want to appreciate, but for as long as I am the curator then I suppose I reserve the right to choose.
Paul D: What is your favorite poem of yours?
Hind: Maybe “For the Record” which is a violent story about the stoning of a poor young woman. I also like More Light than Death Could Bear” about my mother, Yasmine. I suppose I really also like the dark lengthy piece I wrote for Syria recently.
Paul D: Do you enjoy being a filmmaker more than a poet?
Hind: Totally different sides of me. Poetry is instinctive and requires no effort; it is beyond my control; done purely out of love, and I expect no rewards for it. Poetry is what my spirit speaks, with no planning from my end. Film on the other hand is something I studied, and something I find hard and painful. It is expensive and often filled with rejection. Film and money are linked in my world. Film is a job, whereas poetry is a dream-land.
Photographs by Layla Maghribi
