About Me

Hey y'all, I'm Summer! I am a multi-genre writer with roots in Palestine and Tennessee. I have an MFA in Creative Writing and Environment from Iowa State University. My writing focuses primarily on diaspora, immigrants and refugees, women and family, identity, and social justice.

I am currently working on a collection of nonfiction essays about my four years of work in refugee resettlement in Tennessee, for which I have received a generous LANDO grant from the de Groot foundation. I am also writing poetry and speculative fiction about Palestine.

Selected Honors and Awards

Arab american educational foundation

Short Story Contest First Prize Winner, "One State Solution," 2026

Beloit Poetry Journal

Best New Poets Nomination, "love in the time of clovis," 2026

Pushcart Prize Nomination, "love in the time of clovis," 2025

Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry Second Prize, "love in the time of clovis" 2024

The Plentitudes

Nonfiction Finalist, "Eugene," 2025

Write Bloody Publishing

Jack McCarthy Book Prize Finalist, 2024

The de groot foundation

LANDO Grant for immigration, migration, and refugee writing, 2023

East Tennessee writers' Hall of Fame

Emerging Writer Award, 2022

Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance

Peacemaker Award, "WALLS: A Play for Palestine," 2018

Community Shares Tennessee

Artist of Change Award, 2016