"The Last 'No': A Review of Lena Khalaf Tuffaha's 'Something about Living' by Laura Sarkisyan

Something about Living is a collection of poems that represents the pain of Palestinian people, who are seeking humanity's love and kindness. The author, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, develops a contrast between bad and good. Her poems are about her loved ones, their families and communities. Khalaf Tuffaha emphasizes that love is not just an idea but an actual act. She talks about the horror of violence and highlights her hope for survival in her poems. Her work urges readers to look deeper into the tough questions of identity and loss.
Khalaf Tuffaha is a poet, essayist, and translator whose acclaimed poetry collections include Something about Living (winner of the 2024 National Book Award), Kaan & Her Sisters (a 2024 Firecracker Award finalist), and Water & Salt (winner of the 2018 Washington State Book Award). Her work has been featured in journals such as The Nation and Prairie Schooner and in anthologies like The Long Devotion and Gaza Unsilenced. Fluent in Arabic and English, her writing reflects her Palestinian, Jordanian, and Syrian heritage, often exploring identity, borders, and cultural translation. Raised in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, she earned a BA in Comparative Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. She is passionate about Free Palestine, poetry, and gardening, and resides with her family in Redmond, Washington.
The first section of the poem, “Variations on a Last Chance,” affirms audaciously the conflict between hope and the truth of losing something. The opening line, "The fence does not hold," immediately sets up the current threat of occupation and the possibility of death. Moments of hope come through, as in "The snipers run out of bullets" and "The snipers wonder if they will ever see the end of us." These lines present to readers a feeling of resistance and survival in the face of great challenges. The image of bullets moving away from a boy's head brings a strong hope that children's innocence will be saved. The last line, "We bury the dead at the fence, let their roots reach the other side of the house," brings back to the reader's mind the hard truth of losing someone. It reveals that even in death, there is a strong link with the homeland. The poem succeeds in combining hope with the sorrow of loss in a very strong way that touches emotions.
In the poem, “A Single Word: Home,” the author starts with the words, “Denuded of my name, of belonging, childhood memories grow up in me, one day following another.” This is a very powerful line that illustrates an uncertain future and a loss of the present. In the line, “In the deep horizon of my word I have a moon and it is as tiny as sesame seed,” she shows how little people have after their losses. “Free, I stand beside my freedom.” All that people want is to have their freedoms and lives back. She continues, “I must be worthy of my mothers tears,” which shows the wonder and worth of a loved one in his mother's very powerful move. Questions are everywhere, though: “What will we do before this death?” This poem is so powerful in showing the loss and uncertainty that it touches the feelings of readers, leaving people thinking and hoping for a better future for this community. The poem teaches that life is fragile and that love and sacrifice are heavy in regard to loss. It strikes deep emotions in the hearts of readers to reflect on the lasting strength of people and the hope for a future, wherein one may find both freedom and belonging.
The poem “In Case of Emergency” illustrates a timeline of tragic events: “1967 / The year we lost the rest of our country // 1936 / The year your grandmother swallowed her gold coins / to hide them from soldiers // This is how you keep yourself / safe, keep parts // of yourself in different boxes. / Trust no one / with everything // 1949 / The year my father died.” She ends with “This is how you know it will end: // When night falls the windows of the city become mirrors, / a key recalls the shape of its doorway, // the stones of this land / nestle in young hands.” The poem is a tapestry of loss, resilience, and fragmented memories, reflecting the ways in which personal and collective histories could be passed down through generations. The poem comes to a poignant conclusion, indicating that even among tragedy, the land, its symbols, and the stories around those symbols are one thing that provides continuity and identity into the next generation.
The poem "Erosion" points out that, in 1998, the building of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza reached a fever pitch. Meanwhile, American luxury magazines were advertising tourism in Israel with the slogan, "No one belongs here more than you do." Little by little, the poem loses a word from each line, leaving just “no” at the end. The poem illustrates the displacement and exclusion of Palestinians, contrasting the welcoming appearance of the slogan with the harsh reality of dispossession and loss. This slow disappearance reflects the loss of Palestinian presence and identity and creates an evident emptiness. The last "no" is a powerful denial of belonging to emphasize a bitter unfairness and separation as the core of the conflict.
Part Three includes the poem “Crowdsourced,” which is a reflection of the heartbreaking destruction of cities and villages. The author states that to “Wear a keffiyeh in the profile picture, write your name in Arabic in the bio” can lead to getting private heartfelt messages: “The questions about peace are delivered more artfully. The questions about freedom rarely arrive.” In other words, people will reach out to you to ask if you have family in Gaza, but “You will not be asked about the village. You are often asked for your family’s hummus recipe.” This poem shows how acts of support are often simplistic and miss the deeper history and personal experiences of losing a home. Wearing a keffiyeh or placing Arabic in a bio may receive sympathy or questions, but these conversations usually remain superficial, never delving into the hard questions of freedom, justice, and the demolition of Palestinian villages. Instead, they dwell on less demanding subjects, such as recipes, and reduce deep struggles to simple cultural items. The poem criticizes this trend and shows the difference between acting supportively and really engaging with the painful histories and ongoing challenges faced by Palestinians.

Laura Sarkisyan

Laura, a fourth-year architecture student at Woodbury University, is highly artistic and creative, with a deep passion for helping others. She thrives on all forms of creativity and admires individuals with strong passions and ambitious goals. Working with MORIA magazine this semester was a truly rewarding and honorable experience for her, offering the opportunity to connect with professional writers and develop new skills. She feels incredibly grateful for this time.