Hedy Habra’s newest book, “Or Did You Ever See the Other Side?” takes you on a journey of feminism and art. Habra uses diverse sources from artists like Shiharu Shiota, Remedios Varo and Wadada Leo Smith as inspiration for the topics of her poems. The skill to use inspiration from experiences and art to fuel her writings is a difficult task and something that Habra executes perfectly.
When she first started writing, Habra always kept a journal by her side as she wrote about her life in Egypt, Lebanon, Europe and the United States. Until her time at Western Michigan University (WMU), she only wrote in French and never took it seriously. At WMU, Habra began taking Spanish and English literature classes and went on to earn three M.A.s and Ph.D.
When working for her M.F.A., Habra’s creative writing class encouraged her to take more steps to become published.
“In the creative writing classes, I was encouraged to share my writing with other authors. I think that’s where it started — with my graduate studies,” said Habra.
Habra wrote her first book of poems in 2013 called “Tea in Heliopolis” and then released three award-winning books of poetry.
“I write poems inspired by paintings or artworks that speak to me. Most of the time, it is the work of a surrealist artist because it is always dream-related and inspiring,” said Habra. “What matters is that I feel that the painting triggers emotions and my imagination.”
Habra spends a lot of time looking at artwork, whether it be online, in books, or at museums. This is where she finds her inspiration for her writing.
“What I usually do is print the painting when I find it online and keep looking at it often. I start by writing notes, describing both the painting and my reactions to it,” said Habra. “As I keep revising my notes, I will eventually write the first draft of the poem which I will revise several times after.”
Habras’s poem, “Or Aren’t Words Worthless, Often Times Said & Forgotten, Written & Erased?” is inspired by a work of art called “Beyond Words” by Liz Collins.
“‘Beyond Words” shows two doves flying out of a cage filled with crumpled and shredded newspapers.
“The doves were made out of words and represented for me the freedom of expression,” said Habra. “When I started writing, childhood memories arose along with the importance of reading and the detrimental effect of censorship that cages printed words and ideas.”
Habra’s mother was an artist, predisposing Habra to visual arts and turning the art admirer into an artist like her mother.
Habra has taken Chinese ink brush and watercolor classes for 14 years. She paints the covers of her poetry collections. The painting on her newest book cover is called, “Woman Lotus & Crane.” The painting portrays a woman’s back.
“I chose it for the cover because the poems in ‘Or Did You Ever See The Other Side?’ were mostly inspired by women artists and addressed feminine themes,” said Habra. “Since the title of the book hints at uncovering the hidden, unseen side and meaning of things, I felt that this painting was the most adequate because we have to imagine what the woman looks like on the other side of the painting.”
As you jump into Habra’s work, you can’t help but wonder what is on the ‘other side’ of the narrative, like the mysterious woman in the painting.
Hedy Habra’s books are available at Michigan News Agency in downtown Kalamazoo and online at Press 53. To know more about the author, visit her website.
Josephine Velo • Jan 10, 2024 at 6:31 pm
What a beautiful story!