Dear Reader,

While the world fights, I write.

I won’t bore you with my assessment of the war. You can read it here, Iran War Balance Sheet.

Instead, this newsletter is dedicated to celebrating the women of Palestine and the Palestine movement, starting with a short story honoring my mother published in Scene48. Inaugurating a series of posts featuring books by Palestinian women authors, you get a review of Lisa Suhair Majaj’s Geography of Light. I also review Abby Martin’s movie Earth’s Greatest Enemy.

You’ll want to read my interview, just published in Mondoweiss, with Chloé Fíona Ludden, a former UN official who has sailed to Gaza last summer aboard the Handala.

My Substack is now live! Renegade Living is your guide to “forging your true path in life, and finding meaning in a discordant world.” Check it out! I hope you will consider subscribing -- a paid subscription is an excellent way to show your support for my work. A huge THANK-YOU those of you who've joined before I’ve written a word!

Finally, you find two new poems and another short story, The Ghost of Ein Areek, which has just appeared in Global Literary Theory. In the words of the editor, author Rebecca Ruth Gould: “A haunting coming-of-age story set during the First Intifada, … A powerful, quietly devastating piece.”

Happy reading!

PS Regarding my new book, Palestine Bleeds For You, expect another email soon with a cover reveal and a pre-order link. In the meantime, enjoy this review by award-winning novelist Antoun Ananias.

With love,
Ramsey Hanhan

FEATURED

‘Why I resigned from the UN to join the Gaza Freedom Flotilla’

My interview with Chloé Fíona Ludden for Mondoweiss about her trip to Gaza aboard the Handala last July, and the planned Sumoud Flotilla in April.

Renegade Living

SHORT STORIES

The Ghost of Ein Areek A coming-of-age story from Palestine Read Story

Learning Hebrew Palestinian women shoulder much of the struggle to endure and preserve the continuity of culture in the face of policies of erasure Read Story

POETRY

‘Iran is Not Gaza’ My response to Arundhati Roy, Zeteo, and the soudbiting of Palestine’s pain Read Poem

Nowruz 2026 a stream-of-consciousness prose poem celebrating nature, and in solidarity with the people of Iran Read Poem

REVIEWS

Reading Geographies of Light Under the Shadow of Genocide Review of Palestinian American poet Lisa Suhair Majaj’s monumental opus Read Review

“Earth’s Greatest Enemy”, a documentary by Abby Martin An honest and disturbing look at the environmental footprint of the US military Read Review

Palestine Is Already in Your Streets Prize-winning Novelist Antoun Ananias Reviews my new book, ‘Palestine Bleeds for You’ Read Review

ESSAYS

Iran War Balance Sheet With relatives, friends, and readers all over the region, I find it hard to cheer for anyone in this war, or even to listen to the geopolitical analysts. Read Photo Essay

Ramsey Hanhan is the author of two books: Palestine Bleeds For You (2026) and Fugitive Dreams (2022), short stories, essays, and poetry. His works appear in The Harvard Advocate, Fikra magazine, Scene48, Mondoweiss, and other publications. He also speaks about Palestine and literature. Formerly a physics professor, Ramsey holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and lives near Baltimore, Maryland. ​​​​​

Fugitive Dreams. “Tell me more about the Israelis,” whispers five-year-old Ksenya to her dad on a visit to her grandparents in Palestine. Sameer immediately feels a weight descend upon his shoulders. How to tell her the truth without “its bloodied shadow staining the course of her life?” Join Sameer on a personal journey through the last five decades of the Palestinian experience. Website