My friendly annual reminder that this symbol you see everywhere this time of year is *not* a snowflake.

It is the 8-pointed 🌟Bethlehem Star 🌟, a #tatreez (embroidery) symbol that has decorated #Palestinian artwork for centuries and was brought to Europe via the Crusades. 1/3





Of the hundreds of motifs that are featured in tatreez, the #Bethlehem Star is one of the oldest and most enduring. It represents the Star that guided the Three Kings on #Christmas night. ✝️🎄🌟

2/3

A thread on being an Arab American writer: or... why Representation Matters... or How I could become a millionaire overnight.

#arabtwitter #representationmatters

1/ The fact is there just aren't many opportunities to be published if you have an Arab name. Like other poc, we watch as white writers get huge contracts and advances to write books using our people/tragedies/stories as material.

White writers are seen as somehow "objective." 2/

I've been teaching at a #CommunityCollege for fifteen years. I'm tenured, I teach English, literature, and creative writing. Here's what I wish most people could understand about community colleges... 1. 50% of the students in the USA who are in college at actually at a comm college, and many of them still need financial aid. We make a college dream a reality for 50% of all college students.