Jessica Abughattas

Jessica Abughattas
OccupationPoet
Alma materPepperdine University
Antioch University
GenrePoetry
Notable worksStrip
Notable awardsEtel Adnan Poetry Prize (2020)
Website
www.jessicaabughattas.com

Jessica Abughattas is a Palestinian American poet. Her debut poetry collection, Strip (2020), won the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize. From 2020 to 2022, she was the poet laureate of Altadena, California.[1][2]

Life and career

Abughattas was born and raised in California.[1] She earned a BA in journalism from Pepperdine University and an MFA in poetry from Antioch University Los Angeles.[1][3] From 2020 to 2022, she was the poet laureate of Altadena and edited the Altadena Poetry Review.[1][4]

Strip

Strip was published by University of Arkansas Press in 2020. It was selected for publication by Hayan Charara and Fady Joudah.[5] In December 2020, Lit Hub republished the poem "Dinner Party" from Strip.[6]

Reception

In Public Books, alongside books from Zaina Arafat and Adania Shibli, George Abraham wrote that Strip "resists explanation" and that its poems "never explain or justify their Palestinian-ness."[7]

Reviewing the book for West Branch, Esteban Rodríguez wrote that the collection's "conversational yet deeply reflective tone" reveals "what wasn't known before".[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Jessica Abughattas". Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  2. ^ "Jessica Abughattas Named Winner of 2020 Etel Adnan Poetry Prize". University of Arkansas News. 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  3. ^ "Jessica Abughattas '18". Common Thread. Antioch University. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  4. ^ "Jessica Abughattas". American Life in Poetry. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  5. ^ "Now Available: Strip: Poems by Jessica Abughattas". University of Arkansas Press. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  6. ^ Abughattas, Jessica (2020-12-22). ""Dinner Party"". Lit Hub. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  7. ^ Abraham, George (2021-01-21). "Re-embodying Palestinian Memory". Public Books. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
  8. ^ Rodríguez, Esteban (2021-11-01). "In Praise of Hereness". West Branch. Retrieved 2026-03-11.