Susan Muaddi Darraj | Guest Writer for MFA Program
Hood’s creative writing MFA program welcomes Susan Muaddi Darraj as a guest writer for June 2025 residency.
Q&A
Program
- Creative Writing (MFA)
Department
- English & Communication Arts
Susan Muaddi Darraj is an award-winning and critically acclaimed author. She won an American Book Award, two Arab American Book Awards and a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Award. In 2018, she was named a USA Artists Ford Fellow. Her books include the linked short story collection A Curious Land as well as the Farah Rocks children’s book series. She teaches creative writing at Harford Community College and the Johns Hopkins University. Her new novel Behind You Is the Sea is a finalist for the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award. This summer, Muaddi Darraj will join the low-residency MFA in creative writing at Hood College. In the conversation below, Muaddi Darraj discusses her new novel and how it was informed by her Palestinian heritage.
When did you first become interested in writing and what sparked your passion?
I’ve been writing for fun since I was a third or fourth grader. I grew up immersed in the world of books, and at some point, I decided I wanted to try to write my own. However, I began to write more seriously when I was in college and taking college creative writing classes. I was fascinated by various craft issues and techniques such as point of view and voice and how they could completely change a story.
Your new novel, Behind You is the Sea, deals with three Palestinian immigrant families who are grappling with economic, cultural, religious and generational tensions. What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
I hope that readers approach the book with a feeling of curiosity about our community, and that they come away feeling that Palestinian Americans are more familiar than they had suspected. There are not many Palestinian Americans in this country, less than 130,000, so I hope that my readers will meet as many as possible, with a range of experiences, in the pages of my book.
Congratulations on Behind You is the Sea being a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award! How does it feel to receive this honor?
It certainly is a huge honor, and I feel like I've already won simply by having my name on a list with these amazing writers. I’m grateful to the PEN/ Faulkner foundation and to the judges.
How can students utilize an MFA within their career path? What do you see as the value of studying the arts in a climate where the humanities are frequently under attack?
There will always be a need for good writing. There will always be a need for good stories.
Learn more about Hood’s low-residency creative writing MFA program.
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