Mermaid Theory - Poems

From an award-winning, innovative poet, a bold reimagination of Arab American womanhood in the modern military age

In her second full-length collection, Maya Salameh offers a profound exploration of Arab American identity, weaving together themes of myth, science, and cultural heritage. This daring collection deploys psychological evaluation forms, ritual incantations, and captivating visual poetry. 

Salameh transcends simple narratives of shame or violence to offer a nuanced portrayal of identity, exploring both the privileges and heartbreaks of diasporic exile. Her multilingual poetry bridges Arabic and English, enriching the poems' sonic texture. Salameh scrutinizes established academic and cultural narratives, inviting readers to rethink their own understandings of history and identity. 

About the author

Maya Salameh is the author of How to Make an Algorithm in the Microwave (University of Arkansas Press, 2022), winner of the 2022 Etel Adnan Prize, and the chapbook rooh (Paper Nautilus Press, 2020). Salameh has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Sewanee Writers' Conference, Bread Loaf Environmental Writers' Conference, and the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities. She has served as a National Student Poet, America's highest honor for youth poets, and a Community Organizer for the Institute for Diversity in the Arts. Her work has appeared in The Offing, Mizna, Poetry, Gulf Coast, and The Rumpus, among others. She is based in Los Angeles, California.

Product details

• Authors: Maya Salameh
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 07.04.2026
• EAN: 9798888906521
• ISBN: 979-8-88890-652-1
• No. of pages: 72
• Illustrations: Illustrationen, nicht spezifiziert
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; Poetry, POETRY / Women Authors, POETRY / Middle Eastern, Social groups, Political activism, Political activism / Political engagement, Social groups, communities and identities, POETRY / Subjects & Themes / Political & Protest, POETRY / Subjects & Themes / Diversity & Multicultural, Poetry / Poems, Literature of the Middle East