The reading will feature the voices of Susana H. Case, Don Krieger, and Hind Shoufani, each bringing their distinct perspectives on the human experience of conflict. Through historical narratives, personal experiences, and reflections on the collective memories of societies shaped by war, these poets offer insight into the scars left by violence and the enduring search for peace. The event will serve as a platform for deep reflection, fostering a shared understanding of the human cost of war.
As a special guest, celebrated Chinese poet Wang Jiaxin will give a brief reading to open the evening. Wang, globally recognized for his contributions to poetry and translations of poets like Yeats and Paul Celan, will offer his distinctive perspective on war and peace.
Margo Taft Stever, founder of the Hudson Valley Writers Center and founder of Slapering Hol Press, shared her thoughts on the significance of the event:
“It’s an important subject to address at any historical period, but particularly right now when the world is facing a huge struggle between autocracy and democracy. This reading is an opportunity to reflect on those conflicts, both past and present, and to recognize the horrors of the shared global experiences of war and the search for peace.”
Stever also highlighted that this year, Slapering Hol Press published the Ukrainian translation of The Scottish Café by Susana H. Case, a collection that touches on the battle between totalitarianism and democracy, making Case’s work especially timely given the current war in Ukraine.
Nick Robinson, a founding board member of the Hudson Valley Writers Center, will open the event and introduce the poets. Robinson funded the 2024 Ukrainian translation of The Scottish Café, by Susana H. Case, and he wrote the introduction for the translation which was first provided to the Writers Center in 2003 and finally published in January, 2024.
To conclude the reading, six community poets will be chosen on a first come basis to share their own poetry. The first six poets to sign up at the event will each be invited to read one poem, with a maximum length of one page. This open format will allow local poets to join in the ongoing dialogue about war and peace through their creative expression.
Featured Poets: Personal Stories of Conflict and Resilience
Susana H. Case
Susana H. Case, author of The Scottish Café, brings her thoughtful reflections on the parallels between past and present conflicts to the reading. Her participation is rooted in her belief that history continues to echo in modern-day struggles, making war and its aftermath an ever-relevant topic.
The Scottish Café, from which Case will be reading, was originally written in response to the events of 9/11, drawing inspiration from a group of mathematicians in what was then Poland, now Ukraine, during World War II. For Case, this collection became an avenue for processing the uncertainty and fear that followed 9/11. As she explains, “It was a way for me to restart,” recalling how many writers in New York, herself included, found it difficult to write in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
The collection, translated and now published in both Polish and Ukrainian, focuses on the mathematicians’ efforts to continue their intellectual pursuits during a time of political upheaval. Case expressed deep admiration for the translators,Yuriy Zaliznyak and Bogdan Zaliznyak, a father-son team in Ukraine who worked on the project amid ongoing conflict. A celebration of the Ukrainian edition in Ukraine during the current war was an especially moving moment for Case: “There’s something wonderful about people holding a literary event for a book in the middle of all of this war,” she noted.
At the reading, Case plans to share several poems from The Scottish Café, which personalize the experiences of these mathematicians, grounding the larger themes of war in the stories of real individuals. Though Case’s work is not usually political, she has felt compelled to address global issues in The Scottish Café, aligning with the evening’s theme of reflecting on the human cost of conflict.
Susana H. Case is an award-winning poet and the author of nine books of poetry, including If This Isn’t Love (Broadstone Books) and co-editor of I Wanna Be Loved by You: Poems on Marilyn Monroe (Milk & Cake Press) with Margo Taft Stever. Her chapbook The Scottish Café (Slapering Hol Press) was re-released in a dual-language English-Polish edition (Kawiarnia Szkocka) and an English-Ukrainian edition (Шотландська Кав’ярня). For more information, visit susanahcase.com.
Don Krieger
Don Krieger’s poetry confronts the often-overlooked dissonance between America’s ideals and actions. His participation in the Poets on War and Peace event is inspired by his long-standing connection with Margo Stever and a shared commitment to activism.
Krieger’s work, particularly in his manuscript We in America, explores the troubling truths about the consequences of American foreign policy. “It’s all about the horrors we’ve created for other people and the things we look at as our best qualities,” Krieger said, reflecting on the complexities of America’s role in global conflicts.
His poetry at the event will include pieces like In the Beginning and Lament for Those Held Hostage Tonight, works that speak directly to cycles of violence and the lasting impact of conflict. Krieger’s style is characterized by its clarity and accessibility. “I want people to understand my work, be moved by it. I’m not interested in cleverness or following poetic form. Poetry, for me, is about communicating thoughts and feelings in a way that people can immediately grasp,” he explained.
In addition to these powerful pieces, Krieger may also share a haiku from Ground Zero, a reflection on the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park: “200 yards from where the city stood, the stones remain, still warm.”
Krieger’s poetry serves not only as an exploration of difficult truths but as a call to action, encouraging the audience to confront these realities with a sense of responsibility and awareness.
Don Krieger is a poet, essayist, and biomedical researcher whose work focuses on the electric activity of the brain. His published collections include We in America (Shared Humanities Press), Discovery (Cyberwit) and When Danger Is Past, Who Remembers? (Milk & Cake Press). A member of PEN America, his poetry and essays have appeared in publications such as The Asahi Shimbun, Mid-America Review, and The Times of Israel. His work has been translated into several languages, including Farsi, Greek, and German.
Hind Shoufani
Palestinian American filmmaker and poet Hind Shoufani brings a deeply personal and political voice to the reading. Known for her unflinching exploration of war, displacement, and the Palestinian diaspora, Shoufani’s poetry captures the complexities of grief and political struggle.
Her upcoming book, Requiem, scheduled for publication in the United States in the coming months, reflects much of her poetic journey. “Most of my work does not relate to peace… My poems are generally requiems,” Shoufani explains, highlighting the deep sorrow embedded in her work, stemming from both personal loss and the ongoing struggles of the Palestinian people.
Having grown up throughout the Arab world, Shoufani speaks to the sense of dislocation that defines much of her writing. “I’ve never really been in my homeland… my commitment to the cause of Palestine… is sometimes abstract, sometimes cultural, sometimes ancestral,” she shared, noting that her poetry navigates this emotional landscape, capturing the contradictions of freedom and the longing for a home never fully known.
While her poetry is politically charged, Shoufani also weaves in intimate portraits of family, memory, and love. These moments of tenderness stand in stark contrast to the harsh realities of war and unrest. Still, her work remains fiercely critical, particularly when discussing ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. “We have work to do regionally to free ourselves from colonialism, from imperialism,” she asserts.
For Shoufani, the Poets on War and Peace event is an opportunity for dialogue. “Anytime several poets get together on one stage, there is room for magic, there is room for understanding… for contradiction and juxtaposition,” she explains, recognizing the potential for such an event to foster a meaningful exchange of perspectives.
Hind Shoufani is an Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning Palestinian American filmmaker, writer, and poet who has spent over twenty-five years directing, producing, and editing documentaries globally. She is the editor of Nowhere Near A Damn Rainbow (xanadu*, 2012) and Uncommon Dubai (Uncommon Ltd., 2014). Her poetry is featured in anthologies such as Heaven Looks Like Us (Haymarket Books, 2025) and We Call to the Eye & the Night (Persea Books, 2023). Her upcoming book, DARK STAR REQUIEM IN THE KEY OF NOVA, will be published by Diode Editions. Based in Brooklyn, she continues to explore themes of identity, politics, and creative expression in her work.
Special Guest Reading
Wang Jiaxin
Wang Jiaxin is a distinguished Chinese poet, essayist, and translator, with over forty books published. His collection Darkening Mirror (Tebot Bach, 2017), translated by Diana Shi and George O’Connell with a foreword by Robert Hass, has received international acclaim. Wang’s poetry has appeared in publications such as The American Poetry Review and Words Without Borders. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the inaugural Ai Qing Poetry Award in 2023. Wang currently divides his time between New York and Beijing, continuing to bridge cultures through his translations of poets like Yeats and Paul Celan.
This special Poets on War and Peace reading will offer an evening of reflection, challenging audiences to consider the enduring scars of war, the complexities of peace, and the resilience of the human spirit.
