Diana Abu-Jaber

Abu-Jaber was born in Syracuse, New York. Her father was Jordanian[2] with a Palestinian Jerusalemite mother; Diana's mother was American, descended from Irish and German roots.[1] At the age of seven, she moved with her family for two years to Jordan. She received a BA in English and Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Oswego, an MA in English and Creative Writing from the University of Windsor, and a PhD in English and Creative Writing from Binghamton University.[3] She divides her time between Miami and Portland.[1]

Abu-Jaber writes about Arab and Arab-American culture and identity, often using the culture of food and food production.[2]

Her academic appointments include: Visiting Assistant Professor, English, Iowa State University (1990); Assistant Professor, English, University of Oregon (1990–1995); and Writer-in-Residence/Professor, English Department, Portland State University (1996–present).

Fiction

• Arabian Jazz (1993) - Oregon Book Award (1994)
• Crescent (2003) - PEN Center USA Award for Literary Fiction (1994), Twenty Noteworthy Novels of 2003 by The Christian Science Monitor
• Origin (2007)
• Birds Of Paradise (2011)
• Fencing with the King (2022)

Nonfiction/memoir

• The Language of Baklava (2005)
• Life Without a Recipe (2016)

Young Adult fiction

• Silverworld (2020)

Essays

• The Other Woman: Twenty-one Wives, Lovers, and Others Talk Openly About Sex, Deception, Love, and Betrayal includes "The Lost City of Love"

Wikiquote has quotations related to Diana Abu-Jaber.

• "My Elizabeth," a short story by Diana Abu-Jaber
• Portland State Faculty Profile
• 2011 radio interview (one hour) at The Bat Segundo Show