Cleo de Lasa, an information assistant at The New York Public Library, highlights a thoughtful selection of books in recognition of both National Arab American Heritage Month and National Poetry Month. Her picks celebrate the richness and diversity of Arab American culture and contributions, while also showcasing the power of poetry to illuminate identity, history, and lived experience.

*Tomorrow night, there will be an event to honor the rich poetic tradition of Arab American literature at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library at 6:30pm EST. To read the library's full list of Best New Poetry Books, visit their website here.

Graphic courtesy of NYPL