Refugee: Poems of El Salvador and Palestine with Paul Totah

Date: May 20, 2026, 6:30pm – 8:30pm PDT

Location: Middle East Children’s Alliance, 1101 8th Street, Berkeley CA 94710

Join us in welcoming Paul Totah, Palestinian-American poet and activist as he reads from his new poetry book, Refugee: Poems of El Salvador and Palestine

Event is free, but please RSVP

Paul Totah is the author of several books, including Refugee: Poems of El Salvador and Palestine. Paul had his start in journalism at Santa Clara University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper before working for five newspapers around the Bay Area. After three years working with homeless teens, he earned his master’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University and began teaching English literature at St. Ignatius College Preparatory, his alma mater. He served there between 1985 and 2020; along the way, he edited the school’s alumni magazine for 33 years and became SI’s first director of communications. The books he wrote include The San Francisco Fair: Treasure Island 1939–1940 (Scottwall Associates); Spiritus Magis: 150 Years of St. Ignatius College Preparatory (published by the school); The Gospel of Everyone: A Poetic Retelling of the Gospel of Luke (Resource: a division of Wipf and Stock); Charting a New Course: Reinventing High Schools for the New Millennium (Information Age), Earth, Word, Fire & Water (poetry and landscape photography),Murder at Beach Chalet & The Body in Sutro Baths. He has also co-authored a play on the life and study of Dante.