© 2025 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Memoir Unveils Life, Love in the Middle East

In her new memoir, Unveiled, Deborah Kanafani recounts her marriage and divorce to a high-ranking Palestinian diplomat — and the cultural rift between her "American" upbringing and her married life.

Kanafani was a graduate student from Long Island when she met Marwan Kanafani, a diplomat who later became the senior adviser and spokesperson for Yasser Arafat.

Following her divorce, Kanafani became involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace movement. She has also worked as executive director of Women in Film and Video in Washington, D.C., and as a consultant to Oxygen Media. She is currently producing a film on the life of Queen Dina, wife of the late Jordanian King Hussein bin Talal.

Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

Local journalism matters—and it’s at risk.


WKAR brings you trusted news, without barriers—no paywalls, no corporate spin. But now, federal funding that helps make it all possible is on the chopping block. Your support is more important than ever. Stand up for independent journalism in mid-Michigan—make your gift today.