Busboys Books Presents: Bridge Between Worlds
Date and Time
Feb 11, 2020 6:00 pm
Location
450K
450 K St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001
Feb 11, 2020 6:00 pm
450K
This event is FREE and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase in the bookstore and full menu & bar will be available inside the event space. The author will be signing copies of the book after the discussion.
In this personal, multifaceted memoir, Hala Buck reflects on her mixed Muslim and Christian family, her marriage to an American diplomat, their nomadic life between the Arab World and North America, raising a “Third Culture” daughter, and navigating cultures.
Hala’s story finds her as she embarks on an inner and outer pilgrimage to her birth country, rediscovering her Lebanese roots. The daughter of a Muslim father and Christian mother, Hala explores her childhood in Lebanon––itself a bridge between East and West. As a young adult she leaves her country of birth to follow her American husband, along the way learning to navigate a transient life in seven Arab countries, West Africa and Canada.
A professional artist and integrative therapist, through poetry, watercolors and art therapy images, Hala shares her story with candor, empathy, and humor. Her art becomes her guide as she deals with the challenges and gifts inherent in crossing between cultures and invites others to do the same. As she searches for meaning and purpose, she discovers what it means to be a human bridge. Her book offers fresh perspectives and a timely message that diversity and unity need not be at odds.
Bridge Between Worlds is both a deeply personal and a universal story of searching for a sense of belonging and home. With honesty, creativity and humor, Hala shares her story with the hope of inspiring and encouraging readers to explore their own stories and discover, as she has, new understanding, perspectives, and gifts on their journey.
Hala Buck grew up in Lebanon and earned her BA at the American University of Beirut. She has visited fourteen Arab counties and accompanied her Foreign Service office husband in seven. She earned a M.A. and taught at Bowie State and George Washington University. A Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Board-Certified Counselor, she is a professional member of the American Art Therapy Association and former chair of its Multicultural Committee. She is an artist and has authored articles about cross-cultural therapy and gives workshops nationally and internationally, integrating Adlerian Psychology, art therapy, and the body.
