Origin Story
Writing Advice for My Younger Self
Writing was not the thing. It got me to the real thing—how I saw myself and my relationship to the world.
Trusting Life’s Serendipity
Shaking, Ali knew she was never going to be the same. For the first time in her entire life, she did not know what to do. Her academic life was always perfect: she graduated with an honors degree from a top university and she had a tenacious desire to become a lawyer. She had spent hours preparing her application, sleepless nights of planning her path, and put all her hopes and expectations in this law school application.
Between Sex Work and Poetry, a Proposition from a Writing Professor
“I trusted him, as students must their teachers, and he betrayed my trust.”
How to Write Iranian-America, or The Last Essay
“The essay will feel like it’s killing you and the ending will not be what you thought it might be.”
Drama Days
“Because of this incident, girls do not want to act in scenes with you. They stand next to other boys in class just so they won’t have to act with you. This is what you think.”
The Silver Screen, Its Chemicals, and the Boy Who Sat to Watch.
On the weight of making and watching movies.
Making Art Under Military Siege
We stayed inside for days painting papier-mâché objects. Outside, Kashmir had come to a standstill.
The Reluctant Writer
“Is it ever too late to live some version of your dreams?”