I feel that being a writer is a relational process, that my art is inspired by reading. Currently, I'm drawn to Audre Lorde's essay, "My Mother's Mortar," which explores the intimate relationship between mothers and daughters and the connection with the body and self. I've been thinking about the interwoven nature of women's relationships and how we support each other as we confront societal oppression. The project that I'm working on is a celebration of female ancestral ties and women's bodies, including my own. Lorde speaks to the heart of my writing. What piece or writer is currently nurturing your creative process?

yes hello calling writers who read poetry. Song lyrics, epics welcome. Surprise me. (I'll comment mine monthly, but you go first 🐽👀🫴🙏)

Hi folks, I'm happy to announce that my debut novel Dear Haider is scheduled for publication on June 1, 2024, by Baraka Books! https://www.barakabooks.com/catalogue/dear-haider/ It's one of those stories that came to me fully formed in a flash, as I was recovering from a severe mental health crisis. I was at the time in school, but had a break between undergrad and grad school, and wrote most of the first draft in that two month period. I wasn't fully satisfied with my draft however, and due to the demands of grad school, left the manuscript alone for almost 5 years. Then, a close friend of mine, who works as a medical copywriter, generously offered to edit my manuscript with me. It was the pandemic, so we went on Zoom every Sunday and worked on 2-3 chapters for a few hours at a time, for a period of four months. I will be forever indebted to her. Then, I think I did things quite backwards. Instead of trying agents and big publishers first, which I didn't have confidence to shoot for, I submitted to two small presses. One of them, whose founder happened to be my parents' friend and neighbour, immediately made an offer. And the rest is history. I'm happy to share more about my writing/publishing journey, so if you're interested, let me know and feel free to ask questions!

The past couple of weeks I've been working 4.5 jobs and my head has been spinning; this week is marginally less hectic, thank goodness. So what I really need right now is to check in with my superstar authors here in the Café and find out: What are your WINS for the past week? Triumphs! Tales of Success! Share your glories with me! YOU ARE MIGHTY! <3

I was wondering where other writers find their inspiration outside of prose/poetry. I love visiting my local art museum and sitting under Agnes Martin's "Wind." I also take ceramic classes and create pieces exploring the themes of my writing. How about you all?