Writing: process and progress

Exploring the universal questions:

Who am I? Whose am I? What is my purpose?

In a world marked by vast contrasts, I have experienced my share of the complexities of human existence.

In other words: I was not ok.

Having an insatiable curiosity I navigated the harrowing journey of tracing the truth of being trafficked,

Yup, you read that right. Trafficked! Not the story I was told of being legally adopted because my biological parents had died

I wrestled with the weight of trauma’s indelegable impact on shaping my identity and perspective.

Not good enough…to keep… or even stay on the same continent.

Yet there is no denying immense privileges and opportunities afforded to me along the way.

I had a ‘good family’, was educated and, and, and….

The entirety of my experiences inform my storytelling, allowing me to explore a path through heartbreak to hope,

Through my writing, I aim to connect with others who know depths of pain and aspire to grasp the delights of healing. Every experience— fraught and fortunate—has informed my understanding of radical empathy, and I invite you to join me on this journey. Together, we can delve into the nuances of angst and peace, increasing our understanding of ourselves and each other.

Process & progress

Stories

are

Data

with

Soul

~Brene Brown

I am in the process of transitioning from the profession of interpreting to writing. I maintain a vision of working - at things I love - with no plans to retire. I am excited to discover the meaning of vast experiences I have had and craft stories to share.

During the pandemic with a halt to travel and my social life, I channeled more time and energy into writing. When ‘nonessential construction’ could be resumed, I did a home renovation and created a writing studio.

I’ve studied and learned a lot about writing memoir. I’ve also explored the business of publishing. At this point I’ve decided I need to implement moving my ‘writing life’ beyond the studio. In fact in some ways I already have! I’ve had a Palestinian-American mentor and an Australian writing coach.

I am excited to engage with readers and authors in the U.S. and abroad through this site as well as substack and instagram.

While memoir writing has clearly been therapeutic, it has also been my endeavor to reach outward. Because, sadly there probably is someone who is struggling with disenfranchisement, marginalization, intergenerational trauma, institutional injustice or all of the above.

I’ve learned so much from so many writers! I look forward to adding blog posts and joining various collaborative communities appreciating stories. 

First steps

There were many - so many - first steps: memoir writing classes, a mentor, writing groups, books on craft, and memoir reading lists,

Then there was the very exciting and serious commitment of creating a room of my own - ‘the much of heaven’ studio.

This space is between our garage and the bull barn.

Until lockdown I considered my one-bedroom, open floor plan house sublime. As my creative writing expanded, the house shrunk. A designated space was optimal - if not required.