As a child, I vividly remember my classmates warning me that if I swallowed a fruit seed, the fruit would grow inside my stomach. When I was first prescribed antidepressants, my mind wandered to that childhood fear. What if, instead of a fruit growing inside me, I grow to become an entirely different person? What if this pill plants a monstrous human being?
Read MoreGhufran’s essay explores the complexities of a Muslim girl’s bildungsroman—getting her period, fasting and praying, wearing a hijab, the unspoken rules surrounding her livelihood—and the unexpected grief that comes with it.
Read MoreTo my dearest plants, being with you has taught me so much. That growing is never about creating optimal conditions, rather it is about defying nature.
Read More“Discourse and nuances exploring mixed Filipinos in the Gulf remains to be what I consider uncharted waters. While interracial relationships and mixed children are commonplace in the region, it disproportionately lacks representation, rich depictions, and timely narratives within the OFW diaspora experience, societal depictions and documentations of the Gulf region. And when it is represented, it is depicted with problematic generalisations.”
Read More
