From Our Blog

Muslim Writer’s Salon

Hey gang! I was a guest author for the Muslim Writer’s Salon last week! Long time, where the hell ya been? Wait, I’m the one that’s been missing. You probably want an apology. We don’t have that kinda relationship, relax.Continue readingMuslim Writer’s Salon

And I Still Drove 30 Hours

White people are funny. Like yoga mats, like co-ops. You a barista but somehow got the money to spend a few months in Europe. Traveling. Living in a commune/it was a life changing experience/I want to recreate that here inContinue readingAnd I Still Drove 30 Hours

How ADHD Meds Changed My Life

Gangland, Been a while. Hope you’re maintaining. Hope even more you’re thriving. I been aight. Rolling with the punches, keeping my head above water, and one other cliche I can’t think of right now. Hey, good news. I got aContinue readingHow ADHD Meds Changed My Life

Some New Content (Podcast Ep + BookFox Guest Blog Post + Upcoming Readings / Events / Classes)

Hey gang, Got some new stuff to share with y’all. First, I did a guest podcast for the Adapt Revolution, your weekly antidote to hate, greed, and ableism, where the D-Word is Disability: Second, I did a guest blog postContinue readingSome New Content (Podcast Ep + BookFox Guest Blog Post + Upcoming Readings / Events / Classes)

Is This Thing On?

I wanted to check in with whoever might read this thing from time to time. I have some recent publications I wanted to share with you.

The first is SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE (You Won’t Understand) on the lovely Meow Meow Pow Pow blog.

The second piece is Kodak Black Man Reads Poetry over at the South Broadway Ghost Society. … Continue readingIs This Thing On?

Niggas Don’t Know Me (ad infinitum)

Everyone looks to me for the answers and right now I’m looking for answers. I keep thinking: “write a book that changes the world” and I keep asking myself why? I put all my eggs in one basket. Just becauseContinue readingNiggas Don’t Know Me (ad infinitum)

MoAD Book Club Reading This Sunday

I got a reading + Q&A coming up THIS Sunday, 3/27. 2PM central time, 12PM Pacific. Museum of African Diaspora has this African Book Club. Are You Borg Now? was chosen as the book of the month for March. … Continue readingMoAD Book Club Reading This Sunday

New Essay: On Ableism & Writing Advice (Brittle Paper)

Got a new essay out, in one of my favorite African lit mags, Brittle Paper. It’s called On Ableism & Writing Advice. It’s about how ableist most writing advice is. It’s also about Autism. … Continue readingNew Essay: On Ableism & Writing Advice (Brittle Paper)

Upstairs Friends

To all the girls I blocked before Hear me now: This life is all or nothing Nothing makes waste of nothing Something is better than nothing Unless that nothing is more complete Than nothing… which is actually quite Remarkably similarContinue readingUpstairs Friends

True Test of Faith

The true test of my faith, these days, is seeing myself as sincere & pious, even as I’m mired in sin. I’ve never had a good self-image. Always thought the worst of myself. I blame my upbringing, and my disposition,Continue readingTrue Test of Faith

Submit Your Work (Environmental Justice in Minnesota Storytelling Contest)

Gangland, I’m one of the curators for this Environmental Justice Storytelling contest. Submit your work (writing, visual, audio, anything you can think of). Deadline April 1st! Must be Minnesota Resident over 18 (or go to a college/university in MN, regardlessContinue readingSubmit Your Work (Environmental Justice in Minnesota Storytelling Contest)

Virtual Reading at MoAD Thur. 3/17

Squadron, I’ll be a featured reader at the Museum of African Diaspora open mic this Thursday night on Zoom. 8pm Central Time, 6pm Pacific. Come thru, watch the show. It’s always a ton of brilliant writers sharing in the openContinue readingVirtual Reading at MoAD Thur. 3/17

MN Book Award Finalist!

Hey gang, I’ve been in disbelief for the last few weeks, but ALHAMDULILLAH, Allah is great. Are You Borg Now? was recently named a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in Memoir & Creative Nonfiction. This is a major winContinue readingMN Book Award Finalist!

Hi Hopes

Shrouded smoke Clouded hopes Don’t know Which way To go Same songs on repeat Social difficulties: Why y’all think me a monster? I’m just tryna live. Not my fault I was born this way. That my brain works so differentlyContinue readingHi Hopes

On Shame & Relapse

I’m Somali, which means I can only talk about my addictions in the past tense. Relapse can’t be in my closed captions. But I’m an addict, no scratch that… I am human. I’m also autistic. Addiction runs in my veins. Continue readingOn Shame & Relapse

Sean Price

I’m broker than Sean Price the brokest rapper alive. But he’s not alive. And neither are these words. Neither is Larry Levis. All the people that bring me inspiration no longer breathe. Perhaps why their words mean so much. Because it’s hard to say they wasted breath, when they have none left to take. … Continue readingSean Price

The Undiagnosed Autistic Somali Experience

So a few weeks ago I got invited to write an essay about my Autism journey for the Public Neurodiversity Support Center. It’s an online resource for Neurodivergent (ND) people (and their loved ones) to educate themselves. The topic ofContinue readingThe Undiagnosed Autistic Somali Experience

Book Review in Night Heron Barks

Gangland, I wrote my first ever book review. This has been in the works for over a year. Much love to the team at Night Heron Barks for helping me shape it. Barking Bird is Gang. The book in question?Continue readingBook Review in Night Heron Barks

San Francisco Public Library Reading (1/22/22)

I’ll be doing a virtual reading of ‘Are You Borg Now’ at the San Francisco Public Library. Friday 1/22/22 @ 2pm PST. … Continue readingSan Francisco Public Library Reading (1/22/22)

Silent Autistic Scream

I am so fed up. I’m seeing red. I’ve been fighting for my economic life out here.  Being a grad student is hell, man. Poverty. Stress. You know the rest. I’m about to graduate soon. That’s got me scared. AsContinue readingSilent Autistic Scream

2 New Published Poems, 1 Anthology & A Few Recent Performances

As for the performances. Well, I should preface the first one by saying it was in promotion of an anthology that just came out. WE ARE MEANT TO RISE: Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World. I have an essay in there called DIDION DREAMS. … Continue reading2 New Published Poems, 1 Anthology & A Few Recent Performances

We Now Have A Photo Page

Gang gang, I finally created a photo page. I be into film photography now. I’ll try to keep updating it, but tbh, it took me a week of having the tab open just to do this much. So, appreciate itContinue readingWe Now Have A Photo Page

Conversation with Hanif Abdurraqib

So if you know me you know that Hanif Abdurraqib is one of my favorite writers. I mean, he’s informed so much of my style and approach to writing. I walked around with THEY CAN’T KILL US UNTIL THEY KILLContinue readingConversation with Hanif Abdurraqib

I Wrote This Book For My People

An Excerpt from my 3-part performance at the Somali Diaspora Conference 2021. I strive to encourage my people to always talk through their problems, to be more vulnerable, to do the hard work of healing themselves and each other… withContinue readingI Wrote This Book For My People

Don’t Let Me Be American

In 2003 this country was obsessed with Afghanistan. A patriotic fervor in the air which said: We must invade them and save them from the Taliban. I must have been 13. I am now 33. I hit refresh on myContinue readingDon’t Let Me Be American

Fear & Loathing in Nairobi

I guess it’s like midnight:01 and I’m burping in my hotel room. I’m not drunk, you weirdo. Just sick. Which is a type of being drunk, if you think about it. Drunk from being healthy. But all metaphors and allusionsContinue readingFear & Loathing in Nairobi

New Pubs + Book Out

Gang! I’ll keep this brief. The book is out (yay!). You can grab that here: https://rlysrslit.bigcartel.com/product/are-you-borg-now-said-shaiye Sahan Journal did a really fantastic piece on the book + my story. You can read that here: https://sahanjournal.com/arts/said-shaiye-are-you-borg-now/ I had a book releaseContinue readingNew Pubs + Book Out

Missed Prayer Math

I know they ain’t think we’d make it far. Yet here we are. Life is like a cloudy day and sometimes with sun breaks. I mean, my life. The shame inside me roils up and tells me that I’m notContinue readingMissed Prayer Math

Some Recent Publishing Success

So it’s still hella weird to me when places choose to publish my work. I mean, I get it, my writing is decent on a good day, and sometimes other people see that, too. But publishing in general is aContinue readingSome Recent Publishing Success

MY DEBUT BOOK

BIG NEWS! We did an official cover reveal for my debut book, ARE YOU BORG NOW? We also have a pre-order link where you can secure your SIGNED COPIES before everyone else! Here is the link to get yours: AreContinue readingMY DEBUT BOOK

What’s New With Said?

Hey Gang, I know I don’t really keep up with this thing regularly. Sowwy. I mostly focus my energy on writing and trying to get published. Also, survival takes a lot of energy. Good news: I have some new stuffContinue readingWhat’s New With Said?

Belltown Burning

I feel so low that the ground may as well be a skyscraper. ///// I’m standing at it’s base, looking up at the groundscraper. //// At times like this, every word takes life-energy 2 produce & shoot up that groundscraperContinue readingBelltown Burning

Griselda x3

//// I thought Black Thought had an obsession with Somali Bars unti I had a Black Thought that he was simply pronouncing sommelier like Somali-yay instead of sommelier. Then I Black Thought that I might be the one with aContinue readingGriselda x3

Shoot Sideways ft. Alan the Chemist, ScHoolboy Q & Conway the Machine

Life don’t feel like life when all you’ve ever known is a deep lingering desire to not be alive. You don’t tell people about this. You just keep walking like Christopher. You deleted your facebook today. You don’t care, you’reContinue readingShoot Sideways ft. Alan the Chemist, ScHoolboy Q & Conway the Machine

Trauma: Thy Name Is Somali Boy

that way of raising boys becomes ritual without context – it becomes a sword, not a shield, and there is only so much protection a sword can bring. … Continue readingTrauma: Thy Name Is Somali Boy

Book Review: A Map to the Door of No Return by Dionne Brand

The maps that colonizers made to demarcate boundaries, both physical and intellectual, still serve to reinforce notions of superiority which were used to justify the dehumanization of Black people. But, this book looks at all sides of the equation. It’s not merely a tale of Black longing to belong, to a place they may no longer recognize, but still inherently know. … Continue readingBook Review: A Map to the Door of No Return by Dionne Brand

1 Pen

Sorry I couldn’t respond to your email I was too busy wondering if I’ll get lynched You know, what with all these Nazis in the streets Red hatted demons screaming niggers oughta bleed . Sorry I didn’t see your textContinue reading1 Pen

Punctured

We heard that Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor was a last-second scratch from last Sunday’s game against the Chiefs because he had complications from a painkilling injection he was taking due to injured ribs. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Taylor’s lung was punctured whenContinue readingPunctured

Sacred Heart

99 Luftballons always reminds me of when my mom, my two younger brothers and I lived in a women & children’s shelter across the street from the Key Arena in Lower Queen Anne for a few months in 1997. … Continue readingSacred Heart

Dear Diary

I roll my windows down after iftar, sipping on a mango lassi, blasting UGK, bass rattling the stop light. The warm summer breeze wafts in through my sunroof. The sun has dipped. I’m savoring this one song, this one sin, as if it’s a cigarette. … Continue readingDear Diary

Nairobi Nights (Nov. 2017)

This morning I submitted something. It wasn’t anything new, just the first page of my memoir. It wasn’t for publishing, just for free critique from a publishing house. I can’t argue with that; it was a very low risk endeavorContinue readingNairobi Nights (Nov. 2017)