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. I produce words if/when I’m able, you read them if/when you desire. There’s no room for apologies in our dichotomy. Oooh, bars. Anyway.
I was a guest author for the Muslim Writer’s Salon last week! They’re an amazing organization based in Portugal with a worldwide membership of Muslim Writers! They hold monthly writing salons, writing classes, and generally support one another to pursue their individual writing dreams (whatever those may be). I met one of the co-founders at AWP in Kansas City last year and we’ve been friends ever since. When I think about how painful my MFA experience was, and when I see a space like the Muslim Writer’s Salon, I have hope for the future.
Going the MFA route isn’t for anyone, and if you’re Black and/or Muslim, it’s definitely not for you. Remember that the vast majority of published authors have never been to an MFA. MFA programs are a recent phenomenon and have roots in the CIA (literally, the Iowa Writer’s Program was co-founded by the CIA lol). So, if you feel out of place in a writing workshop, or in an MFA program, there’s a reason for that: you’re not supposed to be there, silly!
Okay, tangent aside, I came here to share with you some reflections from my amazing visit with Muslim Writer’s Salon! You can read those on their Substack (embedded above). Eternal gratitude to the team for compiling my spoken words into an easily digestible written format. I also included a video version from my IG (follow me there if I haven’t already blocked you lol).
Okay that’s all! Don’t be a stranger! Go block some people on my behalf!
with love or something like it,
Said Not Read