Tell us about The Beauty of Your Face: 

It’s a novel framed by a hate-shooting in a Muslim American school outside of Chicago. Before the principal, Afaf Rahman, comes face to face with the white shooter, we are swept back over the decades of her life—and part of the shooter’s—revealing the moments that bring them to this critical moment in time.

How are you nesting during this time? 

With only my husband and me, it’s very quiet and peaceful in my home, perhaps no more than usual, since our adult children no longer reside with us. With distance teaching, my mornings are lazier as I linger in bed to write for a longer period than my typical 1-1.5 hours before getting ready for school. I go on daily walks, which means I have to get out of my robe and put on clothes at some later point in the day.

Do you have a bird story or favorite feathered friend?

I have vivid memories of my grandmother’s house in Palestine. On the terrace, my cousin kept large cages of birds—warblers and pied wheatears—that he’d netted. He tended them with love and care that was quite moving to me as a child, since he was otherwise an ornery teenager.

What is your most memorable reading experience?

I remember consuming one salacious Sidney Sheldon novel after another. They were like contraband in my circle of Arab girlfriends.

What makes you most excited about The Beauty of Your Face?

I’m excited to enlarge the narrative around Muslim and Arab communities.

To tweet or not to tweet?

I left Facebook some years ago (I’ve since returned during COVID-19 to stay connected to family and friends) and found that Twitter offered me a healthy balance of social media engagement. The best part is seeing what other folks are up to and the art they're putting out in the world.

What books do you have in your bag right now?

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates; The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri; Birthright by George Abraham.

Can you tell us your favorite rejection story?

Great question! I submitted to a lit journal and hadn’t heard back for a long time. When I saw their special issue had been announced (without my piece!), I followed up only to discover they’d “lost” it and were terribly sorry. They invited me to submit again and “regrettably” rejected the new piece.

What literary journals do you love?

Mizna, Hypertext Magazine, Sukoon, Room, Rusted Radishes

What shakes your tail feathers?

The Great British Baking Show. The genuine niceness of these amateur British bakers reaffirms my faith in our humanity.

What advice do you have for fledgling writers?

Remember that rejections are largely—like 99.9%—a case of specific needs and not a reflection of your work. The only way you’ll stop getting rejected is if you keep writing with courage.

What other eggs do you have in your basket right now?

I’m working on a multigenerational novel set in Palestine.