This week we’re delighted to present Mentees Dom Dawes (he/they) and Jamilah Araf (she/her) as they chat about Dom’s poem “I Am From.”
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Jamilah Araf
(she/her) Mentee
Jamilah Araf has been writing forever and has always enjoyed story-telling. Currently, she is branching out at the newspaper club at her Queens high school and enjoys physical and digital art, coding and music. While she might not call herself an athlete, Jamilah rollerblades, ice skates and swims. In addition to being a writer, Jamilah aspires to be a lawyer or a teacher. Today, you can find her jamming out to Ed Sheeran and Onerepublic or obsessing over Hamilton, Disney and the MCU. She eats Thai food, her grandmother’s desserts and ice cream with her family and friends.
Favorite Authors & Artists
Jacqueline Woodson, Kate DiCamillo, Laurie Halse Anderson
Artist‘s Statement
This year, I really discovered myself as a writer. Originally inspired solely by imagination and my many fandoms, my writing often felt disconnected from me and my beliefs. Unintentionally, my political opinions surfaced in writing and eventually, I learned to truly embrace them, with the help of my family and the inspiring story of playwright Jonathon Larson. Our paths as authors seemed very similar, and he inspired me to write about myself and the issues our world faces.
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How will they tell me you are dead?
In a WW1 foxhole, Felix, a German soldier, has survived brutal hand-to-hand combat with Nikolai, who carries letters and photos from his wife Svetlana. What happens when Felix assumes Nikolai’s identity…and writes back?
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Justice is Blind Swayed
In light of recent events, we can no longer say justice is blind. Justice, like the rest of our government, is biased and bought. Lady Justice has opened her eyes and we should, too.
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Speaking on Queer Boricua YA Fauxmance and Family
For episode 6 of Speaking in First Draft, Mentee Jamilah Araf interviews Mentor Elle Gonzalez Rose about her debut novel Caught in a Bad Fauxmance.
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Animal
When Evanna finds herself in a snowy forest pursued by a menacing figure with no memory of how she got there, she knows to do only one thing: run.