Well, submitting widely and regularly is part of the strategy :)

“Ehna rajiun”—a review of Hannah Assadi’s Paradiso 17 The protagonist is a complete individual, but also a product of forces that have shaped and exiled many Palestinians.

My latest for @markaz-review.bsky.social

"In Paradiso 17, Sufien’s life — his travels and exploits — is the plot, and Assadi uses a clever technique to move the narrative forward in circular fashion: Each chapter title is also the final line of the chapter."

In my experience, this kind of “intensification” was already happening without AI. US work culture rewards reactionary responsiveness and the individual grind more than careful thought and collaboration

I was thinking about it, but I don’t have time for their nonsense. They keep publishing the most specious people

Amazing itinerary!

She’s back to question whether Muslims can actually be progressive! Yay!

For Eid, we get the Washington Post publishing a hit piece on Zohran Mamdani by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

My response: الله اكبر

Struggle in the Valley by Eman Quotah — KWELI / Truth From the Diaspora's Boldest Voices Ezzeldine didn’t understand what it was like to be an actress surrounded by male directors and male everything. Why should she be the one to lose the part? The sacrifice wasn’t fair. Nothing in the wo...

New story set in the golden era of Egyptian cinema 🌴🇪🇬

www.kwelijournal.org/fiction/2026...

This is where I’ll be Friday night: www.citylitproject.org/event/hard-t...

Going to AWP for the first time next week. Will be commuting 40+ minutes each way to Balt up I-95 each day.

Writers, give me other bad advice for surviving the massive lit conference.

I think there was one with two women with telepathy…

Loved her suspense and was obsessed with the Merlin books.

See you there!

Art and Disillusionment in Saleem Haddad's Floodlines Layla AlAmmar examines the Arab melancholy, tragedy and grief at the heart of Saleem Haddad’s second novel.

Book criticism is not dead. This review by Layla AlAmmar nearly moved me to tears.

themarkaz.org/art-and-disi...

"The plight of the Post is simply the inevitable result of journalism under a corporate structure. ... With the death of traditional media outlets comes an opportunity for the birth of new ones, built on a healthier business model."

Amen

That can only go well ... oy.

Ramadan Kareem, ya Gaza “Gaza does not resemble herself in Ramadan.”

Another Ramadan essay. Across the Ummah, Gaza is always on our minds.

@alaaalqaisis.bsky.social

arablit.org/2026/02/19/r...

How the Deprivation of Ramadan Helps Care for the Spirit (Published 2019)

In honor of Ramadan, here's one of my favorite articles about fasting. I may share a few others over the month.

"Being hungry is clarifying. It forces a kind of focus."

www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/s...

Looks so cute, and perfect if you’ve ever wanted a residency that could include a visit to the John Waters Restrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art …

Guns don't kill people. Martyrs kill themselves.

Yes I think I saw you (and/or Sara) there!

One of the best.

The End of Books Coverage at the Washington Post Becca Rothfeld, a former critic at the Washington Post, on the death of the paper’s books section.

"A consumer is a person whose preëxisting tastes you strive to satisfy over and over; a reader is someone you hope to change, convince, and surprise."

Must-read explanation by Becca Rothfeld of what we are losing with Book World's shuttering: www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...

If The Post is going to stop covering the things that matter to me, as a resident of the DMV, the US, and the world, then ... I finally cancelled my subscription, guys.

The Post Books section coverage was the only one that could reach everyone I ever knew in the DC area, including my old land lady.

For those looking for freelance work in the wake of WaPo layoffs: I'm an editor at large overseeing Ideas & Culture at Bloomberg, including our Books coverage. Find me at skillingswo2@bloomberg.net

A friend of mine used to call the fabric store “the pet store”

So The Post is becoming The Hill? Is that what’s happening?

Baltimore and environs people: see you at the Mess & Friction Reading tonight?