Author
-
Talking Poetry, Not Osama
Because Abu Dhabi has become such a crossroads of the world since I have lived here, I find myself having a lot of “how did I get here” moments. For example in the years since 9-11, I’ve never sat around picturing where I’d be the day after Osama bin Ladin was put to rest, relatively Continue reading
-
The First Female Superhero
I spoke at TEDx Abu Dhabi last week. TED is hard, writing is hard–being a superhero is even harder. But that’s what I talked about at TEDx: My favorite female superhero, Scherhazade. I also consider her the first female superheroine. I’ll post the video in which I explain why when I’m feeling more heroic and Continue reading
-
On Being Just Plain American
It seems like most of my life, I’ve been asked what it’s like to be Arab or Palestinian or Lebanese or Muslim. I’ve even been asked questions about being Latino and Jewish, based on my appearance I assume. However, I can’t remember anyone ever asking me what it is like to be an American, although Continue reading
-
Doner Kabob and Schweinefleisch
At the baggage carousel at the Stuttgart airport, the first stop of the book tour for Feigen in Detroit (Aufbau 2010), I waited for my suitcase while four Gulf women dressed like they had arrived at a spa at the North Pole waited for their 10 gargantuan suitcases. From eavesdropping, I gathered the baggage was Continue reading
-
Feigen in Detroit: The Night Counter in Germany
Many people ask me why “The Night Counter” is called “Feigen in Detroit” in German, which means “Figs in Detroit.” Therein lies the beauty of translation. It’s all about what your translators (Max Stadler and Nadine Puschel) and publisher (AufBau) see in German that you didn’t see in English. I have loved working with AufBau Continue reading
-
Muslims Wearing Things
I miss living in the US every day for many reasons, but among the things I don’t miss are the shallow debates on TV that pretty much follow the line of “Muslims: Terrifying or just really scary?”–usually a heated debate book ended with some heart pounding intro and outro musak– like these are one of Continue reading
-
Kimchi Falafel and Other Great American Meals
Falafel is not falafel–heck it’s not even good food– when it contains eggs, is yellow inside and out, weighs more than a tennis ball, is bigger than a tennis ball, or worst of all, refried. But such have been my sad falafel encounters in New York, where everyone seems to be peddling falafel, including the Continue reading
-
ABC.COM’s Michelle Goodman on the Freelance Life & Art
Recently, Michelle Goodman, the author of “My So-Called Freelance Life,” a must read cautionary and inspirational tale for those contemplating chucking it all to pursue their own dreams, interviewed me and two other writers for her column on ABC.com. You can read for yourself how we all learned about the glamorous life of writing. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/artist-heart-michelle-goldmans-reasons-day-job/story?id=11287370 Continue reading
-
THE PAPERBACK RELEASE OF THE NIGHT COUNTER THIS WEEK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Emily Lavelle (212) 572-8756 elavelle@randomhouse.com PRAISE FOR THE NIGHT COUNTER: “[Yunis] weaves a colorful tapestry…rich in character and spirit.” —Entertainment Weekly “Wonderfully imaginative…poignant, hilarious…The branches of this family tree support four generations of achievement, assimilation, disappointment, and dysfunction.…Their stories form an affectionate, amusing, intensely human portrait of Continue reading
-
The Henna Hands of The Night Counter
The paperback cover is ready, and no, neither one of the hands on it is mine, as some people have asked me. Responding to “Don’t you love it as much as we do? We hope so!” was about as much input as I was allowed to have in the cover’s design. And after getting over Continue reading
Alia Yunis 