Meha
I didn’t expect that meeting Meha was going to keep me up at night, but it did. In my dreams, those days, I was always on a boat in the middle of a dark ocean, when a bigger boat, full of male guards, stopped mine to arrest me and take […]
The Hustler
I’m really good at ping pong. Or at least, I used to be. Lately, a lot of people have been beating me, again and again. I take it as a sign of my progress. Let me explain. When you are a homeless, undocumented immigrant, you need to be resourceful. Never […]
I Ran From Iran
It wasn’t easy to find the right Ali Mohamedian on Facebook. That name is about as common in Persian as “John Smith” is in English. But I was determined to make amends, after all these years. And to thank the man who was responsible for getting me out of Iran. […]
The Saint
[Trigger warning: sexual abuse, violence to children] The box-like room was freezing-cold. It had no windows or decorations, aside from an old IBM computer on the desk in front of me. The space around me seemed to be closing in on me. Despite the icy temperature, I felt sweat dripping […]
It’s Not Too Late, You Know
I lived in a tent for a month. Not a refugee tent, though I am an immigrant from a war-torn country. But no, this was a dark-blue camping tent pitched in the middle of the living room, because I didn’t want to have anything to do with my boyfriend. And […]
Curious George
When I was a young girl, they called me maymoon-e konjkav, the Persian version of Curious George, because my favorite question was: Why? Not much has changed. My curiosity wasn’t always well received, however. At school, it got me whipped and suspended. As a young girl in Iran, I wanted […]
Painproof
Recently, I’ve hit a thick wall. I’ve been dealing with some health issues and have had no choice but to take a break. I work five days a week with teens at a high school and, on Saturdays and weeknights, with adults in my private practice. I don’t take a […]
