by AnnSheybani | Jun 12, 2016 | Reading
My friend Janet, who’s a librarian in Connecticut, told me I had to read this book. She said that it reminded her of me, of the kind of stuff I say to her when her life is a shit show.
I seriously WISH I wrote like this. Or that I was as clear, and funny, and... by AnnSheybani | May 30, 2016 | books, Reading
I’ve been spending a lot of time with my nose in this book. It’s something that Walt bought and left on the shelf. ( I know! Nothing better than having two readers in the family who think nothing of spending thousands of dollars on good books.) I picked... by AnnSheybani | May 1, 2016 | Reading, Writing, writing lessons
When I was in grad school, I took an essay writing course. We were assigned an anthology called The Best American Essays, which still sits, all marked up with black ink, on my bookshelf. (If I could find a link, I’d put it here, but I can’t.) In it, I... by AnnSheybani | Mar 14, 2016 | Life, Reading
The last time I came back to the States for vacation while living in Iran, I got together with some old friends and regaled them with my latest in-law stories. I recounted the one about my mother-in-law, who, when staying with us in our tiny dorm room for months on... by AnnSheybani | Feb 8, 2016 | Life, Reading, Writing, writing lessons
When I first began writing and presenting my short stories about Iran, people in my workshop class looked nervous. No doubt remembering the fatwa placed on Salmon Rushdie’s head for his Satanic Verses, they asked me, “Don’t you think Iranians might... by AnnSheybani | Feb 1, 2016 | Reading, reinvention, shame, Writing, writing lessons
Here’s the thing. If you’re a coach or a speaker looking to write a book, your readers (a.k.a. potential clients) want to know that you’ve overcome the same challenges that they’re currently facing. They want to know that you’ve had your own on-your-knees...
