A List of Lists

As the dimensions drift, digital distance becomes palpable. In this narrowing gray area, I see my desires—for intimacy, imagination, self-actualization—as states of being, and I seek to capture them as objects. Enjoy this is a constantly-updating collection of poems. My attempt at self-archiving.

Places That Are Dear to Me

Tunis is where I spent my teenage years surrounded by both rebellion and tenderness. Djerba is an island that whispered to me "come back home" even when I swore I was running in the opposite direction. Paris is a girl that was so beautiful that I could not help but create something. She is my muse as a writer. Mexico City is where I made bad decisions that I do not regret. Nesin Math Village is where I organized a research retreat with my friend Yiğit in the mountains of Western Turkey. Salento and Cali taught me how to be a traveller. New York City is a place shaped by immigrants, and a place that shapes the world in return.

Retirement Ideas

A quiet house in Djerba, a plot of olive trees to tend, season after season, teaching writing to anyone—children or adults—who wants to find their voice, making jewelry, making olive oil cold-pressed, the slowest and most honest craft, a small boat for fishing, mornings spent on open water, Arabic calligraphy, practiced patiently.

Classes That Changed How I Think

Narrative Theory taught me that it’s possible to change the past by choosing the future. Audio Engineering gave me permission to play with sound and to see the world as a field of sonic possibilities I never thought were accessible to me. C++ is a class that bullied me into becoming more rigorous. Spanish gave me the joy and humility of being a beginner again when I was depressed. Japanese Sci-Fi cracked open my imagination and pushed me to read—and write—within a genre I once avoided. I took these classes out of pure interest and none of them counted towards major requirements. The most important thing about college is discovering people and ideas that challenge the way you see the world.

Most Romantic Moments in my Life

The heart-shaped sea fan my boyfriend and I found on the beach, like the ocean was in on our moment, the quiet anticipation when I cook and wait for him to take the first bite and tell me what he thinks, planning a big dinner together for a big group of friends, early mornings at the airport, moments where we are there for each other and it requires real effort and time. Love is cheap; commitment and discipline are precious.