Zeina is a Lebanese writer trying to raise money for her MFA in writing at The New School. It’s so cool that she got accepted there and she’s so close to her goal with 48 hours left so spread the message and let us help Zee make her dream come true!
You can contribute now by visiting this [Link].
I loved Zee’s take on Beirut, check it out: [Beirut, a bruised exotic]
My name is Zeina Abi Assy and I am Lebanese. I am often labeled as a graphic designer because of my degree, a copywriter because of my job, and a writer among family and friends because of my passion. I studied graphic design at the American University of Beirut and minored in creative writing non-fiction. I am a writer and I believe in the power of non-fiction work from this specific area of the world where realities are restrained.
I got accepted to study creative writing non-fiction at The New School, an incredible writing school in New York, and it is my every desire to go. I come from a part of the world where few are contemporary non-fiction writers, set aside women writers, where opportunity is rare, where stories remain unheard, they remain in the dark, tasteless, colorless and insignificant. But these stories are beautiful, they are distinct and they deserve a chance.
And we want to be remembered, we want our stories to have value, our time here, our lives, our culture, our fight, we need them to last, just a bit longer than ashes. And I want to take part in writing the untold story of Beirut, and of Lebanon.
Pieces of my heart still look the same as when they were born. Pieces like my love for my family and my homeland. Pieces that are still afraid of death. Pieces that will never understand war. Pieces that will always empower my words. I want these pieces in me to grow. Mahmoud Darwish once wrote “I was not born to live sunsets but sunrises”, although sunsets will forever move us, we need to see the sun rising, at least once, at least momentarily, at least for a change. Writing is my sunrise. The New School is my sunrise. New York will be my sunrise.
I got accepted but I don’t have the money to go.
I’m making this campaign to raise the money for my tuition fees, which is around $ 50,000.