Q & A with author Huda Al-Marashi and San Diego Writers Festival
SDWF: Tell us about First Comes Marriage.
HA: FIRST COMES MARRIAGE: MY NOT-SO TYPICAL AMERICAN LOVE STORY (Prometheus Books, November 2018) is an Iraqi-American perspective on immigration, love, and virgin sexuality shared through the story of my marriage to the son of our closest Iraqi-American family friends, a boy I met when I was six years old and he was nine. The Washington Post called FIRST COMES MARRIAGE, “a charming, funny, heartbreaking memoir of faith, family, and the journey to love. If Jane Austen had grown up as a first-gen daughter of Iraqi parents in the 1990s, she might have written this.”
SDWF: Which writers have influenced you most?
HA: I read a lot of books by Middle Eastern women in preparation for writing my own book, and it helped me see where my book fit within the existing conversation. I read the work of Susan Muaddi Darraj, Jasmin Darznik, Diana Abu Jaber, Azadeh Moaveni, Marjane Satrapi, among many others.
SDWF: How has storytelling changed your life?
HA: I think writing/storytelling is something a lot of people feel like they need permission to start doing. We want someone to tell us it’s okay to set aside the time to do this work. I was in that camp for years, waiting for someone or something to tell me it’s okay to give writing a try, but once I finally gave myself the permission to take the time, it became a part of not just my daily routine but who I am. It made me see myself as a person who writes, and now it’s no longer a question of whether I’m allowed to do this work but when and how.
SDWF: What writing resources have been most helpful to you?
HA: My writing community has been my greatest source of encouragement, inspiration, and advice. I’ve always relied on my author-friends for guidance and support, and I think it’s something all writers should cultivate and sustain throughout their career.
SDWF: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
HA: Writers are so grateful to the community of readers and booksellers. It’s a literary ecosystem, and we cannot do this work alone.
SDWF: Thank you, Huda!
To find out more about Huda, visit her website at www.hudaalmarashi.com or follow her on Facebook (Huda Al-Marashi), Twitter @HudaAlMarashi or Instagram @huda.almarashi
