I sat in the driver’s seat next to my mother. As I tried to figure out the best way to address a difficult topic, I recalled a similar scene from 15 years ago. My mom had swiveled around in the driver’s seat to ask me in a quiet voice, “are you… having sex?” Her tone … Read More
I was 28 when I visited a gynecologist for the first time, as a scientist in a foreign country, nonetheless. Requesting the morning off from attending to my cell cultures was the easiest part. I had even made the effort to schedule an appointment at an expat-friendly, English-speaking women’s clinic in the heart of Milan … Read More
The title Bring Now the Angels is as much a God-like order as a human plea. Dilruba Ahmed’s new book-slash-summoning-slash-prayer reckons with expanse as painstakingly as it does limitation. Throughout, it takes on health, mortality, and immigration with disquieting force. The first section of Bring Now the Angels considers the circumstances surrounding the passing of … Read More
Back in February, I went to the doctor for a general checkup. “You should work on losing weight,” my doctor said, looking coolly over her notes. “Asian women are usually slim. You’re overweight for an Asian woman.” For most of my life, my body and I were friends. I didn’t have unreasonable expectations of it, … Read More
