Happy Mother’s Day to our readers in the US! A Mother’s Prayer for Her Child By Tina Fey “First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches. May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty. (more…) Read more
Sometimes, Love, Inshallah editors stumble across something so powerful that we are left speechless. This spoken-word performance, “Not My Fault,” from poet/writer/activist Staceyann Chin , is something we had to share. Chin is a mutli-racial immigrant from Jamaica, a woman raised without a father by a mother who left Chin as a child to come to America, a story eloquently outlined her 2009 The Other Side of Paradise – A Memoir. She is also a LGBT activist and writes about the... Read more
It has never been my nature to attract romantic love, or to stumble into it unawares. The men I studied and worked with rarely interested in me, and I don’t believe I interested them either. I was discreet, invisible, unseen, unheard. I was content with being a colleague, a classmate, an acquaintance – nothing more. It has also never been my nature to share myself with others. I have always written, but have been too shy to share it publically.... Read more
A “Wasat Girl” embraces being in-between multiple cultures, because this transcultured space is globalism living out loud. It was where culture happens, the place of power, that middle space – “wasat” culture. The children of wasat girls are pretty amazing, as well. In honor of Mother’s Day, Deonna Kelli Sayed explores the challenging yet rewarding terrain of being a single, American-Muslim mother. I told my son that his father and I were no longer together while eating at one of... Read more
Love, Inshallah reviews a beautiful collection of poetry from poet, mother and rabbi, Rachel Barenblat. In her fourth poetry collection, Waiting To Unfold (April 2013, Phoenicia Publishing), Rabbi Barenblat documents her pregnancy and the first year of her son’s life through her powerful voice, unfurling the jubilations and challenges of motherhood. A perfect Mother’s Day gift – purchase your copy, here! Love, Inshallah (LA): You are a writer, a poet, and a Velveteen Rabbi. Tell us a little bit about the... Read more
Check out this gorgeous project, “Follow Me,” by Russian photographer Murad Osmann. Each shot is of the back of his girlfriend as she leads him hand through various locations around the world. The project started when she became annoyed that he was so occupied with his camera and started pulling him by the hand. Read more about the project, here. Read more
Dear Love InshAllah, How do I talk to my sister about sex? She’s 24 and about to get married. I’d like to be able to talk to her about this, but she makes me feel uncomfortable whenever I say something that is remotely close to the topic. Signed, Why is sex so taboo Ms. Sunshine replies: (more…) Read more
How do you find the time to write? After questions of sleep habits, and diaper bags, it’s the question I’m asked most frequently. Between sleep deprivation, chasing one son while soothing the other, and the other seemingly endless tasks that can quickly eat away at a day, many moms find that their writing takes a back burner. It could just be me, but as I talk to more women I’m beginning to suspect that it’s the nature of being a... Read more
“I think you’re a little bit behind the curve, though, if I’m honest. This is how I think it works. First, you have stereotypes, and that will be the black drug dealer, the east Asian kung fu master, the Middle Eastern terrorist in True Lies. Then you have stuff that takes place on culturally specific terrain, that engages with it, but actually subverts assumptions. Smashes stereotypes. That’s where I’ve come into the game.” Read more about British actor & rapper... Read more
Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, Please come to the gate immediately. Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there. An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress, Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly. Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her... Read more
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