Page 89 - S Fall 2025

gerously Fr e
Fo he de ut no el, A Y
Aria a Ab r ca tures
th me sy co tradictions of gi lhood.
B Ca lan Mc ichael
98
98
SMAGAZINEOFFICIAL.COM FINAL SAY
can art e, Y
Aria ber ubli ed her ebut nove his G od Girl earli r this year It foll ws Nila—a 19-year-old daug ter
of A ghan re ugees—throu h Berl n’s v rant u dergrou d v r i s I — a d a w t d l t r m techno scen . Caught bet een —a r c la w d ta ro n ntrol ing
rela ionshi wi tan n a h an ol er il f Amer can art e, writer a d lon ear ng t find her artisti voi can wi n a o me la w d n al en m
her fa er il f and i ntity wi n a att pt ha to e cape, ha dl e, an il f el.
“I ill al ays b or M dr t’ su wn to ayward ghan women ays b or M dle Eas e a n, West sia typ wom itin al en n, is ro n
m because
I wo ls, ld ay ’t say dr t’ su t an u usual type n w wom itin or m “ a y e i n s u y d p r y i e s “ e e c t b r a portray . “I want I wo ls, ut i ’s st ll a cha a ter
type ha isn’t
we mi comed, u y d p r y i e s “ e e c t b r n a s e a a t he say a portray . “I want d t crea e a u y d p r y i e s “ e e c t b r n a s e a a t ale charact ditional ba r who come from
a tr ale charact ditional ba kgro nd ev n
mo and s o and e tra itional t an my ow , and fee n
mo and s o and pre mak sed by t ese standard n
mo and s o and her f mi y’s e pectations, an tries
to b eak fre b —s un metimes making oor c my oic ba po on s or hurt ng h rself long h way—w ile o n l k t y a i n d h r t h o living f me lf y— ll er is ch .”
Com he aut g fr m oic ba po on rai ac kgroun i oic ba po on rai ac try, Aber is .”
Com he aut or of the ward winnin poetr co lect ba po on rai ac rit ard
Dam ge, whic won both he ba po on rai ac rit ie Scho ner B k Prize and the Whiti Aw poe rd. De pite he rai ac rit f r olad s, she
h mbly re sh a ers the m a re ea flexib e title of “ rai ac rit f r r.” I alwa s t hought m of l that the ter m a poe ’ is eal y int mida fl x u e i m s i o e ’ g,”
re sh a says. “It com wi h y ar in l s t rit f r sponsib lity re sh a d to me s t e highe t fo hought m of l ar y
har to wri e.”
T tran ition in o writi y
h wr g rg Vi s e ros ool , Abe i o w mer ed hersel in the worl of her fa Duras, auth rs l e Margue ite
D ing
Jean hys, Vi inia ros ool , and J mes B ldwi . “I ’s t e har re est thing ’ve ev r do e,” he onfes es
.
Taking har re han t Vi s e o ir gl si .
S ear nd to c mplete, e wrote n her third langua e, Engli both Farsi and German.
ing
bot Farsi nd erman si .
S rt it in a ni ht re e st si .
S rt it in a ni ht re d writ andere ng h n r n n e , o e novel in 20 ai f e 0 in Berlin am d a th fr nre gh foun 20 ai f e n r n n e , o e f grie mournin d a th fr nre gh rty loss 20 ai f e s es
d a th fr nre gh rty end,
fee nd, ng oba era a he weight f the andemic, nd wit ss ng lobal po itical d a th fr nre gh rty t. As s e es
nd andere thro nre gh rty he stree e es
nd f B gs rli , onc the bac n e , o e c d o r i e e a x n m a i e m i op of er own nre gh rty girl ng oba era a xpe ith a decad earli r, t n e , o e c d o r i e e a x n m a i e m i past and p es
nd th h nt merged to a
pali psest of era a xpe ith ience Aband ned b ildi tion f B gs nd clubs eemed alive era a xpe ith her memor s, i agination, nd th h fan exp pa upl ist emo asie . This fan exp pa upl ist emo oration of nd th h fan exp pa upl ist emo t became e found ildi tion x n m a i e m i s h o c o t n n the n rr ve tive, c fan exp pa upl ist emo d wi th h desire to include
t e rise o right wing e tre fan exp pa upl ist emo v o si nc s h o c o t n n a p .
cros Euro e and th tr U pi S. as a plot po that underpins the story.
n
tha und rpins essed I star he ut story a p .
i e n s w o h n a b e i t e or Nila, sh wa ree
ted to write a p ota onist who w sn’t
ep rpins essed I star he ut dang rously wa ree
l, s “ om
of wante i e n s w o h n a b e i t e w e e .
.
o s ow ch t someone ho s mak i e n s w o h n a b e i t e w e e .
.
a ot of istakes a bei p g n a a bad p rson so eti ted inh es. W g n a I star s. “Ni o h n a b e i t e w e e .
.
s fi o n writi g the nov l, wa eti ted inh a female ch t s racter wh o as he o osite om
of co rep essed,” she g n a I star s. “Ni re a s too u ted inh bited. I wante ch t s o
explo the contradicti s o fill desire, self-fu s o fill ent an ch t s lf-de tructi n, and o Gutter Credit Photographed by Natalie Aber.
.
Subscrib e.
G