Episode 20: Hala Alyan + Mira Jacob (July 26, 2017)

Palestinian-American poet and clinical psychologist Hala Alyan talked with novelist Mira Jacob (The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing) about her debut novel Salt Houses, a story of family, displacement, and diaspora catalyzed by Israel’s Six Day War. The two writers talked about the work of writing (and reading) about politicized issues without creating heroes and villains, and about how Alyan’s work as a psychologist with Muslim immigrants and her own family's experience informs her writing, as well as delving into process and practices for creating writing that feels like magic. (Bonus: Listen for how Alyan was influenced by Elizabeth Gilbert’s ideas about creativity, then listen to Episode 3 of our podcast to hear more on the topic from Gilbert herself!)