Zaina Arafat is a journalist, fiction writer and teacher based in New York City. We talked to Zaina about her new novel You Exist Too Much, which was released on June 9! The novel centers a queer Palestinian American character who grapples with the effects of inherited trauma, her position within in-between spaces that come with being part of the diaspora, and her sexual identity.
Our conversation touches on the importance of the “messy” character (versus unrealistically aspirational) when bringing representation to any form of media. We also discuss Zaina’s teaching and other writing she has done.
You can order a copy of the book here!