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Tag: New York University Paris Writers Program

January 13, 2017January 13, 2017The Next Dinner Party

New Year Goal: Stop Being So Lazy

When I was 28 and had just quit my job as a journalist, got married, and moved to Yemen, I wrote a blog post in which I vowed to never stop with my creative pursuits, and to always live a life of passion. Four years later is probably a good time to revisit my wide-eyed […]

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August 4, 2016March 17, 2019The Next Dinner Party

Is an MFA in Creative Writing Worth It?

A final trip to Paris last month marked the end of my dream graduate school experience. Now, I just need to find a spot to hang my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree from New York University. And finish my book. Oh, and start paying off my student loans, which are substantial. And so, now […]

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June 3, 2016October 20, 2017The Next Dinner Party

My Grad School Reading List

  I submitted my graduate school thesis, which is the first 70 pages of my novel. I feel pretty okay about it (not great, because my novel isn’t finished yet). I’ll head to Paris for one last time in July, but already I’m mourning this program ending. Do I really not get to go to Paris […]

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January 19, 2016April 25, 2018The Next Dinner Party

Post-Paris Crunch Time

I recently returned from wonderful, romantical Paris, where I completed the fourth residency of my graduate MFA program in creative writing. (Just one more left!). This trip to Paris was especially good. Mr. Jerusal-Em came for a few days and we celebrated New Year’s Eve in the cozy home of friends, walked around Montmarte, and […]

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November 30, 2015November 8, 2022The Next Dinner Party

The More You Learn, The Harder it Gets

I’m three-quarters of the way through the low-residency MFA program at New York University and I can say with some confidence that after three intensive residencies in Paris, monthly writing deadlines, and the mentorship of several accomplished authors, I am now a better writer. I can also say with confidence that because I am a […]

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July 28, 2015December 21, 2019The Next Dinner Party

Writing Lessons from Paris

I recently returned from Paris after completing my third residency as part of New York University’s Paris Writers Program. Another year – and two more residencies to go –  and hopefully I’ll have an MFA, and more importantly, a decent draft of my novel. Residencies in Paris are inspiring and exhausting. I love every minute […]

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July 17, 2014October 20, 2017The Next Dinner Party

Notes from Paris

I just spent ten intense and inspiring days in Paris as part of a New York University’s MFA creative writing program. I suspect it will take me weeks to process all the thought-provoking lectures and suggestions for my own writing that I received. Until more grand thoughts and plans of action emerge, here’s a quick […]

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Recent Posts

  • Year in Review: 2022
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If you open your photo stream and sit down and write what you did each month for the previous year, I think you will be astounded at all you did. In 2022, I moved from Algeria to Princeton, N.J. where I’m embracing an academic-adjacent life, small town charms, and the proximity of New York City. I also ate a good deal of oysters. New blog post up on NextDinnerParty.com taking a look back at a year that moved alchemically fast.
New blog post up (on NextDinnerParty.com) about our best week ever in Algeria: When 23 musicians came together in the Sahara Desert for an epic concert, and four friends traveled to Algeria to be a part of it. And we hosted some of those incredible musicians at our house in the boho lounge.
(Heart)breaking news: DC Noodles has closed after 13 years on U Street. How many bowls of noodle soup have I slurped here? When I moved away, DC noodles spicy noodle soup is the single dish I craved the most and I’ve tried and failed to capture its sweet, sour, savory, peanuty taste countless times. I eat here on every single visit to DC, usually right away. Thanks for all the delicious meals, DC Noodles.
Started the year with a Tanzanian safari, rocked out in the Sahara desert at an amazing concert, biked around the Loire Valley, wrapped up our lives in Algeria, moved to Princeton NJ, relished in lots of quality time with family and friends. An eventful year! Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas 2022 from snowy Michigan!
We hosted our 6th Annual Holiday Spirit Cocktail Contest Party this past weekend. Back in Algiers, this tradition grew to epic proportions (live bands, 80 guests, a kitchen staff). Hosting in our one bedroom Princeton apartment was significantly less grand but still extremely festive and fun. (Click on link in bio if you’re like “what IS a cocktail contest?”

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If you open your photo stream and sit down and write what you did each month for the previous year, I think you will be astounded at all you did. In 2022, I moved from Algeria to Princeton, N.J. where I’m embracing an academic-adjacent life, small town charms, and the proximity of New York City. I also ate a good deal of oysters. New blog post up on NextDinnerParty.com taking a look back at a year that moved alchemically fast.
New blog post up (on NextDinnerParty.com) about our best week ever in Algeria: When 23 musicians came together in the Sahara Desert for an epic concert, and four friends traveled to Algeria to be a part of it. And we hosted some of those incredible musicians at our house in the boho lounge.
(Heart)breaking news: DC Noodles has closed after 13 years on U Street. How many bowls of noodle soup have I slurped here? When I moved away, DC noodles spicy noodle soup is the single dish I craved the most and I’ve tried and failed to capture its sweet, sour, savory, peanuty taste countless times. I eat here on every single visit to DC, usually right away. Thanks for all the delicious meals, DC Noodles.
Started the year with a Tanzanian safari, rocked out in the Sahara desert at an amazing concert, biked around the Loire Valley, wrapped up our lives in Algeria, moved to Princeton NJ, relished in lots of quality time with family and friends. An eventful year! Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas 2022 from snowy Michigan!
We hosted our 6th Annual Holiday Spirit Cocktail Contest Party this past weekend. Back in Algiers, this tradition grew to epic proportions (live bands, 80 guests, a kitchen staff). Hosting in our one bedroom Princeton apartment was significantly less grand but still extremely festive and fun. (Click on link in bio if you’re like “what IS a cocktail contest?”
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