Writing

Of all my hobbies, interests, and experiences, writing is the one which has most overwhelmingly defined my life. I have been writing everything from expository essays to fictional narratives, poetry to music scores, since I could first hold a pen. The central theme that connects all of my written works is storytelling. Whether I am weaving a biographical account of a cultural group into an educational article or fitting character traits into rhyming lyrics for a theme song, the idea of telling a story through words underscores all of my work, and allows me to combine my degree in English with my degrees in history, philosophy, and political science.

Fiction and Narrative

The Eve of the Ides

"Decimus let the conversations occurring around him fade into white noise, and he felt his mind drift to the years he had spent grasping, captivated, at Caesar’s every word, carrying around him a shroud of his general’s advice and praise, believing with his heart that he would be rendered untouchable to his enemies by the force of Caesar’s affirmations."

A dramatic retelling based on extensive research, depicting the night before the assassination of Julius Caesar, from the perspective of one of the conspirators.

Brown Eyes, Busy Mind

"The river, coated in the lacquered reflections of offshore clubs and brightly lit bridges, was stunning, and Bekhruz, with his hands on my shoulders, guided me to stand on his left side, so I was between him and the water and could take in the view of the city as he stared fixedly at my face."

An autobiographical account of my anxious and analytical mind, and how falling in love with a boy in Prague made me question everything I thought I knew about myself.

Blood Is Forever

"She preferred going out in the day, her niqab and long gloves guarding her body and face from the scorching pain of being touched by sunlight. For having no beating heart, she did still rather enjoy the whispers of adrenaline rushing through her as her pennyboard loudly rattled over sewer-covers and potholes, jittering her pointed teeth and sending pleasant breeze across her body."

A fictional short story that follows Diana—a Muslim woman who became a vampire under traumatic circumstances—as she navigates life in modern New York City.

Los Santos and the Sinners

"Without the comfort of imminent death, things change. You start acting reckless, stop caring about consequences. People in Los Santos are starving for the thrill of something new, would often rather get chased and caught by the cops than commit a crime to no response. Betrayal is more heinous than violence, because it sticks around."

An introduction to the fictional city of Los Santos, the setting of GTA V, but more specifically the NoPixel GTA roleplay server, which uses Los Santos as the backdrop for hundreds of unique characters and stories.

Expository & Educational

The Existence (or Nonexistence) of Libertalia

"Though perhaps a figment of Captain Charles Johnson’s vivid imagination, the development and reformative thought behind Libertalia’s invention are still worth noting in the general study of pirate history, and history as a whole, because Libertalia’s existence, or nonexistence, echoes a trend in piratical governments and conceptual understanding of equality, economics, and power dynamics."

A thesis on the legend of Libertalia—the utopian pirate society off the coast of Madagascar—comparing primary accounts and modern research to separate fact from fiction.

"I Survived Coronavirus
and Media Overload"

"Although this virus has negatively impacted a lot of people throughout its course, psychologists are seeing impacts on culture as a result of the pandemic that emphasizes connection through non-physical means, and has given many people opportunities to branch out in other areas from the safety of home. "

An article published in the New Orleans magazine, ViaNolaVie, in which I interview and discuss with a clinical psychologist the effects of COVID-19 on mental illness.

"Tallgrass Industrial Project Might Be Terminal for Plaquemines Parish"

"For Healthy Gulf, which is involved with the protection and restoration of coastal natural resources, the new terminal signifies a dangerous lack of forethought surrounding impact on surrounding communities and wetlands."

An article published in the New Orleans magazine, ViaNolaVie, about an industrial construction project in Louisiana that poses a significant threat to the environment.

The Alexander Romantic

"For Alexander the Great, who slept with a copy of the Iliad under his pillow and deemed himself a son of Zeus along with his heroic ancestors Heracles and Achilles, it is not difficult to believe that Alexander imagined himself to be a uniquely gifted figure destined to follow a dramatic path of heroism and influence."

A thesis arguing the importance of including personality in discourse about historical figures, and specifically analyzing the psyche of Alexander the Great through his Enneagram personality type.