Samples of My Published Works
Heaven’s Smoke-Filled Waiting Room Is a Chess Club in Casablanca – THRILLIST
Jamal took a deep drag and considered the point. Even though their friend’s portrait had only been taken a few years before his death, it signified decades of friendship and laughter. His eyes scanned across the room—it really hadn’t changed much, and except for wrinkles and white hair and back problems, none of them had either. But he kept that observation to himself. His friend wasn’t here to reminisce; he was here to play chess.
Philip Marlowe: The Rise & Fall of The Private Detective – THECOLLECTOR
The character of Philip Marlowe first appeared in 1933 in Black Mask magazine, the same publication that hosted other icons of the genre, most notably Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade. Marlowe made his debut in short story format under many names before author Raymond Chandler decided on his iconic name. In the opening lines of Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, Marlowe is introduced to the world as classy and hard-boiled as other private detectives before him.
Loving Fassbinder – THE G&L REVIEW
Fassbinder would not find out until 1982 during the making of what would be his last film, Querelle. Its plot revolves around the title character in Jean Genet’s novel, a sailor with dubious morals who sails into Brest and goes into a brothel, where he meets his brother and starts exploring his homosexual fantasies. The film was dedicated to El Hedi ben Salem. Shortly after he finished filming it, Fassbinder died of a drug overdose at age 37. Forty years later, his name is forever engraved in the annals of cinematic greats, even as that of El Hedi ben Salem is largely forgotten.
A Beirut Record Store Owner On Life During Wartime – HEARING THINGS
Diran Mardirian curates his shop with pride and joy, stocking gems from Tom Waits and Steely Dan alongside his extensive collection of music from the Arab world. He’s a born collector: He curated and sold movies for over a decade—records for even longer—and he buys up books for his personal shelves like a madman. We had a conversation about old music that lasted as long as my visit to his shop.
STARRED Book Review: Monstrilio – INDEPENDENT BOOK REVIEW
I can’t remember the last time an opening chapter hooked me the way that Monstrilio has. For a debut novel, Gerardo writes with the potency of a master, painting an image that takes feelings of genuine sadness and morphs it into a very disturbing situation. I read those first few pages with watery eyes and a grimace on my face, and from that moment on, I couldn’t put the book down.
Situated South Of Bangkok, Thailand’s Top-Secret Tropical Beach Has Miles Of Spotless White Sands – ISLANDS
On this increasingly challenging quest of finding hidden spots in Thailand, you will have to travel far sometimes, like taking a ferry to reach the pristine secret coves on the island paradise of Koh Chang, but Laem Mae Phim is just a two-hour drive south of the capital. Mae Phim is one of these easily accessible yet largely undiscovered destinations, offering tropical beaches that go on forever, cheaper accommodations, and quieter, more relaxing atmospheres.
Who Plays Metal in Morocco? – HEARING THINGS
What really started it all was MTV. The popular music channel hit Morocco in the early 1990s, and young viewers got to watch the weekly show Headbangers Ball, a three-hour compilation of metal performances and new releases. The rich kids watched it on satellite TV, while those who couldn’t afford it got it on black-market VHS tapes. A few years of weekly exposure was all it took for the first bands to form in Morocco. Immortal Spirit, a death metal band that started out covering their favorite bands, paved the way in 1996.
10 Powerful Langston Hughes Poems Everyone Needs to Read – READER’S DIGEST
Langston Hughes is one of the most prolific yet most underrated American poets of all time. He was the first Black writer and poet to make his living through his words. He led the Harlem Renaissance, which saw Black poets and writers come together to express their thoughts and opinions. Heck, he practically invented jazz poetry, a form focused on rhythm, and his work remains a staple of the art form to this day. Langston Hughes poems are about the ordinary Black man—his struggle, his mundane life, his beauty and his dreams.
Shooting the Mafia [2019]: ‘Fantasia’ Review – Photogenic Revolution – HIGH ON FILMS
Shooting the Mafia captures both sorrow and hope, both the past and the future, and both abuse and defiance. It is beautiful, warm, heartbreaking and real, it explores the depths of human misery, of human passion and evil corruption, but ends on a note that couldn’t have been brighter and more hopeful.
5 Black Sabbath Albums To Know: A Guide To The Hard Rock Icons’ Discography – GRAMMY’S
Headlining a fittingly epic, 10-hour show supported by some of the finest metal and hard rock acts, Ozzy and co. made a deservingly loud exit. It wasn’t just a show; it was a testament to the massive impact Sabbath had on so many, but when Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler started a band in 1968, they didn’t know that Black Sabbath would forever change music. Together (and with help from a few additions to the lineup) they shaped and pioneered heavy metal; all great bands in the genre owe much to Sabbath.