Neda Zahraie is an Iranian-American writer, musician and painter based in New York City. Her book of poetry, ‘Anamnèse’, a hybrid presentation of the female experience with wounds, recollections and recovery, is set for publication in 2021. Her piece, ‘Old Man You Have a Lover’, can be found in EPOCH Issue 01: Beginnings, available to purchase here.
Where do you find inspiration?
In everything all the time, in my own personal experiences, in stories from the lives of others and in nature. Everything can serve as inspiration, and poetry is at least one medium to react within.
Why do you write/create Creative Non-Fiction?
There is an urge in me to unravel what experience in life. Telling a story in poetry or prose is a precious tool for communicating especially those overlooked or less-talked-about moments of our existence. We learn about rebellion or love, longing or despair in the hearts of others that we can relate to, across centuries that is. So in a sense, creative non-fiction has always served as a thread bringing us humans together, helping us understand life and one another.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle which is just beautiful literature full of wit. And this week, my husband and I started reading Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy. We take turns each reading a chapter out loud after dinner – our preferred stance against TV-shows.
Where can we follow you and find your work?
My solo music, with its heavy emphasis on poetry, is available on streaming platforms Spotify and Youtube under my moniker Kamalata @kamalatamusic. I also post my paintings and some poetry on Instagram: @neda.zahraie
Epoch Press is an independent press dedicated to publishing exceptional creative nonfiction.
We publish truth in ink.
