“I find that the way I define and feel happiness keeps changing. Going through the worst time of my life definitely lowered the bar, which is actually a good thing.”… read more

“Everything I believe in will come out in my books […]”… read more

“It’s interesting to me how much of an ’80s revivalism is going on right now so it definitely is not only me who’s intrigued and inspired [by the era].”… read more

“[…] I’ve lived long enough to know I’m susceptible to acts of evil as well as moments of the purest compassion.”… read more

“I remember in the 90s and even early 00s, the idea was still prevalent in popular culture and the media that gay sex equaled death. When you’re in this religious environment, it complicates it even further.”… read more

“It was very challenging to write this, about such a sensitive subject as sexuality and shame, knowing that it would be read both by a Western audience and an Arab audience. So I kept telling myself: Just tell the truth.”… read more

Writers Gabrielle Bellot and SJ Sindu discuss art vs. activism, marginalized identities, and being labeled a queer author… read more

“[…] People are scared to talk about religion. They are less fearful of discussions concerning sex or guns. Why don’t we talk about God? Why don’t we talk about spirituality?”… read more

“What I believe in is forgetting; it’s transformative, if not reformative, power. What does it mean to truly leave something behind? To excise a happening from not only your thoughts, but also from your body?”… read more

“I think that the world of The Gracekeepers is as accepting and as intolerant as our own world–that is to say, some people are incredibly tolerant of difference, and others just shriek about burning the witch (whoever and whatever the witch may be).”… read more