4 things kids should know about being a writer + Bangladesh election results
Author Abroad S2:E1
Happy 2024! This is Author Abroad, a newsletter on reading, writing and reflections from a life abroad. In this edition, I share some thoughts on being a writer, the results of the Bangladesh election, and some of the books I read recently.
Writing
Author Abroad turned one this month.🎈🥳🎂 Thank you so much for being part of this little community. Of all the book-related initiatives I started in 2023, this newsletter is by far my favorite. I like taking time to reflect on these three themes that have shaped my life: reading, writing, and life abroad. Unlike social media, which is not my forte, Author Abroad is a fun way of checking in with myself each month and at the same time, connecting with you. When I started the newsletter a year ago, I worried I wouldn’t have enough material to keep it going, or worse that no one would want to read it. Fortunately, neither proved to be true. I continue to make minor tweaks in almost every edition and welcome your thoughts on how to make it better. (Just hit “reply” with any ideas you have.)
Another fun activity I’m doing this month while in the US for the holidays is leading a story-writing workshop for 7th and 8th graders at the school where my daughter teaches. Although my MFA is technically a teaching degree, I’ve never taught before—or even considered it a possibility—so this is new terrain for me. Making a lesson plan for three weekly workshops has forced me to think hard about which aspects of fiction writing these kids need to know about most. I’ll cover the basics of story, of course (character, setting, scene, etc.), but what feels most important turns out to be more motivational in nature. I want them to know that:
Being a writer is about how you interact with the world—being curious, paying attention, and drawing connections between seemingly unconnected things.
Writing is not about fancy language or big words; it’s about figuring out what’s true and finding the precise words to describe that truth.
Each of us experiences the world slightly differently. To write well is to recognize and embrace our own unique way of seeing the world.
Writing is about nurturing our subconscious and embracing our daydreams, letting our mind wander and following its trail to new, undiscovered places.
The kids seem to like the workshop so far, but I’m pretty sure I’m the one getting the most out of the experience. As children, they already know most of the above intuitively. When I give them a prompt, they run with it, coming up with the most amazing and imaginative stories. And the sound of their pencils scratching furiously away in their little notebooks fills me with wonder.
Life abroad
After months of political unrest, the long-awaited elections in Bangladesh took place on Sunday, January 7th. Unlike the preceding days and weeks, in which buses and polling booths were torched, and violent clashes took place between supporters of the ruling Awami League and members of the opposition, election day was relatively quiet.
Some say too quiet. With thousands of activists arrested, injured or killed in the lead up to the election, the main opposition group, Bangladesh National Party (BNP), boycotted the election and called for a nationwide strike on election day. Meanwhile the government mobilized 50,000 military troops to patrol the streets in the 10 days surrounding the election. The result was record-low voter turnout. Official figures put the number at 40%, but given that the number was 27% minutes before polls closed, most assume the real number to be closer to 28%. (For comparison, voter turnout was 80% in the 2018 Bangladesh election.) Al Jazeera reported that the streets and polling booths were remarkably empty that day (see photo below). Even Awami League supporters stayed home, because what’s the point of showing up to vote when the winner is already decided?
Not surprisingly, Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League won the majority of seats in Parliament. A few seats went to minor opposition parties, but the remaining seats went to dummy candidates—so-called independents who were put in place by Awami League so that their own candidates would not be uncontested. This has created an unusual situation whereby the opposition in Parliament is made up of members of the governing party.🤔
Given the lack of choice, and the fact that most of the opposition were behind bars, the election was widely viewed as a sham, both domestically and internationally. Sheikh Hasina now begins her fifth term, four of which have been consecutive, making her the longest-serving female head of state in the world. As much I support more women in government, her unwillingness to allow free and fair elections is discouraging. The Bangladeshi people deserve better.
Reading
Writing Wild: Forming a Creative Partnership with Nature by Tina Welling (New World Library, 2014)
This inspirational craft book brings together two of my favorite things—nature and writing. The premise behind Writing Wild is that nature can help uncover layers of memory and draw our attention to connections we weren’t previously aware of. By immersing ourselves in nature and embracing synchronicity, we gain access to the intuitive side of our of creativity.
“Name what you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell, and your experience of life expands and deepens. Write this down and you own it, body, mind, and soul…Naming and describing organize the senses and the information that rushes toward us.”
The book comprises a series of essays and exercises, including “spirit walks” and various types of journaling exercises, to help us enter our creative subconscious. Some parts focus more on nature and spirituality than writing, but it’s all intertwined. Overall, I found this an inspiring read. The only problem I have with books like this is that I tend to read at night in bed, which makes it difficult to try out the exercises in that moment—especially when it’s cold outside! Instead, my kindle version of Writing Wild is crisscrossed with notes and highlights of exercises to try in the future.
Hello Beautiful: A Novel by Ann Napolitano, audiobook narrated by Maura Tierney (The Dial Press, 2023)
This heart-wrenching tribute to Louise May Alcott’s Little Women follows William Waters and the four Padavano sisters from childhood through middle age. Growing up in a loveless house, William’s only joy is basketball. When he meets Julia Padavano, and becomes part of their boisterous and loving family, his life is transformed. But the darkness from his past soon resurfaces, testing the boundaries of their love. This is a novel about family—how easily it can fall apart and what it takes to stitch it back together again. A NYT bestseller and Oprah bookclub pick, Hello Beautiful received so much attention this past year that I had to see what the fuss was about. I was not disappointed; in fact, I cried three times in the course of reading it, a sure sign of an excellent novel.
That’s it for this month. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this edition of Author Abroad.
💕Liz