Friday Feature: @JaylanSalahSalm
One of our newest Prosers, Jaylan Salah Salman, was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1988.
She is a feminist writer, film critic, amateur singer and dancer. She has a bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Studies but has since stopped working within that profession to focus on her writing career.
"Now I am a full-time writer, accepting occasional writing, editing, proofreading and journalism jobs."
P: Describe your relationship with writing. How has it evolved?
JSS: I have a pretty intimate relationship with writing. It's passionate and sensual and I guess now we have reached a common ground between the both of us.
It started when I was 12, I had finished reading most of the children's horror, thriller, mystery and novel series in my parent's library. Some of the books belonged to them, some they had bought specifically for my sister Dina and me. I was a voracious reader back then. I would munch on any book that came in my way. I also read newspapers, my Mom's fashion magazines and tons of teen magazines.
My mother was at a loss with me, I always complained on how I wanted to read "certain" books yet I couldn't find what I wanted to read.
One day she told me, "If there is a book you really want to read but can't seem to find, then write it and read it for your own pleasure." So I started on a teenage mystery romance series based on my high school friends and foes. My sister and mother were my first audience, then came a bunch of school friends as my writing progressed.
From the moment that I held the pen, I didn't put it down except during college because pharmacy school was so damn stressful. Also this was a time when I lost faith in myself as a writer.
To describe how I am in relation to my writing, I would say it's a ball of energy, it keeps building up inside of me and when I don't get it out, it bursts, leaving me injured, physically. I tried to suppress an idea of a novel that I wanted to start on but didn't have time for during one of my more prolific pharmacy jobs. I ended up with a stress-related stomach ulcer!
P: Discuss the value reading brings to both your personal and professional life.
JSS: One of the main things that reading adds to my life is continuous growth. As a writer -and a woman- I am in a constant state of growth and maturity. My body grows from childish to blooming to aging, so does my soul, so does my writing. Reading is the lantern, the compass and the stars for my writer soul. It allows me to keep getting better and refined, as a woman and a writer, personally and professionally. It also allows me to get rid of having to deal with people, yet not become too disconnected from what is going on with them.
Reading also saved my life a number of times. When I couldn't write or when I was slut-shamed for a long time in my homeland's literary scene, I gave in to depression and took to reading other works.
Milan Kundera, Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski, Isabelle Allende and Mario Vargas Llosa saved me from suicidal thoughts and utter despair. They kind of tempted me to try and let go of all the pain by writing about others, even the ones who hurt me the most.
The result was my first Arabic -unpublished- short story collection "Live Skin" which I have been pitching to publishers in Egypt for over a year now.
P: Describe your current literary ventures. What can we expect to see in future posts?
JSS: My writing is ballsy, raw and unapologetic. I write both in English and Arabic, both professionally and personally. However, my English writing tends to be edgier, more spiced up. I find that pretty encouraging for me to explore this side of me, as a writer.
Ever since I started writing I have been fascinated with people; the way they act, the way they talk, lie, spit, make out, even perform complicated tasks like commercializing violence or demonizing "wild" women. It fills me with certain energies and a whir of emotions that I get so compelled to express.
I try to tie everything together on paper -these days, blank Word documents- and the result translates to these pieces about women, about bodies, about life.
P: How did you find Prose, and what keeps you coming back?
JSS: A friend actually called me to Prose. The one and only Kelly Knox. The instant reaction and enthusiasm are what brought me back. I felt like this is a place I would be proud to publish in.
Everybody seems to understand what they're reading. Even when somebody dislikes what I write, there are really helpful comments and reviews. I've published in places where people have thrown shit at me, calling me an "ignorant whore" or just cursing me all along. People out there are intolerant of my writing. It doesn't surprise me really but the harsh comments never fail to work their way into my soul, negatively.
So I came to this judgment-free zone of smartass, talented people and I felt pretty excited to oil my writing gear and get going.
Jaylan's bold narrative-style essay entitled "Poof, Vagina" recently won her $500 in a Prose writing challenge. (You can read our previous blog post for details on the challenge.)
What was her reaction to the news?
"My recent win has left me in a buzz. I haven't felt that appreciation ever since I won a film critic workshop in Luxor, Egypt that was granted to me because of my film critique talents. This time, I was appreciated for the real writer in me.
"I bled on the page and got handed a huge first-aid package. It's both overwhelming yet motivating. All I could think of is; what should I write next? I must rub the dust off those old ideas and lay them down for the world to see.
"The only way by which I could repay you is to keep writing. It's a pretty refreshing feeling."
Jaylan was also recently accepted as a member of the Prose Partner Program. When asked what she hopes to accomplish in this role, she said:
"Being a Prose partner adds huge responsibility to my writing goals and aspirations.
"The one most precious thing that a writer can hope for is to inspire as many people as possible. Through becoming a Prose partner, one can only hope she would inspire, and most certainly be inspired."
Be sure to follow Jaylan and her work here @JaylanSalahSalm and on Twitter at @Lorelei1988.
You can also visit her Facebook page by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser: facebook.com/jaylanpoeticmuses, and check her out on Tumblr: http://jaylansalah.tumblr.com/.
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This #FridayFeature blog series is designed to help you get to know your fellow community members better. Would you like to nominate someone for interview? Have a question you’re dying to ask of someone on the platform? Send us a private message here or visit our contact page to get in touch: theprose.com/p/contact.