Essay Anthologies Perfect for Busy Readers

Zahra Hankir edited a collection of Arab women journalists reporting from the Arab world. Palestine, Egypt, Yemen, Syria — these journalists report on wars, uprisings, and protests. From their vantage point, they are able to tell stories that male journalists would never have access to in their own work. They center women’s experiences as they write about sexual assault or trying to travel without a male relative. Western society often carries a lot of assumptions about the Middle East. These brave Arab women are here to tell their own stories, risking everything to bring a much-needed perspective of their home regions.

Back when Nicole Chung was the editor of Catapult Magazine, she noticed that there were a lot of essays around the themes of immigration. She teamed up with fellow editor Mensah Demary, and they brought together 20 essays by first and second-generation immigrants. These writers share the complex experience of moving to the U.S. Each writer describes their experiences living between cultures and how that has impacted their sense of self.