SING ME A CIRCLE author Samina Najmi on the "rich matriarchal inheritance" of watching her mother and grandmother keep diaries, and learning to write in small pockets of time
Thank you for sharing this! The observation about learning to work in "small pockets of time" rather than waiting for those mythical four-hour blocks feels like such an essential insight, not just for parents but for anyone navigating creative work alongside life's demands.
What strikes me most is the point about the porousness between caregiving and creativity. Both require that particular kind of attentiveness: the ability to notice what's beneath the surface, to hold multiple timelines simultaneously, to revise and learn from missteps. I hadn't thought before about how the analytical skills of close reading might translate to reading a child's behavior, but it makes perfect sense. Both are acts of interpretation that require patience and humility. Lovely insights!
thanks so much, Lara! anything in particular grab you here? I really loved the image of Samina watching her mother writing--my own mother has memories of her mother like that, though I think my grandmother was writing grocery lists. but I really think there's magic in *seeing* the people we love writing during childhood, since it's so often a kind of secret activity, if they're doing it all.
Thank you for sharing this! The observation about learning to work in "small pockets of time" rather than waiting for those mythical four-hour blocks feels like such an essential insight, not just for parents but for anyone navigating creative work alongside life's demands.
What strikes me most is the point about the porousness between caregiving and creativity. Both require that particular kind of attentiveness: the ability to notice what's beneath the surface, to hold multiple timelines simultaneously, to revise and learn from missteps. I hadn't thought before about how the analytical skills of close reading might translate to reading a child's behavior, but it makes perfect sense. Both are acts of interpretation that require patience and humility. Lovely insights!
Hi, Charlotte! I love seeing what resonates--and you're right about the idea of close reading--I don't think I'd ever made that connection, either!
This was really fun!
Wonderful interview!
thanks, Chris!
I truly love this series, Nancy. I always find gems in the interviews <3
thanks so much, Lara! anything in particular grab you here? I really loved the image of Samina watching her mother writing--my own mother has memories of her mother like that, though I think my grandmother was writing grocery lists. but I really think there's magic in *seeing* the people we love writing during childhood, since it's so often a kind of secret activity, if they're doing it all.