Salman Ansari

When I got the summons in the mail, I was annoyed, but only a little, because I assumed nothing would come of it. Since moving to America two decades ago, I’ve been summoned for jury duty four times. Each time, I would dutifully call the number at the specified time, only to be told that my duty was completed, having done nothing at all. That is what annoyed me most about the letter I held in my hand: it was a false promise (or idle threat, depending on how you view the duty.) I actually looked…

My mother’s birthday was in March, the first since she passed. The day was as shitty as you’d expect. I tried to do some sort of ritual, but it couldn’t mask the pain. I miss the sound of her voice when I would call on her birthday. I could always hear her smile through the phone. My own birthday was a week ago. My mom and I share the same birth date, offset by a month. I always liked that. This year, I had absolutely no interest in celebrating, going on a trip, having a bday dinner, etc. But…

Every year, I publish a post sharing the best books I read. You can read my past posts from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017. Onto this year’s favorites! The Pearl and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Steinbeck is an absolute master. I think I read Of Mice and Men a long time ago when I was a kid, but I certainly didn’t remember its impact because it really hit me this time. Both of these novels kept me captivated throughout—powerful, emotional, and heart-wrenching stories...