In February 2022, Ebrahim and I moved to the agricultural heartland of Central Asia which encompasses the Soviet-era created borders of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.  Funded by the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent and administered by American Councils, the year-long, nation-wide English education program I worked in as a Coach focused on mentoring secondary school teachers in mostly rural areas of the country. Though I lived in Central Asia as Russian forces disrupted the world order, my experiences and conversations outside of the classroom revolved around family and home within a deeply-entrenched respect for traditional gender-defined roles, and the stories explore this culture.

love in the fergana valley  2023

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