My Story

I am an author, lawyer and coach. I grew up in Syria and at a very young age, I felt that I didn’t belong into the culture or the family I was in, my brain and pen became my sanctuary. I would hide and read books about places that I have never been and write stories and poems about feelings I didn’t feel safe to express.  

At 16, my Arabic literature teacher offered to read and provide feedback on the stories and poems of any student who writes as a hobby. She was incredibly tough and scary and a master in the language (a poet herself). I gave her my turquoise-colored notebook and for over a week I felt so worried, naked and seen all at the same time. Her comments came back in a paper left in my notebook, which I still have, that said among other things “you have a sensitive soul and an eye that can see deep into things and life, . . . keep on writing”. It was all I needed to hear at the time to keep on writing.

At 17 (I skipped a year in school), I finished high school in Syria and ranked in the top 10 students in my class year and began my legal journey at the University of Damascus, law department. Within few months, apparently, I managed to speak about human rights and women rights enough to have secret services give me a talk, so I left law school all together and within few months, I moved to Canada.  I lived in Canada for few years where I learned English and started college.  In early 2011, I moved to the U.S. and started writing my first novel Lan Tamout (Will Not Die). 

In March 2012, during her visit to the U.S., I met with Dr. Nawal El Saadawi who was my idol.  I have been reading her books since I was 16 years old and have been in contact with her since 2009. Nawal offered to read my draft, she was the first person to read my novel. Again, I felt terrified and exposed. This is my idol, the woman who taught me about women rights and feminism as a child, the woman who made me feel normal for not accepting many aspects of the Syrian society and now she is getting to read my novel. What if she thought it was shit?!

On April 4, 2012, she emailed me a very short note that said “I read your story, it is very good, continue writing, going deeper into yourself.” I cried when I read the email. I have never been more validated in my entire life. This is THE WOMAN, I loved her, I admired her, I felt she was the intellectual mother I never had, and she thinks I am good, and my novel is good!! I felt I could die now.  In 2014, the novel was published in the Arab world and received very positive press.

In 2015, I finished my undergraduate educate degree in communication and philosophy in Minnesota and started law school at Northwestern University in Chicago. I was the first female from the entire Taleb family in my town to go to law school.  I continued to write op-ed articles and reports about human rights and other topics I am interested in throughout law school.  Since I graduated in 2018, I have been practicing finance law in Chicago and I love my practice.

I try to live an authentic life based on three values: kindness, generosity and courage. I do NOT think civility and cussing are mutually exclusive and I do believe that “common sense” is NOT common.  

When I am not writing or working, I will be hiking some mountains (Olympic national park and Zion national park are my favorite places in the country), traveling (been to 30 states so far), in a concert, talking to my nephews and nieces, and always reading three books at a time.