Associate Editor Connor Yeck: I was so excited when The Cincinnati Review published Rasha Alduwaisan’s poem “Before Mirrors” in our latest issue. The poem is a crystalline, mathematically balanced snapshot of intimacy whose measured language invites immediate rereading: “In a house of hair, on the night / of their wedding, they undress, // cast their robes like beetles / shedding, the beginning of skin, // the beginning of breaking.” When I first encountered her poem, I was also struck by the timelessness of it—the sense I was glimpsing a story arriving out of myth as well as history, something told and retold across the ages. It was little surprise then when I sought out Alduwaisan for inclusion in CR‘s Writers’ Day Job series I discovered a professional presence defined by oral histories, museum work, and regional narratives, leading me to ask how her career experience and passion guides her creative writing:
How would you describe what you do for your day job?
I record the narratives of people who lived in or traveled from the Arabian Peninsula at a time when the way of life was very different. Few written sources exist about the daily realities here in the past, so these oral accounts are essential in preserving a more detailed historical record. Over the years, I’ve adapted these stories into archival material, books, sound pieces and art installations.
What do you enjoy about that job, and what are some of its detractions?
Definitely the interview process! It is a fluid practice as there are typically no or few prescribed questions. The speaker is encouraged to elaborate on their words and to link one memory to another. It’s fascinating to watch a person make these connections and access parts of their past they didn’t even realize they’d forgotten! The fact nerd in me also loves the surprising discoveries—the unusual ways people used to cool their homes, for example, or what children used to play with.
The least enjoyable aspect of the job is transcribing the interviews. It’s a long, painstaking process and I often need to listen to a sentence many times to make sure I have it right.
How, if at all, does your day job inform—or relate to—your writing life?
It has given me a tremendous amount of patience and has made me a good listener. I’m more attentive to the stream of consciousness in the initial stages of writing and have become more attuned to detail.
The conversations have also given me a healthy perspective on rejection—a common stage of writing life for many of us! Listening to people speak about the ups and downs in their lives has helped me realize that what can sometimes feel like a setback in the short term can result in growth in the future.
What creative projects are you working on right now?
I’ve been writing new pieces and looking at the various ways a poem can present itself. Some of my poems were recently included in a light projection by the legendary artist Jenny Holzer to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi. This has made me consider different mediums through which people can engage with my words. I’m very much a page poet, so it’s been an interesting exploration!
Rasha Alduwaisan is an oral historian and writer from Kuwait. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Willow Springs, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Adroit Journal, The Common and Painted Bride Quarterly. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University.
