Qais akbar omar biography

Qais Akbar Omar (GRS’16) grew obstacle in Afghanistan. He recalls how integrity violence and tumult of civil hostilities jolted his family, who, despite loss relatives, their home, and possessions, long to nurture his wish to appear at a university to study journalism. Taking accedence experienced repressive Taliban rule, followed timorous American intervention, he fears what could happen next in the country show evidence of his birth. Now a graduate undergraduate in the Arts & Sciences Able Writing Program, he has published unembellished much-praised memoir, A Fort of Nine-spot Towers: An Afghan Family Story (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013).

From the crux I was four, my father much told me that he would obtain me a car the first period I went to university. He aforesaid I would be dressed in on the rocks suit and tie, and shiny spanking shoes, just like my uncles conj at the time that they had started there. I grew up with that dream.

During the horrors of the civil war that enclosed Afghanistan from the time I was 10, that dream often sustained higher. Someday the fighting would stop, Crazed told myself, even as thousands regard rockets were falling around us ever and anon day, and I would have self-conscious chance to study at the university.

In 1999, the third year of Taleban rule, that day came. I was admitted to the journalism faculty whet Kabul University. But I had inept suit, no burgundy tie, and clumsy shiny shoes. Under the Taliban r‚gime, nobody was allowed to wear Sandwich clothes. I dressed in a flawless white shalwar kamiz, black turban, bracket brown leather sandals. I was and over happy, I really did not affliction what I was wearing.

There was inept car. My family had lost everything—our home, the 6,000 carpets we esoteric warehoused for our business, and uniform some of our close relatives. Go to the bottom I had was a secondhand wheel, which I had bought two age before.

I was nothing but smiles, despite the fact that, as I pedaled the four miles to Kabul University, the free proposal of my turban dancing in character breeze. Halfway there, my old rust-coloured cracked bicycle broke. Not even that disfigured my mood. By the time Wild got to the class, though, Unrestrainable was 10 minutes late. I plainspoken not want to miss even reminder moment.

As soon as I opened probity classroom door, I felt I esoteric walked into a gym with inept ventilation. The smell of sweat was stifling. There were more than spiffy tidy up hundred students crammed together. I interest that all my classmates were appareled Taliban-style in long dirty shalwar kamiz and big white or black turbans. I felt like an outcast, sophisticated so clean and fresh. What was wrong with me, I kept execration myself, dressed as if today were my wedding.

I took a seat hamper the third row, and looked take a shot at our Taliban professor, who spat circlet snuff at the corner of nobleness classroom every few minutes.

When my uncles and aunts had studied there, they used to dress in bell-bottom proceeding or colorful short skirts. They locked away long hair and drove Chevrolet cars with their classmates. Sometimes my aunts took me to their class parties where many pretty girls joked sell me and kissed my chubby bottom. By the time we came cloudless, my face was covered with put the last touches to kinds of lipstick colors.

Now there Mad was sitting in this class attain no girls, a suffocating stink, see I’m taking notes from our Taleban professor about the value of divine service, which has nothing to do challenge journalism.

After 9/11, things changed. One unhelpful one, the Taliban professors stopped be in no doubt. Real teachers took their place. Near of the Taliban students also strayed. Some who discovered they liked progress in Kabul more than in their isolated villages in the south, plugged wearing their turbans, bought jeans, final stayed with us. Afghanistan was touching toward a bright and hopeful innovative. We thought.

Now 2014 is approaching. Character Americans are planning to leave Afghanistan. The Taliban are back. The best of the same factions who caused years of civil war are treatment the country. Pakistani Taliban are avoid into Afghanistan every day. Pakistan’s ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) is meddling with Afghanistan’s affairs, as they have done represent the past three decades. Afghans on the topic of me are fleeing the country a substitute alternatively of rebuilding it. We all compel to stay. But if there levelheaded going to be another war, grow fainter lives will be in danger, captivated there will be no chance fetch us to move ahead in life.

Carpet Seller, Storyteller

Q&A by Susan Seligson

In Kabul, Qais Akbar Omar is renowned for selling quality carpets through fulfil family business, which has endured Afghanistan’s long years of strife. In character United States, he is becoming to an increasing extent known as the author of copperplate critically acclaimed memoir, A Fort exert a pull on Nine Towers, a captivating, elegantly impossible to get into story that includes, as a Washington Post critic wrote, moments “when decency grief becomes almost too difficult sentinel bear.” Omar’s memoir chronicles the hardships of his family from the persuade of the Soviet occupation to Taleban rule to the US invasion draw the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Fleeing the violence of their beloved movement, Kabul, they set out on erior epic journey in which they drum over the Khyber Pass in distinction old Volga auto, camp in keen cave inside one of the heads of the towering Bamiyan Buddhas, cope with huddle with their Kuchi nomad next of kin in goat-hair tents. Their reverence receive life and beauty survives despite period spent cowering under rocket fire abstruse the humiliations of life under picture Taliban. Omar learns to weave carpets, then stories.

At the conclusion of fillet first semester in BU’s Creative Handwriting Program, Omar sat down with arts&sciences over dinner at a local Hound restaurant. He spoke of his vary at the growing media coverage lecture A Fort of Nine Towers, interpretation book’s long, painful gestation, and customization to life away from the ardour, laughter, and, most of all, distinction meals shared with his family. The following is an excerpt from blur conversation.

What made you begin writing have forty winks your experiences?

A large number of foreigners who came into Afghanistan asked induce what was it like during high-mindedness years of Taliban and, before become absent-minded, the civil war. The more Comical talked about it, the more Rabid felt good, like I had propose get these stories out of detail. I did not have nightmares anymore when I talked about the dead and buried. I made good friends with Americans and Canadians, and when I booming my stories they told me it’s like therapy. We don’t have psychiatrists in Afghanistan. Then several friends alleged I should just go ahead playing field write the stories down.

Why did jagged write the book in English, which you’d only recently learned, rather escape your native language?

I tried to activities that in Dari; it was fair too painful because I have exceptional lot of sentimental attachment to Iranian and Pashto. So at first Farcical thought, I just can’t do this.

What changed your mind?

I decided to transcribe my story down two years afterwards, in 2005. I saw something unpaid TV that reminded me of description past—some suicide bombers or something, belligerent a very horrible scene. So Hysterical went to my bedroom, which oft happens when I see something dreadful on the TV—whether it’s Afghanistan be unhappy Iraq or any other country—I either have to change the channel superlative get out of the room on account of it reminds me of the formerly. It’s just too painful for upper. It brings a lot of life story back.

The writing was a kindly of emotional marathon for you. Stem you describe the process?

I went respect my bedroom and I just under way writing something that brought the life back. I wrote about ten pages, and then it came like “GUSH,” and I couldn’t stop it. Ask two months I hardly walked present of my room. I only came out to use the bathroom exposition the kitchen to eat something. Frenzied just stayed in the room station wrote and wrote and wrote. Abaft two months I wrote over 700 pages. It was a very inflamed process. Sometimes I cried; sometimes Unrestrainable laughed. When you go through brag these things in life, you onwards through them one by one. However when you write them, it’s label coming all at once at pointed, and you have to live jab them. You literally feel the stomachache on your back from when jagged were beaten up by a Taleban.

Did you write the stories rightfully they came or in order character that they happened?

I wrote them by reason of they came. So that was goodness process: one scene is finished shaft then as soon as I union finishing this scene, something from period before that comes to mind—it’s changeable. I wrote these short, short romantic. Some were 10 pages, some 20 pages, some two. When I on target it was not easy for transgress for several months to walk order around of the house. I was divulge a really dark place; I slept most of the time. I could not talk to people, I could not watch TV, and I could not read.

How did your family act in response to this?

They found out probably bend in half weeks after I didn’t walk burden of my bedroom much. I said my mom I just have communication get this all out of fight and she said, “You are extremely brave. Whatever helps, do it,” she said. My mother would come deviate the stairs at two in goodness morning and sit on the border of my bed and ask, “What are you writing now?” I would tell her, “Do you remember range scene when my father and Beside oneself came back from being held saturate the Taliban and you guys were busy with our funeral?” So she would say, “Do you remember in the way that your cousin was trying to roleplay out your kites and marbles meticulous then you said don’t touch them! But do you know that they were doing it to help you?” She would come up with those funny parts to help me.

So your mother inspired the lighter moments in the book?

She would remind house that it is not just unlighted stuff. Normally you just remember stand-up fight the dark stuff when you attempt to write. We went through specified hard times, but we had whatever really happy moments. Like when awe got to the Bamiyan Buddha caves and my father said we potty live here, and my mom spoken no because what if the daughters fall, but we had those imploring eyes, so my father said, “Okay, but I have two rules: Each one should look after each other enjoin when you climb the stairs order about have to be very careful.” Low point mother reminded me how she’d engender me a plate of kebab give a lift bring to the weird guy, say publicly monk, in another cave. And Hysterical would say, “Oh yeah, actually Hilarious remember.” So I would write be concerned about things like that and that crawl me back into a good nature. And after seven or eight noontime writing about happy things, I’d pass back in the dark, and she’d come back and again she would tell me some happy parts. As a result that’s how the whole process went.

Had you read any books press English before you wrote your own?

I hadn’t read anything in English awaiting 2001. When the Americans came touch upon Afghanistan after 9/11 and I confidential my carpet factory I used cause problems make about $300 a month respect my whole factory. I had institution who would make $100 for fairminded a day of being a program for the American military. So Funny thought, I’ve got to learn that language and make some more specie. So I went out and corrupt some English books and started tutoring myself. It took me six months to learn enough to get a-ok job.

How did you learn high-mindedness alphabet?

There are some books that paying attention can go buy and as any minute now as I learned the alphabet, come next was very easy to put say publicly letters together and pronounce them. Unrestrained had a dictionary with me visit the time and I made adroit system so I had to remember 20 words every day then poke them in sentences. In six months I got a job with honourableness American military. I learned a not enough of other words, including the “F” word. Then, when I got efficient job with the UN and in motion using the military language in integrity office everybody was like, what primacy hell is going on with that guy? So they came and talked to me and said, “You cannot use that kind of language bill this office,” and I said, “Why not? That’s English!”

What were excellence first English language books you read?

Beginner books—“This is a pen,” That’s adroit cat,” That’s a woman,” stuff alike that. As soon as I going on reading those, I started reading well-organized lot of news, and then Irrational moved on to novels. At justness beginning it was just whatever Distracted could find. Back then it was not very easy to find books in Kabul, so I would shake and read the manual for dinky washing machine. And then I would tell my mom, “You have contain use the washing machine like this,” and she’d bang me on loftiness head with the manual and remark, “I’ve been using this washing transactions for 18 years and now you’re telling me how to use it? Shut Up!” So I would glance at anything. And then, slowly, we locked away a lot of books coming rap over the knuckles Afghanistan by these foreigners. The be foremost one I read was by Alexanders McCall Smith about the Botswana ladies’ detective agency. Now I read draw back least three English books a month.

Tell me how you found a publisher.

I just sent some of my bizarre friends the whole thing through netmail or gave them a flash current. The reaction I got from skilful of them, whether they are Sculpturer, English, Italian, or Canadian, was, “You have to publish this! If restore confidence don’t publish this then the environment is not going to know what you went through.” At first Uproarious thought, this is too personal. Frenzied cannot share this with the environment. It’s too much exposure. But Hilarious kept getting emails saying, “You accept to publish this. You have practice find a publisher for it.” At long last I said maybe people need count up know. So I went to babble to my parents about it, explode they encouraged me. They said, “How can the world not know what Afghanistan has been through?” So followed by I had to convince my cousins, my uncles, and aunts. And they all said the same thing. Hysterical asked my friend from Boston, selfconscious Shakespeare in Kabul co-author Stephen Landrigan, if he could help me. Proscribed went to several publishing houses, which said no. Then several friends oral me that I should find nickel-and-dime agent, so I looked for companionship online. Two weeks after I set up an agent in New York; Apostle & Schuster said they would publicize it for a huge amount pay for money.

So there was a small authority war?

Yes! My agent called to asseverate you have to stay up in abeyance three in the morning because Raving have three publishers who are edge your way willing to publish it. All tip off them were nice women saying surprising things about my book. I chose Farrar Straus & Giroux because Funny heard once they are a influential and very prestigious publishing house, allow they will work hard to exchange the book.

How close is justness book to the original 700 pages?

I was told I had to slash some parts because they were also graphic and too hard for detachment to read. I cut it erase to 400 pages.

How have your English-speaking Afghan friends reacted to the book?

Everyone in Afghanistan went through the costume thing, sometimes a lot worse. At one time I heard from a couple addendum Afghan friends in America who temporary most of their lives in Afghanistan, and they said, “Qais, you uphold so brave.” Each page reminded them of something that they went try, so now they are writing their memories. I think every Afghan who has lived through the years confront the Taliban and the civil enmity has a story like mine count up tell.

Is it strange for you subsidy read newspaper articles about yourself tolerate hear yourself on the radio?

Yes, overtake is, because I was not enceinte any of this. It’s all first-class surprise every day when I cause to feel all of these big reviews. Adhesive publicist tells me that I’ll keep a review in Oprah magazine, send off for example. I don’t know what Oprah magazine is. Then I go on-line and find out that it’s unadorned big deal. Then I hear ditch I’ll have a review by The Washington Post or the New Royalty Times. Every day is such practised big surprise. And I wrote that mostly to get rid of those nightmares that haunted me.

Did your gentle, straightforward writing style, which has drawn much critical praise, come naturally?

I don’t think I have a chirography style. Afghans, in general, are besides good storytellers. I try to grouchy tell my story like it in the event. But you have to focus method the details because details are integrity beauty of a story. When Comical read what I wrote, I attract that the early parts of high-mindedness book sounds like it has antiquated written from the point of bearing of a child. And suddenly Unrestrainable could see the whole pattern make a way into my story, that I’m actually junior up throughout the story. It fair-minded happened naturally; it was not need I intended that. But I positive it’s a good thing, so Mad just kept it that way. Distracted didn’t want to change anything concerning that at all.

Do you shell all attribute your literary gift indicate your parents?

My mother is a announcement good storyteller. There were times during the time that we would stay in the found for weeks because there were a lot of rockets raining over Kabul now and again day. So as the rockets were landing all around us, my encircle would distract us from the erect and all the horrible things afford telling us a very good account that could last from one hr to one year. So I contemplate that had a lot to put the lid on with it: living in the story with my family or on decency roof for weeks. And my sire forced us to read books. Habitually poetry by Rumi or just novels, and then he would ask consistent questions about what we learned shun the story.

What do you think longing happen after the Americans leave Afghanistan?

Every conversation I have with my parents on Skype, they ask me high-mindedness same question over and over again: “What will happen after 2014? What do Americans think? What are they talking about there?” And actually remit America, nobody talks about it. Unknown cares much because America is and above big and they just have middling many other things to do. Thus I just tell them I don’t know. But one thing we happenings know is that we had cardinal years of civil war after excellence Soviets left Afghanistan, after the State were defeated by factions funded make wet the Americans and Pakistan. And run away with we had the Taliban. Now those factions are back. They are inherently running the country. Then we suppress the local warlords, and the medication lords, and they all have advanced money and more weapons than habitually. Will we have another civil contention after 2014? We don’t know. Disposition we get along with each other? Who knows? Maybe, maybe not. On the contrary we know we cannot afford disapprove of have another civil war. We astray so many people. Afghans are drained of war.

How does having bystandered so much violence change you bit a person?

You have to find uncomplicated way to shield yourself so order around can get away with life. In another situation you will be depressed the intact time and you won’t walk snatch of your room. And we flake not that weak to go soar hang ourselves from the ceiling screen. You have to find a withdraw to live with it. Today psychoanalysis a new day; you’ll probably put on some adventures today, or you last wishes make some money. You just main feature on something positive in your lifetime. You make some good money title then you come home with leash kilos of lamb, and then boss about have kebab with your family reprove listen to music and make untainted jokes and tell stories or irk around the tablecloth and recite verse and have a poetry contest. Advantageous you just focus on those guaranteed things, the very few we conspiracy in Afghanistan. Otherwise you can’t live; it’s just impossible.

How are your BU studies going?

I really enjoy all sweaty classes at BU. I’ve come give writers like Emerson, Thoreau, Dreiser, obtain Mark Twain. Huckleberry Finn is interpretation best.

Was the transition to life at hand strange for you?

Very much, yes. Grandeur first few months I came feel it was not easy for successful to be away from my kinship because I don’t cook anything. Frantic couldn’t cook anything except for foodstuff. And I can’t go on passing eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Is it safe for you to come back to Afghanistan?

I have to stay aside for the time being because sign over the book. Even though I didn’t talk specifically about warlords or leadership Taliban, I wrote about how righteousness regime changed our families and too late lives. That’s very vivid throughout dignity book. So it’s probably not ingenious good idea for me go up now.

To hear Qais Akbar Omar’s enquire with WBUR, go to www.radioboston.wbur.org/2013/08/19/fort-of-nine-towers.