Immigrant Strong: August 2023
A debut novel on queerness, addiction, and trauma
I was on vacation this month and since traveling with a kid doesn’t lend itself to much reading time (at least not my kid!) this will be a very quick version of the newsletter. I haven’t had time to curate essays and interviews, but wanted to share one book I did get to—All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky. The debut novel was a fun and interesting read, touching on topics such as toxic relationships, addiction and recovery, and inter-generational immigrant trauma. I loved Madievsky’s sharp prose and sense of humor, and related to many of her references about life as a child of immigrants.
I spent most of my vacation in my hometown of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is always so hard for me to leave Dubrovnik. It is a magical place, and one that tourists and celebrities flock to from all over the world. To me, it’s of course so much more—it’s my only chance all year to see my aunt, uncle, and other relatives, grab coffee or drinks with friends I’ve known since kindergarten, and swim in the azure waters of the Adriatic, which was my backyard growing up. This year, I also got to stop by one of my friends' art exhibition openings, attend a concert in the stunning Rectors Palace, and watch my daughter spend hours in the sea — her hair turning a few shades lighter, like mine did when I lived there. I hope you all get to enjoy what’s left of the summer, and I’ll be back with a full version of the newsletter next month.
Thanks for reading—and I’ll leave you with a few pictures from Dubrovnik,
Vesna
About this newsletter: Writing about immigrant and refugee life—the struggles, triumphs, and quirks—by immigrants and refugees, and children of immigrants and refugees. For more info, here is a Q&A I did with Longreads about the newsletter. Photo in the logo: Miguel Bruna/Unsplash.
About me: I grew up in the former Yugoslavia, then immigrated to Canada, and now live in the United States, where I work as a writer and communications consultant for nonprofits focusing on human rights and social justice. I have written about my immigrant experience for The New York Times, Catapult, Pigeon Pages, the Washington Post and the New York Daily News. In 2021, I attended Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing conference as a parent-fellow, and participated in the Tin House Summer Workshop. Find me on twitter, @vesnajaksic; Instagram, @vesnajaksiclowe; or my website, www.vesnajaksic.com.