In this episode of Cutting Chai Stories with Jayati Vora, I speak with my friend Amadou Diallo, a journalist and fiction writer whose work has appeared in media outlets such as the New York Times and the PBS Newshour. In another life, he has also had careers as both a musician and a fine art photographer. A few months ago, a short story he wrote, "The Countdown," was published by the Times' Sunday Review (read it here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/03/opinion/amadou-diallo-the-countdown.html). He shares a great tip for how to write sci-fi without getting overwhelmed; he explains why he loves Raymond Carver; and his writing prompt is so delicious I'm dying to share it here. But I won't, because Amadou says so many other things I want you to listen to! 

Here's his list of fave authors: Raymond Carver; James McBride; and Charles Johnson. Check them out!

And remember--if you feel inspired to write a short story based on our prompt, do send it to me at cuttingchaistories AT gmail DOT com. I love hearing from you!