Two personal stories from Iran that have been weighing on me.

One friend had just become an American citizen and flew home to visit family—only days before the bombings. She and her loved ones are safe for now, but she’s caught between two countries and an uncertain path back to her new life.

Another friend is an acting student—fearless, queer, and at risk daily for simply existing with short hair in public. I first met her through a powerful Zoom audition (a searing “Medea” monologue). She’s now creating a film about a transgender punk artist in Iran. In the midst of bombings and relocation to a northern village, she keeps making art—because for her, art is a survival skill.

This conversation is about courage, identity, and the way creativity helps us endure. If these stories resonate, please share, comment, and support artists working under threat.

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