What we leave when we leave Lebanon

I’m leaving Lebanon. Not for good — I’m not ready to make that decision yet. But last summer, when I couldn’t even imagine how complete our disaster would become, I applied to a literature fellowship in Europe. Two and a half fully funded months in a cabin by a lake, with the foundation paying for the return plane ticket as well. The idea of such fellowships is to have a stretch of uninterrupted time in which to work on your own writing project, without worrying about having to make an income or stressing about everyday things. It’s like a fairy godmother that plucks you out of your real life and places you in the ideal conditions for creativity and concentration.

My acceptance — which I received two weeks after the Aug. 4, 2020, port explosion — couldn’t have come...
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