Today we’d like to introduce you to M’Shai S. Dash.
Hi M’Shai, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a writer. I started off writing poetry and short stories in elementary school, where I won a few awards and got some things published through various academic channels. Then, I took a detour into songwriting, which I still do sometimes. My first love is fiction, though—speculative fiction. Also, art and music were always of high value in my home. My dad played tenor saxophone in a band called SunRa Arkestrah, and my mom played bass and keys with a few bands too. Whenever I wrote something, whether it was a story, poem, or song, they were always encouraging and supportive.
As far as my life outside of writing, there were a few hiccups as a teen. I got into a lot of trouble in school, ran away at one point, and had a son pretty young. Then I held several random jobs that were pretty different from one another. I was an English tutor and home health aide for a bit while finishing college after the birth of my son. Next, I waitressed at a barbecue place. After that, my next gig was communications assistant to a senior congresswoman. All the while I just kept writing until, no matter what shifted around me, I started to view my writing as my safe haven; my permanent home that always saved space for me. Now that I’ve reached a point where I write full time and it’s how I earn a living, I’m glad I viewed it that way.
After writing for a few online magazines, I found my tribe at blacksci-fi.com and began writing mostly for that outlet. Through my work with them, I found a community of Black creatives online and nestled myself in. Then, during the pandemic, I self-published a volume of poetry and wrote three manuscripts. Of those three, I’m querying publishers for two and self-publishing the third, which will be released this fall.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey hasn’t been smooth—especially throughout my young adult life—but what I’ve been through so far has provided me with so many experiences to pour into my writing. So really, I’m grateful for the struggles.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a writer and speaker, and most of my poetry and non-fiction examines the space I occupy as a Black, queer, Muslim woman. My debut collection, Quirky Black Sci-fi Tales, features stories that are centered on the empowerment, autonomy, and retribution I’d like Black women to experience in the real world, but set against a backdrop of preternatural or supernatural forces. Thematically, I’m pleased to say that aspect of it isn’t special; many Black authors have done that and will hopefully continue to do that. So, what’s most different about my work is my lens. I write Islamic spec-fic that incorporates my upbringing and religious traditions—swapping demons for jinn, and verses for surahs in many of those instances.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
I think my biggest risk so far has been my transparency. I’m outspoken about gender-based sexual violence, racial bias, and my own intersectionality, but I haven’t always been. I was raised in a Muslim family and there were times that I felt guilty about sharing so much of myself or telling certain kinds of stories. But honestly, every success I’ve enjoyed has been on the other side of a huge risk, so I’m starting to recognize that everything worth having is imbued with risk. Risks are stepping stones that lead me away from my comfort zone and through to the next challenge or adventure.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mshaidash.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/mmmshai
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelersdash
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MShaiDash
- Other: mshaisdash.medium.com
Image Credits: Francesca Andre/ Optik 21
