untethered autumn 🍂
plus the weekly R.E.P.O.R.T. and Q&A with author Iman Hariri-Kia
today marks one full month into autumn and exactly two months left until winter officially sets in for those of us in the northern hemisphere. the days feel shorter, the air has a certain chill to it, and the world feels increasingly unsettled. to say I’ve been showing up as less than my best self lately is an understatement. which got me thinking: what better time to institute a little something to combat creeping seasonal depression and general existential dread? (DRAMATIC?? me? never!). after listening to this episode of
’s podcast I was inspired to create my own spin on what Julia Mazur is calling “unattached autumn.”I’m deeming my version “untethered autumn.” and for me, it means I’m actively trying to sever the tether to things that aren’t bettering my state of mind or physical being.
let’s start with scrolling through mediocre men on dating apps. you know that app that’s “made to be deleted?” well, after far too long (on and off since 2016?) mindlessly matching, I did just that: I deleted it. but not for the reason they advertise. not because I found a perfect guy who has me ready to quit the apps for good. deleting it means erasing every single half-decent match and conversation I’ve had and in turn, wiping the slate clean. I’m taking a step back to fully focus on repairing some cracks in my own foundation as opposed to looking externally to be fulfilled. I’m not sure how long this season of life is going to last, but I do know that when things feel bleak, I often seek a distraction. instead, this time, I’m digging in my heels and taking care of myself first.
maybe you’re in a COMPLETELY different phase of life, and your version of untethered autumn simply means reading The Untethered Soul (I’m going to do that too!). or, maybe you’re going to begin untethering yourself from the expectations you place on others who often let you down. maybe you’re untethering from the compulsion to step on the scale every morning and measure your worth based on the number that stares back up at you. maybe you’re untethering from mindlessly scrolling Instagram/TikTok and instead are choosing to use that time to consciously consume news from a source you trust—or better yet, read a rom com!! there are so many different versions untethered autumn could take for you. if you too are looking for a shakeup, let me know as I’d love to support one another through this season.
R.E.P.O.R.T. on week of 10.15-10.21
okay, now on to what I spent my week reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, and recommending!
“R” is for reading
so I’m not going to talk about our WVBC book that we’re diving into on Wednesday considering I haven’t started it yet (!!), but will instead RAVE about one of the top three non-fiction books I’ve ever, ever read. about an hour ago, I finished Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect and am already plotting how to make everyone I know read this book. while it is focused on the hospitality industry and peppered with inspiring stories about Guidara’s journey alongside Daniel Humm to make Eleven Madison Park the best restaurant in the world, its lessons can apply to literally anyone. it’s about how to be so unreasonably hospitable in service of clients, the people you work with, and even your loved ones that you create magic for all who are in your orbit.
“E” is for eating
while this category typically prompts me to immediately recap a recent restaurant experience, instead I’m going to share a bit more about my current mantra: “there’s food at home.” no, not as sexy. no, not as fun. but I’m really in the mood to hibernate, spare my crying bank account (anyone else feeling the consequences of a *very fun* summer?), and nourish my body with homemade meals. the Saturday farmer’s market is such a source of comfort for me, and one of my picks yesterday was a massive head of purple cabbage. I had no idea what to actually do with it when I got home, but this NYT recipe for braised cabbage with apples hit the spot for cozy fall vibes.
“P” is for playing
well, I’ve most definitely been playing with my hair! on Friday, I chopped off a solid seven inches, leaving me with a bob. I haven’t had my hair this short since the summer I graduated college; this revelation mades me laugh because that was the last time I was feeling lost. chopping your hair off when you’re in a rut is literally the most clichéd thing a woman can do, but I’m so here for it. for any friends considering what my salon is calling the “fall chop,” GO. FOR. IT. it was never that serious.
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“O” is for obsessing
you saw this coming, but the Wegmans that just opened in Astor Place is my Roman Empire. since I moved away from western New York in 2016, it’s funny how Wegmans has managed to follow me! first, one opened in Montvale (NJ) directly across from my office at the time. then I moved to Manhattan, and one opened in Brooklyn. but finally, FINALLY, there is one accessible to me within walking distance! yesterday I frolicked through the newly opened store which is just under a mile from my apartment and it sparked pure joy. having this taste of home is just what I needed.
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“R” is for recommending
on the note of my Wegmans field trip, I’m thrilled to share that I was able to walk home with a ridiculous haul of groceries (the size of which was more appropriate for a family of four than a single woman), thanks to my new Hulken bag. their slogan is “schlepping is about to get much easier,” and honestly, it has since getting this bag! I have the large in silver, and it is a bit bulky, but so worth it. I had at least eight people come up to me in the store asking about it. wheeling her home was such a breeze. getting my haul up four flights of stairs? not so much.
“T” is for treating
I know I said I was eating at home, but like, not exclusively. I do need a modicum of serotonin, after all!! on that note, the maple syrup pie from Left Bank made an appearance on my Insta Stories this week because it truly is one of my favorite desserts of all time. I crave it all too often, and if you’re looking for a solid West Village restaurant, I think Left Bank checks every box, including their desserts. or, if you’re bopping around during the day and looking for more of a scone/muffin/donut/pie situation, stop by Kerber’s Farm on Bleecker. their apple cider donut has actual chunks of apple in it and their pumpkin scone is glazed with the most delicious cinnamon frosting!
meet Iman Hariri-Kia
Kayla Douglas: Iman, you were born and raised in NYC as a first-generation Iranian. How did that experience shape your upbringing and the lens through which you tell stories today?
Iman Hariri-Kia: Growing up as a first-generation citizen in NYC, I always felt caught between two different worlds. Not Middle Eastern enough to be considered fully Iranian, not Western enough to be considered fully American. I struggled to articulate the way I felt to my parents and instead sought solace between the pages of young adult novels and teen magazines. The protagonists of book series like Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries practically raised me, teaching me everything I needed to know about being an American teenager. I resolved to one day become a writer myself and hopefully provide the same amount of comfort to the next generation of fragmented children, giving back to a community that gave so much to me. But my protagonists would be first gen themselves, creating an opportunity for true representation that I yearned for in my youth.
KD: Your journalism career began in magazines before unveiling your debut novel, which was heavily inspired by your first-hand experience in digital media. At what point did you realize your day job was planting the seeds for a work of fiction?
IHK: In 2017, I was working at Teen Vogue when the team received news that the print magazine was folding at the height of the digital brand’s popularity. Within 24 hours, the entire staff was laid off in one brutal blow, and industry veterans packed up their desks. I was left with one question: What the hell happened?
The concept for A Hundred Other Girls was born that day, but I spent years ruminating on this narrative. There’s always been a global fascination with the “glamorous” world of New York Media, but I realized that there hadn’t been a truthful depiction of the industry since The Devil Wears Prada, which predated the Digital Media boom. As someone who has worked at every level, from intern to top editor, I wanted to draw a picture of publications struggling to survive, departments fighting each other for resources, and generational editors taking swings in the dark to remain relevant. This novel draws inspiration from my own personal experiences, that of my colleagues and friends, industry gossip, and news stories. But it wasn’t until I reached a place of disillusionment in my own career that I resolved to finally sit down and write Noora and Vinyl’s story.
KD: How did you approach applying discipline to your writing practice while balancing a full-time job and all the while, staying sane as you wrote, pitched, polished, and published A Hundred Other Girls?
IHK: I wrote, edited, queried, and published A Hundred Other Girls while working a full-time job as an editor and a part-time job as a freelance journalist. To keep from burning out, I relied heavily on structure and arbitrary deadlines, which I treated as mandatory. I researched similar books in my genre and learned that my novel should be about 300 pages and 80K words, give or take. I figured that meant taking my synopsis and splitting it into 30-32 chapters, 2,500-3,000 words each. If I wrote two chapters a week, I could be done with the first draft in three to four months. That looked like writing 5,000 words once a week, 2,500 words twice a week, or 1,000 words five days a week.
Like any job, I gave myself weekends off so that my brain had time to rest and reboot. I spent the periods in between daydreaming about my story and my characters, which I believe is just as fundamental to the process as hitting your word count. And you have to find a rhythm that works for you! I would look forward to writing 1,000 words before bed every night with a glass of wine, but I know people who write best first thing in the morning or in transit. In my opinion, the biggest challenge is forcing yourself to sit down and get that first draft onto the page, even if it’s full of plotholes. Writing is revising! So many people talk themselves out of penning novels because they don’t have it all figured out, but a messy manuscript is better than a perfect first paragraph.
KD: You're now a full-time author–many would envy this perceived flexibility, but I know you've worked incredibly hard to get to this point. What advice do you have for someone who wants to work for themselves?
IHK: If you have the privilege of choosing to work for yourself, my biggest piece of advice is to plan in advance. Save as much money as you can, set up a monthly budget, reach out to your contacts beforehand, and line up freelance opportunities and regular contributions. Preparation is key and the first six months will undoubtedly be the most challenging, as you’re filing invoices but receiving payments at a lag. Knowing this going in can save you from a lot of heartache. It took me many years to get to a place where I can write full-time, and I don’t know if I could do so comfortably without my debut’s success, the advance from my next two books, and all of the connections I’ve made over my last decade in media. I am not starting from ground zero.
Past the point of practicality, I’d encourage people to give themselves a grace period while they figure out a weekly schedule that works best for them, as well as a location where they can write most productively. Don’t forget to go for walks, drink water, read outside, and spend time with friends and family. When you work for yourself, it can be easy to say yes to every opportunity and overload your psyche. And remind yourself that you’re living the dream: You’re paying the rent with your words! Is there anything more magical than that?
KD: Fast forward, and your debut has been out in the world for a little over a year with your second novel, THE MOST FAMOUS GIRL IN THE WORLD, set for release in spring 2024. What do you know now that you wish you'd known in 2020 when you embarked on your author journey?
IHK: That success and accolades do not matter if you are not physically or mentally well enough to appreciate them. Ahead of the publication of my first novel, I was so caught up in the media coverage, sales reports, critical reviews, and other arbitrary markers of prestige that I lost all sense of relativity. After an unexpected death in the family, my anxiety spiked and clouded the tail end of my book tour. Instead of experiencing a sense of accomplishment that I’d managed to write and publish my book, my brain immediately jumped to the next challenge. The imposter syndrome felt debilitating. And I knew I couldn’t go on like that forever. If you had asked me two years ago what my career goals looked like, I would have rattled off bestseller lists and Emmy-winning adaptations. Today, my only career goal is to continue writing meaningful stories for an audience that is eager to read them while maintaining my health and happiness. One cannot exist without the other.
KD: Your main character in AHOG helped many readers broaden their perspectives on the all-too-homogeneous protagonists they are numbed to reading. Will your sophomore novel similarly showcase a main character with a multi-layered identity?
IHK: I am really excited that my next two books also feature first-generation Iranian American female protagonists, but that their personalities, families, and relationships to their identity are completely different from Noora’s. The Middle Eastern American experience does not exist in a monolith. Marginalized people contain multitudes and do not have a one-size-fits-all, easily packaged understanding of their personhood. Most of us are trying to figure it out, little by little, day by day.
I also think that women of color in fiction are still, more often than not, rarely given the space to be complex and unpleasant on the page in the same way as their white counterparts. I am proud that the protagonist of my sophomore novel, while messy and morally gray, is provided with the opportunity to make peace with all of the past, present, and future iterations of herself.
KD: Before you were a published author, you were using #BookTok to source book recs. How has your relationship with the platform evolved now that you're connecting with your own readers and other authors on TT?
IHK: When I first joined BookTok, I was just a silent observer, following creators and sourcing book recommendations. A total fangirl! It wasn’t until I sold A Hundred Other Girls that I worked up the courage to start making my own videos documenting the process. I have been consistently blown away by the love and support the community has shown me. At my book launch, I looked into the audience and saw so many faces that I recognized from my FYP. It truly brought me to tears. Now that I’m working on my second book, I’m sharing all of the information that I’ve gleaned about Publishing with my followers in a series of videos about “de-gatekeeping” the industry. The first time around, I had no idea what I was doing. Now, I am in a unique position to help others to the best of my abilities, especially marginalized aspiring authors.
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KD: Saying you're a voracious reader doesn't quite cover it–you read more books in a month than many read in a year! Tell us about the most recent work of fiction that left you with a book hangover.
IHK: I truly believe that reading so much, inside and outside of my genre, consistently makes me a better writer, thinker, and storyteller. So far, I’ve read 127 books this year. The last novel that truly undid me was Yulin Kuang’s upcoming debut, How To End A Love Story. If you’re a first-generation American and/or an eldest daughter, this book is going to destroy you, then politely patch you back up. If you saw me ugly crying on the subway, no you didn’t.
KD: What book is on your TBR that you're most excited to pick up?
IHK: I just picked up You Again, Kate Goldbeck’s debut, and am so excited to read it! Not only for the fall vibes but because I’m a huge Nora Ephron fan (I Feel Bad About My Neck is one of my all-time favorites) and I’ve seen this novel described as a contemporary When Harry Met Sally retelling with queer characters. I can’t wait to dive in.
KD: The Sunday Series was conceptualized as a love letter to my favorite day of the week. If we were with you in the Lower East Side on Sunday, where would you take us to spend the afternoon?
IHK: I lived on the LES for three years, so I feel particularly equipped to answer this question! First, we’ll start our day off by going for a run across the Williamsburg Bridge, which has amazing views of both the Empire State and the Freedom Tower. On our way back, we’ll pick up overpriced bagels from Black Seed, which we’ll then eat in Elizabeth Street Garden while reading and people-watching. In the afternoon, we’ll wander over to Orchard Street and check out the new exhibit at Perrotin Gallery. Feeling inspired, we’ll then make our way down to the Happy Medium art cafe, stopping to window shop along the way to create something of our own. Then we’ll put our name down at Kiki’s, get to-go cocktails, and a snack from Forgetmenot, which we’ll drink by the east river as the sun sets while we wait. After dinner, we’ll stop by Cafe Skye on Clinton St., which my friends Cam and Caitlin opened during the pandemic, for a nightcap. Don’t forget to bring your favorite paperback.
KD: Your Substack, Cherry Picked, is a coming-of-age newsletter for girls who are still growing up. Aside from staying in touch with you there, where else can readers connect with you?
IHK: Subscribing to
is a great way to get book news and updates, my weekly Current State Of The Union (à la Massie Block from The Clique), and my monthly coming-of-age essays, but you can also find me on Instagram and TikTok @imanharirikia. If you’re interested in reading more of my writing, you can find selected clippings on www.Imanharirikia.com. And feel free to DM me — I’d love to say hi :)