How would you describe yourself as an artist?

I’m originally from the Philly suburbs. After almost a decade of living abroad after college, I came to live in Queens in 2011, where both of my parents grew up. I’ve been in Jackson Heights for six years.

I’m an accidental memoirist. When I was living in India, I dabbled in fiction, writing mostly short stories. But I also had a blog that covered a range of topics, from gender and feminism to wellness and spirituality. When I came back to the U.S. I was compelled to write about my experiences in India, mostly to make sense of them. That’s when I found QCA grantee Nancy Agabian’s workshops, which led me to pursue an MFA in creative nonfiction at the New School in 2014. I’m still working on the memoir manuscript that I submitted as my thesis.

I have rarely felt like a “real” writer or artist because my practice has taken a back seat to things like paid work and family responsibilities. But whenever I stray too far from my creative work, it persistently nags me until I return to it. Especially as a mother, while my time may be even more limited now, my desire to leave a legacy for my daughter has grown.



How would you describe your artwork, past and present?

Through humor, pointillist detail and compassion for an earlier self as well as abusive family members, my work serves to document the messy process of personal growth and transformation. My intention is to demonstrate the difficult yet rewarding work of healing. I’m working primarily on a coming-of-age memoir about meeting my Indian husband and the five years we spent living in India in our early twenties. This story explores many themes: gender and feminism, family traumas, culture, colonialism, belonging, well-being and spirituality. My message is ultimately one of hope, love and resilience that I hope will resonate with readers.

How would you describe your experiences as an Artist Peer Circle participant?

I absolutely love this program! As someone who needs a lot of accountability and support in my writing process, the peer circle has been invaluable. I did it for the first time just as I was finishing my MFA and the timing was perfect to help me stay focused. Then this year I discovered that I could participate again, which again came at a great time since I had been looking for something to keep me going.

What's something that you've learned about yourself and your practice in the Artist Peer Circle program?

I thrive when I am held accountable for my goals, and when I can share my challenges (and successes) in a supportive environment. It’s very hard for me to maintain focus and motivation if I’m isolated in my creative practice, which unfortunately can happen often if the demands of my work and family life take over. Being a writer may be solitary work, but being part of a community has so many benefits. I’m indebted to QCA!





What do you think artists in your community need the most?

I know many writers and visual artists in Jackson Heights. The needs range from affordable space to create, to grants to cover the high expenses of living in the city. Thankfully we have several supportive venues for sharing our work, though there could certainly be more.

What are you doing to cope during this time of self-isolation?

As a mom of a toddler, this period has been particularly difficult. Spending whatever time I can outside, taking walks or playing, has helped a lot. And I’ve done quite a bit of escaping into Netflix. I’ve recently attended a couple of online readings which were also great.

What is something that has happened in your work or career that you are proud of?

Queens-based Newtown Literary was the first to publish my work, and they invited me to do a reading at the Queens Museum. That was a wonderful milestone.

And a piece of mine called “Under the Cedars of Parc Perdrix” won a bronze award in the Eleventh Annual Travelers’ Tales Solas Awards for best travel writing, in the Love Story category. The piece about meeting my future husband evolved over several years and comes at the beginning of my memoir manuscript.

Are you working on anything artistic right now? If so, what?

I’ve been submitting excerpts of the work as personal essays. I wrote a short story, which was different for me--I needed a change. And I am getting a chapter ready to share with a few readers for feedback.

You can follow Becky on Twitter at @bexband.