Podcast Summary: "Mai Serhan, 'I Can Imagine It for Us: A Palestinian Daughter's Memoir'"
New Books Network | Host: Turun Mende | Guest: Mai Serhan
Date: February 21, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Turun Mende interviews Mai Serhan, author of I Can Imagine It for Us: A Palestinian Daughter's Memoir. The conversation delves into the personal and collective experiences that inspired Serhan’s genre-defying memoir. Through vivid readings and reflective commentary, Serhan discusses the interplay between personal family history, Palestinian diasporic consciousness, the craft of genre-bending memoir, and the emotional complexities of releasing such an intimate story into the world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Book and Narrative Style

[01:29–06:20]

• Fragmented Narrative: Serhan reads passages from her memoir, demonstrating its nonlinear, multi-country structure.
• Family and Setting: Excerpts span Cairo (1984), family summers in Lima Sol (1990), and her father's relentless business life in China (2000), capturing both the joys and tensions of diasporic family life.
  • Notable quote:
    “My mother, Nermeen, and I are Ahli supporters ... Baba, though, he's at it again, being a renegade, rooting for Zamalek just because we huddle before our tv like millions around the country, and the air is charged...” – Serhan [03:02]
  • Memorable moment:
    Serhan movingly depicts a family conflict after a football match, blending domestic detail with social commentary.

2. Why Memoir? Personal Experience and Collective Story

[06:20–08:51]

• Turning the Personal into the Public: Serhan’s initial impulse was to preserve family stories, but she increasingly recognized their resonance with broader issues of Palestinian diaspora and displacement.
  • Quote:
    "I started to realize that this story, as personal as it is, it also gestures towards a wider Palestinianness... turning the private into public." – Serhan [07:27]
• Epic Scope: She noted the story’s dramatic arc and felt an urgent need to write it, especially during her creative writing studies at Oxford.

3. On the Title and the Notion of "Home"

[08:51–10:37]

• Imagination as Agency: The title reflects Serhan’s longing for a homeland she has never seen and her act of imaginative reclamation.
  • Quote:
    “Even if you will not allow me to see it, I can still turn it into this most gorgeous and most anchored and safest and most specific place. At least on the page.” – Serhan [09:59]
• Collective Invitation: The title also extends an invitation to the wider Palestinian collective to reimagine and reclaim.

4. Influence of Other Writers & Genre-Bending Approach

[10:37–15:08]

• Genre as Construct: Serhan was inspired by Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous—specifically, its refusal to conform to genre conventions.
• Intentional Unsettling: The book’s form mirrors the unsettled nature of the Palestinian diaspora.
  • Quote:
    “Creativity, for me, is a way of inhabiting spaces of unknowing and originality defies this idea of convention and the boundaries of genre.” – Serhan [12:41]
• Interdisciplinary Technique: She drew upon skills from academia, screenwriting, poetry, and essay writing, adjusting style and pacing as needed.

5. Writing Process & Family Involvement

[15:37–17:56]

• Solitary Creation: The manuscript’s initial draft was a solitary project, unfiltered by family opinions. Only in later stages did Serhan seek permissions, notably from her sister, who is a writer and activist.
  • Quote:
    “With the writing itself, it was a very solitary process. ... a space of complete freedom and letting go.” – Serhan [16:17]
• Emotional Toll: Her sister’s approval was crucial due to the personal nature of the content.

6. Reception and Ownership

[17:56–23:25]

• Public vs. Private: The transition from private manuscript to public artifact was anxiety-inducing. Early reviews (including a likely AI-generated misinterpretation) were distressing, but real reader engagement has been positive and enriching.
  • Quote:
    “I panicked ... my sense of ownership over my story. I had no control over it anymore.” – Serhan [19:48]
• Sharing Leads to Connection: The memoir invites readers to share their own stories, breaking down emotional barriers.

7. Memoir Versus Diary Writing

[23:25–26:04]

• Crafted Literature: Serhan rejects the notion that memoir is akin to journaling. Her book is a literary memoir, deliberately structured for dramatic and narrative effect.
  • Quote:
    “It's very far from being a diary entry... this is a literary memoir, which means there are a lot of considerations: you have a narrative arc... linguistic invention... the atmospherics.” – Serhan [24:54]

8. Advice for Writers

[26:04–30:04]

• Read Across Genres: Exposure to academic writing, copywriting, poetry, and screenwriting enriched her craft and versatility.
• Craft First, Publishing Second: Passion and mastery should precede concerns about finding publishers.
  • Quote:
    “Once you are in command of your craft and you know what to use when and to what end, and you read as much as you can across genres, that's all extremely helpful.” – Serhan [28:18]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On genre-bending:
  “Genre is a construct, just like gender is a construct ... the Palestinian experience does not fit into these Western molds. So it had to break free. And through that breaking free, gain its own freedom, you know, and own its own voice.” [12:43]
• On reader response:
  “With time, it becomes easier and I can intellectualize the book ... The guards go down with this book, which is something I really appreciate.” [22:40]
• On being read:
  “This book is a celebration of the family legacy and it's an attempt to forgive and reconcile and to understand.” [20:36]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Reading from the Memoir: 01:29–06:20
• Rationale for Memoir and Public Narrative: 06:20–08:51
• Title and Notion of “Home”: 08:51–10:37
• Genre and Literary Influences: 10:37–15:08
• Family Involvement: 15:37–17:56
• Book’s Reception, Audience Engagement: 17:56–23:25
• Memoir vs. Diary Writing: 23:25–26:04
• Advice to Writers: 26:04–30:04

Tone & Language

The discussion is intimate, reflective, and candid in tone, blending literary insight with emotional honesty. Serhan speaks eloquently about both craft and feeling, while the host facilitates with thoughtful and open-ended questions.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive understanding of Mai Serhan’s interview and her memoir’s thematic and literary richness.