life rattle show no. 1349

Presented on saturday, August 15, 2015

hosted by laurie kallis

featuring

"Swim"
"Crush"
and
"Mama"
by Beshaier Hamde

tonight's Show

On tonight's program we feature three stories from new Life Rattle writer Beshaier Hamde.

Beshaier Hamde was born in 1995 in Saudi Arabia. However, her family hails from Eritrea, located in the Horn of Africa. Beshaier is the second youngest of four children. The family immigrated to Canada when she was three and settled in Toronto. At seven, the family moved to Mississauga. Beshaier’s grade-eight and grade-twelve English teachers had a big influence on her. They were the first to tell her that she wrote well and encouraged her to write more often. Her older sister, Saffa, is also supportive of her writing. Beshaier’s hobbies include reading, writing, collecting notebooks and photography. Beshaier Hamde currently studies biology and professional writing at university and hopes to pursue a career in the medical field.

In the three stories presented on tonight’s program, Beshaier demonstrates how writing sparely can result in stories with unexpected resonance. Her prose brings us into the world of a child, a university student and a daughter, with an elegant simplicity that allows the reader, or listener, the psychic space to experience alongside the narrator.

"Swim" introduces us to our narrator, a young girl who, at her first swimming lesson, boldly takes the plunge into the beautiful blue pool. You will feel the burn of the chlorine right along with her as she sputters and splashes.

In "Crush" years have passed since our narrator took that plunge into the beautiful blue pool. Now she is taking a plunge into university life, and calculus. At her first lecture, a dashing young man charms her with his desire to correctly pronounce her unique name. His unexpected attention brings a flush to her cheeks that we can almost feel in our own face.

"Mama" focuses on three generations of women, each overwhelmed with love and concern for the suffering of their mothers, and the sense of responsibility that comes with that love.