With her debut short story collection, author Aaliyah Bilal explores the rich and diverse experiences of Black American Muslims.
“Temple Folk” considers the reasons her characters were drawn to their religion — and delves into the cultural and social dynamics of this community, from moments of humor and friendship to ones of tension and sorrow.
“I know that I'm writing about a community that not many Americans are familiar with, but at the same time, one that's integral to understanding the African American experience,” Bilal told Aspen Public Radio.
The book is one of five finalists for this year’s Aspen Words Literary Prize, which recognizes works of fiction with a social impact.
But Bilal says the reception has been mixed so far, because some readers have bristled at the way she humanizes her characters — some of whom have radical ideas about how they will achieve freedom through their faith.
“I think the observations of “Temple Folk,” some day, will be obvious and tame, … but I think it's going to take a lot longer for “Temple Folk” to find its way into the hearts of the American people,” Bilal said.
Reporter Kaya Williams spoke to Bilal about her work for this series of interviews with Literary Prize finalists. This conversation has been edited and condensed.
It's really not just a triumph of imagination, but it's a triumph of the spirit over despair.Aaliyah Bilal, on the writing process for her short story collection “Temple Folk”
Kaya Williams: You have made it to the shortlist of the Aspen Words Literary Prize this year for your book, “Temple Folk.” When you got the news, first of all that you were just nominated and then had made it to the finalist stage, how did you feel?
Aaliyah Bilal: When I learned that I had become a finalist, I was bewildered, I must say, because I was certain I was not going to make it to the finalist list. In publishing “Temple Folk,” I was incredibly proud of my effort, and certain that I had done something of great importance to me. But I had no hopes or expectations that anybody would receive this work and see its virtues.
I have learned throughout the process that readers want different things from books. And so I've been heartened by the reception. But also, I'm very aware that it's the kind of book that elicits a variety of emotions from readers. And so I accept and welcome the celebration where I find it.
Williams: One of the things that has struck me while I've been reading this book is both the intensity, the depth of emotion, but also the breadth of what you are exploring in this book. There is everything from grief to anger, to passion and desires to escape and find yourself. As you were writing these short stories, how did that feel emotionally? Did you find yourself kind of embodying the feelings of your characters?
Bilal: Honestly, no, that's not how I feel when I'm writing fiction. I'm not embodying the characters. I'm trying to provide a view of the character where he or she or they have a very clear moment of insight into themselves — where their own nature has been obscured or they've intentionally obscured their own nature from themselves.
And so I'm not inhabiting the personality in any way. I'm just trying to create a person that feels believable, and then put them in situations where they're having to learn new things about themselves and the world in which they live.
Williams: And given these accolades, has that felt validating at all?
Bilal: Oh, it's felt extremely validating, especially given the very unusual trajectory of this book, as it's made its way into the world. The months and years preceding the publication were very traumatic years in my life personally. And the work was the only place that I felt I could go to, to have any kind of relief. I would have a few hours each day where I was able to really immerse myself in something beautiful and serious and delightful even. And it just gave me a momentary relief at this time of deep suffering in my life.
So the validation, it feels not only great in terms of the recognition of “Temple Folk” as a work of American literature, but also validating in terms of the way that we can overcome personal difficulties by pouring our emotion into something beautiful. I don't think that that works in all cases. There are some kinds of suffering that cannot be remedied in that way. But in my own case, it was very, very useful for me to not indulge in any negativity, but to just channel everything I was feeling into the work. And I think that's part of the strength of “Temple Folk.” It's really not just a triumph of imagination, but it's a triumph of the spirit over despair.
Williams: It's a very beautiful way of putting it. Now, what do you hope that readers take away from this book?
Bilal: What I hope is that the book humanizes a population of Americans that we are encouraged to dislike and distrust, because of the ways that we presume they hate us. I hope that this book provides a little bit more context for all kinds of Black nationalist communities that exist, and understanding that people do not arrive at these radical ideas just for fun — that in many instances, they feel pushed into these spaces, because these are the only spaces that you can feel validating of Black life.
I also hope that people can look at this book and see themselves and just sympathize with these characters and ask themselves if they were put into these positions, what would they do? And that's really the only thing that I can hope.
And in these troublesome times, I just think that, as a practice, it’s just so essential for the survival of humanity — empathy, the practice of empathy through literature.
Interviews with several other Aspen Words Literary Prize finalists will be broadcast on Aspen Public Radio and archived online in the lead-up to the awards ceremony on April 25. There is a watch party for the ceremony at the Pitkin County Library at 4:30 p.m. Aspen Public Radio will record the event, and broadcast it at 8 p.m. the same night.
