@journalism
The Trade
@journalism · 2:23

In Conversation with Monique El-Faizy

article image placeholderMonique El-Faizy
It's always such a thrill to follow writers who kind of traverse this incredible human landscape in terms of being available to us and being able to look at the range of feelings, emotions and facts that they're required to juggle when they report on a piece. And this is why I'm excited about being in in in in in in in in in in in conversation with Monique Elfaizy

Paris-based journalist, NYT, Wash Post, many more - https://www.moniqueelfaizy.com/bio We’re digging in to her craft and her life @MoniqueElfaizy

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@MoniqueElfaizy
Monique El-Faizy
@MoniqueElfaizy · 2:00

Checking in.

Hi, Deborah. Thanks so much for having me. And for that lovely introduction. And yes, you're saying my name correctly, Alphazi. So how am I? I'm good. It's night time here in Pardes, and the pandemic makes me feel even more cut off from my friends and family in the US than I normally do. But I'm also grateful to be here
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:03

Thoughts before sleeping

I'm taking a deep breath and listening to you because you're right. I mean, there's something so unifying. We're all sort of in the same place for the first time ever, in my recollection all over the world, we're having the same conversation, albeit we're very tired of that conversation. But we all are
@MoniqueElfaizy
Monique El-Faizy
@MoniqueElfaizy · 2:58

What I want to write about

And what we're seeing in some places is the far right working hand in hand with the far left, the extreme fringe of both groups. And I'm curious to see when to look into what that may mean for the next round of elections, because there is some sense that the radical left may vote with the radical right, the far right. And that could have very dramatic consequences here
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:03

Me too + you

So really nothing. You think about nothing when you go to bed? No. Wow. This is amazing. I want to go into talking about the Arab Spring for a second, but I think first I want to jump to another question. First, you mentioned the me to move in, being experienced differently in America and in France
@MoniqueElfaizy
Monique El-Faizy
@MoniqueElfaizy · 4:56

Owning our own stories.

And it was sort of brushed off as a puritanical American overreaction having said that, it did start a conversation, and it created a safe space for other people to come forward and have these kinds of conversations. And there have been more and more women, not just women, but women coming forward and talking about abuses of power and things like that
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 2:01

Talking in the shadows

But when you drop into these conversations and you do this reporting, you show that you're able to handle the whole conversation, not just the news part, but the implications of these stories coming out in print so that women can talk about this openly, what has changed for you, what's going on for you in terms of conversations?
@MoniqueElfaizy
Monique El-Faizy
@MoniqueElfaizy · 3:51

Sexuality in the Arab world.

So they have that French openness. And I think that I can speak a bit to Tunisia because my young husband is Tunisian, and so I have a little bit of a window on it through him. And people in Tunisia are not waiting for marriage to have sex. There is a lot of premarital sex. There's a fair amount of promiscuity. There's also a really robust trade in hymen restoration
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@DBPardes
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 2:38

Your voice inspiring voices @MoniqueElfaizy @Upod

I asked you earlier about topics you want to cover, but you come so far as a great writer and as someone who is respected and you get really interesting gigs and then you go ahead and you do your own stuff like Modern Love. Can you talk about your trajectory forward and some of the ideas you have for yourself and also some inspiring words to those people who are on the path, maybe a little bit behind you who are looking for some words of inspiration and advice
@MoniqueElfaizy
Monique El-Faizy
@MoniqueElfaizy · 4:46

Finding community and amplifying women’s voices.

I see people who have specialties, and I think that's probably a good thing in this world to be and in this day and age to be sort of known as the person on something. And for some people, that's just the way you write a story. People have a certain approach to storytelling or a certain style for other people. That is a topic. But I think that I don't have a strong enough identity as a journalist
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@Upod
David Hochman
@Upod · 0:48
So really grateful to have this moment, to take a walk in Covet battered La and listen to the two of you from two ends of the world, have a really meaningful conversation with depth and heart and really liked it. And also, thanks for the You Pod shout out
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