
ABOUT
Laura
In 2021, I graduated with an MFA degree in Creative Writing from the Rainier Writing Workshop, a three-year low-residency MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. In that program, I completed two manuscripts tied to my exploration into how my grandmother and her two sisters survived the Armenian Genocide. My critical paper explores how authors write into silence, the private silence of untold stories and the public silence of suppressed stories. In my creative thesis, a hybrid memoir, family photographs, primary documents, and historical fact intersect with memories and speculation to create a personal story within the larger public archive.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Matilda’s Silence: The Search For My Armenian Family’s Story
My grandmother Matilda Haigazn survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, which took one and a half million Armenian lives, men, women, and children. Matilda rarely spoke of her experiences and the family she left behind in Turkey. Not knowing what happened has always haunted me. This manuscript is my investigative journey to find my extended family and their story, including the historical context in which their lives took place.
Blog
A Day in My Life
I wrote an essay for Big Table Press for their This Year: 2025 project, which they describe as “building a living time capsule or a conversational archive or a collection of days.” When I signed up earlier this year, the roster of writers was full and I was on the...
Covid: Final Update?
[Due to my website being offline while it was being redesigned, this update was previously posted only on Substack and Facebook.] Days 14 – 17 May 3-5 After the rebound of Covid symptoms for forty-eight hours, those symptoms again subsided. On day 17, I saw my doctor...
Covid Update: Misery Loves Company
[Due to my website being offline while it was being redesigned, this update was previously posted only on Substack and Facebook.] Thank you to everyone who responded with your Covid stories. I’m sorry you suffered, and for those still suffering, and I’m also comforted...