Eastern Connecticut State University’s Raouf Mama, professor of English, and Afair Rahmanifar, professor of art and art history, have collaborated on a new e-book, “Quiet Miracles.” Quiet Miracles is a collection of five short stories written by Mama with illustrations by Rahmanifar.
On March 30 in Eastern’s Student Center Theatre, the two professors came together to host a reading for the Eastern community. Students, faculty and staff listened to Mama read excerpts from the new book.
“His stories were inspirational and powerful,” said senior Brianna Faustini. “I was truly moved by what he read – I was engaged the entire time. The stories were personal, heartfelt stories representing tragedy and redemption. After listening to Professor Mama speak, it made me want to buy and read the entire book!”
Mama read from the book for about 15 minutes, capturing the audience’s attention through the personal stories. “I really am pleased with our collaborative results,” said Rahmanifar. “It was a truly rewarding experience to work together. It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of it.”
Rahmanifar then explained her thought process for the illustrations. “I wanted the illustrations to have as many interpretations as possible,” she said. “After taking a long, in-depth look at the short stories and reading them multiple times, I was moved by the creative and magical elements of the story. I started to imagine myself as part of the story and within the characters themselves. This allowed me to easily connect and illustrate his short stories.”
