Yes, she’s excited about journalism
: More than a year ago, the teen Iranian-American blogger at Blue Bird Escape returned to her homeland and wrote about it in her blog in a series of truly remarkable posts that showed without varnish her reaction to the life of women — the life that would have been hers — in Iran. I linked to her frequently then for I was wowed by her talent, insight, and honesty. When her brother, an Iranian journalist, came to the U.S. on vacation from Europe, he arranged for us to meet: him, his blogging sister, and their parents, for a delightful lunch. I said then that I hoped she would chose to write; there’s no doubt she has the voice.
Today, I wandered back to her blog and found this:
USA Today is an amazing place. It’s where everything happens, the news you see on television happens right in front of you. Our journalism staff got to visit it today, including me. I can’t explain the rush of excitement I felt as I walked around. Looking at reporters’ desks that were piled up with paper and their computers ready for their stories made me want to sit and start working right away. I’ve had the dream of being a journalist for a long time. It just sounds like such an exciting and thrilling job. I feel like I’ve accomplished something just by knowing what I want to be.
It makes me happy that she’s considering writing. It also makes me happy that such a smart and talented young person is considering journalism, is excited about journalism. At a time when we ink-pixel-stained wretches are getting considerable grief on both content and business sides, it’s a relief to see that the future of the trade will be in good hands. And her advantage: By the time she gets into the business, she’ll already have been writing for a public for years.