Alicia Erian (born 1967) is an American novelist. She was born to an Egyptian father and American mother of Polish descent. She received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in English from

Binghamton University The State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University or SUNY Binghamton) is a public university, public research university with campuses in Binghamton, New York, Binghamton, Vestal, New York, Vestal, and Johnson City, New Yor ...

and a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

in writing from Vermont College. A writer of short stories, some of her work has appeared in '' Zoetrope: All Story'' and the ''

Iowa Review ''The Iowa Review'' is an American literary magazine that publishes fiction, poetry, essays, and reviews. History and profile Founded in 1970, ''Iowa Review'' is issued three times a year, during the months of April, August, and December. Origin ...

''. She has published one collection of short stories and one novel. Erian lived in Brooklyn, New York, for a time with ex-husband David Franklin, but now lives in Massachusetts, where she taught creative writing at Wellesley College (2004–2008). She has worked as a film director and screenwriter, and has also attracted interest from

Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and thr ...

' production company, American Girl Films, as well as

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...

Works

Erian's first published work was a collection of short stories titled ''The Brutal Language of Love'', published in 2001. Each story features a female protagonist. ''The Brutal Language of Love'' tells heartbreaking tales of love and sex, and dilemmas caused by the intertwining of the two. Alicia Erian's 2005 novel, '' Towelhead'' is a coming of age story about a thirteen-year-old girl named Jasira, who is sent from her Euro-American mother's home in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

to live with her Lebanese father in Houston, Texas. ''Towelhead'' has been adapted into a film written and directed by Alan Ball, starring

Summer Bishil Summer Yasmine Bishil (born July 17, 1988) is an American actress. She first came to prominence starring as Jasira in the 2007 film '' Towelhead'', for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Over the followi ...

Aaron Eckhart Aaron Edward Eckhart (born March 12, 1968) is an American actor. Born in Cupertino, California, Eckhart moved to the United Kingdom at an early age. He began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Australia for his hi ...

Toni Collette Toni Collette Galafassi (born Toni Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, includ ...

Maria Bello Maria Elena Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress and writer. Her film roles include ''Permanent Midnight'' (1998), ''Payback (1999 film), Payback'' (1999), ''Coyote Ugly (film), Coyote Ugly'' (2000), ''The Cooler'' (2003), ''A Hist ...

, and

Peter Macdissi Peter Macdissi (Arabic: بيتر مقدسي ; born May 14, 1974 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a Lebanese actor and producer. His filmography consists mostly of television work, most notably playing recurring character Olivier Castro-Staal on Alan Ball' ...

. In 2008, Alicia Erian wrote the screenplay for the short film ''Hammer and Anvil'', which was developed at the Sundance Institute's 2008 January Screenwriters Lab. ''Hammer and Anvil'' is directed by

Michael Greif Michael Greif (born ca. 1959 in Brooklyn, New YorkWelsh, Anne Marie, "New York and family call Michael Greif home", ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', October 10, 1999, p.E-1) is an American stage director. He has won three Obie Award, Obie Awards a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erian, Alicia 1967 births 21st-century American novelists Living people Writers from Syracuse, New York Vermont College of Fine Arts alumni Wellesley College faculty American women short story writers American people of Polish descent American women novelists 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American short story writers Binghamton University alumni Novelists from New York (state) Novelists from Massachusetts American writers of Egyptian descent American women academics