Soraya [dot] Press is an independent, proudly human-powered publication created by me, Soraya Nadia McDonald, a journalist and critic in Brooklyn, New York. I’ve been a journalist for 20 years, covering film, television, theatre, politics, fashion, art, books, and sports. For most of my career, I was lucky enough to enjoy the stability of full-time employment. No more. My beloved industry is suffering from historic decline, contraction, and outright destruction. It’s damn near impossible to make a living freelancing for legacy publications—I’ve tried! But I’m tough, resilient, and stubborn–and I was all of those things before surviving breast cancer.
I love experiencing, thinking, and talking about art in all its forms. I believe it’s vital to human flourishing, to making and sustaining meaningful connections to others and to oneself. Free artistic expression, like journalism, is under attack precisely because it's essential to the functioning and health of democracy. So I’m continuing my work as a culture journalist and critic right here at Soraya [dot] Press. I maintain complete editorial independence, and I do not accept gifts or paid junkets in exchange for coverage.
This publication is sustained by paid memberships. If you are an educator, a student, or need a pay-what-you-can membership, please email me! I got you. It’s my pleasure and my privilege to be accountable to you, dear reader, so thank you!