Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)

by Daniel Nayeri

Here is a list of the foods from Iran that they have never heard of here: All of it. All the food.

Suddenly evil isn’t punching people or even hating them. Suddenly it’s all that stuff you’ve left undone. All the kindness you could have given. All the excuses you gave instead. Imagine that for a minute. Imagine what it means.

It’s beautiful. How badly we all want love. It’s tragic. How bad we are at searching for it.

Love is empty without justice. Justice is cruel without love.

Sam thinks maybe all the sad parts of the adventure will come untrue, now that this one has. And the beautiful part is that they do.

“Good thing you told me, cause I would have done it otherwise.”

Reading is the act of listening and speaking at the same time, with someone you’ve never met, but love. Even if you hate them, it’s a loving thing to do.