babakl

SOUTH is officially out in the US today! Thanks to everyone who has supported and read the book so far.

💢 Strikes on Iranian pharmaceutical facilities constitute war crimes under international law, independent experts told Deutsche Welle Persian, as evidence emerges of a healthcare collapse across the country. Iran’s deputy health minister said approximately 24 pharmaceutical and medical facilities have sustained partial or total damage since the war began. Tofigh Daru, Iran’s largest producer of cancer drugs, anesthetics, and surgical medications, was completely destroyed on March 31. ▪️ A cancer patient told the Iranian newspaper Sharg they approached the MAHAK cancer charity for basic post-chemotherapy medication and were told: “We don’t have any either” ▪️ Non-emergency surgeries are being postponed due to anesthesia shortages ▪️ In some Tehran neighborhoods, a single doctor is seeing 200 to 300 patients per day Human rights physicians Hasan Nayeb-Hashem and Hamid Hemmatpour, both based in Austria, told DW the strikes fall “outside all legal frameworks of war.” Israel has claimed Tofigh Daru supplied chemicals to a Revolutionary Guard weapons program — an assertion Nayeb-Hashem flatly rejected.

US‑Israeli strikes have hit the century‑old Pasteur Institute in Tehran, causing extensive damage, according to Iran’s Health Ministry. 🔴LIVE updates: aje.news/1jg6hu

By letting Israel decide how the war should be run, Trump has made the US complicit in bombings of orphanages. Yes, you read that right. The US and Israel are bombing orphanages in Iran.

On last night's list of Isreali targets was a major Iranian biopharmaceutical company focusing on therapeutic categories like oncology, cardivascular and narcotics. Tofigh was a high tech R&D hub not just a manufacturer. The damage is a huge blow to Iran's scientific endeavours.

One day everyone will pretend that they have been against this

@jordan_castro2 Congrats!

Brooklyn SQUIMBOP BOOK LAUNCH Sept 24 at @UnnameableB with @vol1brooklyn editor Toby Carroll! @SouthwestReview

My book DAD HAD A BAD DAY has a cover! Available May 19, 2026 astrapublishinghouse.com/product/dad-ha…

@joshuahebburn A lot of cool things was happening in it, but I liked it less than what I had expected

@babakl How did you like Geometric Novel?

Latest reads

You're invited! NOON 25th Anniversary Celebration, September 3 at @Salmagundi hosted the the Coffee House Club—RSVP recommended eventbrite.com/e/noon-25th-an…

This is the four year anniversary of this podcast. Huge thanks to all who have been guests and everyone who supports and listens to BTZ.

“Because I've been wallowing too long. And now, in a stranger's apartment, happiness reveals itself to be an obese cat, and a woman from Alsace.” Read new fiction by Steve Anwyll (@oneloveasshole) on R&R: relegationbooks.com/article/leo/

Daydreamers is out in the world now. "A story of immigration, brilliantly inflected with undercurrents both noir and comic.” —Susan Daitch "Daydreamers kind of sinks in slowly. Then it becomes absorbing in a way that doesn't let up." —Stacey Levine Cover concept by @iLLepitaph

Best living writers of fiction in English

@Greg_Gerke Honoured to be in such company!

Excited to host another apartment reading on July 20th (Toronto). DM if you’d like to be added to the guest list.

Coming from Rose Books in 2026: FIGHTS!, the new Scott McClanahan novel. This one's going to knock you out.

@NazaninHajizade @dellzhinn بمیرم 💔

@dellzhinn قیافه‌ی بچه‌م، لونا، رو باید موقع شنیدن صدای انفجارها ببینی... خیلی می‌ترسه.

برای من نوشته تو اگه سال ۱۹۴۳ آلمان بودی، عضو حزب نازی می‌شدی... کم آوردم دیگه... دارم مطمئن می‌شم که قراره بعد از این، بیشتر از قبل به‌شکلی داوطلبانه منزوی بشم.