Olive Saraf
Writing Portfolio
Portfolio of Work
Pause
Pause (the image to the left) is a painting by Jenny Saville, done in 2002. I discovered it when, in the eleventh grade, I got the opportunity to complete a college-level thesis project. I composed a project in which I chose three different paintings, researched them, and wrote short stories based off of their subjects. This painting ended up being my main inspiration for this story, a story influenced by the pandemic, and slightly by my obsession with the classic horror movie, A Quiet Place. I experimented with a longer prose form to create the piece you will read here about a woman who battles within the confines of her environment, only to end up in the crippled, frail position the painting depicts her in.
My Little Russian Doll
This is a piece I wrote for a creative writing summer intensive I did at Columbia University. This particular assignment was to write a piece of short prose -- quite vague. This made it difficult for me to start writing the piece, considering the broad nature of the task. I simply sat in my bed staring at my computer until around midnight the night before it was due. I had no sudden inspiration or idea in mind, I just had the urge at that time to start writing. Suddenly, this piece with no boundaries, this piece of short prose turned into one of my favorites I've ever written, about two characters who need each other, yet never meet.
People Watching
People Watching is a piece I wrote for a Creative Nonfiction class I took in my Senior year of high school. The prompt was to write about New York, specifically focusing on place and setting. Immediately when I think of New York, I think of the wide range of people that occupy the city. The place I felt most connected to these people was the subway. Having lived in this strange and enticing city all of my life, I have gone on many subway rides. In this piece, I have documented a specific ride I used to take once every week from my therapists office to my apartment. I have illustrated my acute instincts and observations while sitting in this steel vessel for only five minutes.
Cigarettes & Lollipops
Cigarettes and Lollipops is a piece I wrote my first semester in college. Partially inspired by true events, the story follows the semi-maternal relationship between a young woman and her wacky upstairs neighbor. The protagonist leads a secluded, melancholy existence in Manhattan as she navigates a world without her deceased mother. Eventually, she encounters a quirky middle-aged woman, inspired by my own upstairs neighbor, who gives her much needed companionship and helps her to discover a new appreciation for life.
Nylon, Leather, and Dirt
Nylon, Leather, and Dirt is my most recent piece of writing. It came from a prompt I got in my creative nonfiction workshop this semester: write about something only you know. Another super vague prompt, and one for a personal narrative at that. What I came up with was a story about grief, which is perhaps one of the most common experiences; however, my perspective on grief in this story comes from a position of seclusion and guilt. I chose to write about a recent family tragedy that highlights my unique experience with grieving someone I barely knew, only someone with whom I shared blood.
Poetry
Here is a collection of my favorite works poetry I've written. The poems in this collection range from various forms, including sonnets, triolets, prose poetry, and free verse. Most of them I wrote for various creative writing or poetry courses, but others were written on my personal time.
