Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Today's interview is an examination of

control or lack thereof. It's with the authors ahead Rafiq, who is a writer and journalist living in

Kashmir, a geographical region that has multiple countries fighting over it. Rafiq's got a new

short story collection called The World with its mouth open,

and he spoke with NPR's Eric Degens about purposefully not knowing the endings to his stories,

otherwise he can't even start writing.

And they start to draw parallels between that style of writing of going out into the creative darkness with no map and living somewhere

where the future is uncertain.

That's ahead.

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods.

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

In a new short story collection titled The World with Its Mouth open, characters live very precarious yet ordinary lives in modern-day Kashmir.

It's an area in the Indian subcontinent that's seen decades of conflict between India, Pakistan, and China.

A pregnant woman goes in search of fresh fish for dinner.

An unemployed son looks for a job during a downpour.

A shopkeeper tries to return a new mannequin that looks like it's in mourning.

A work crew digging a foundation unearths a severed hand.

It's a powerful collection of tales, and Zahad, Rafiq, a journalist-turned-author, is here to talk about it.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for having me, Eric.

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