Aminah Mae Safi

Aminah Mae Safi is an author and Affiliate Faculty member at Antioch University Los Angeles' MFA in Creative Writing Program. With a background in Islamic Art History (University of Chicago, Master's) and Art History (University of Southern California, Bachelor's), her work bridges academic rigor with contemporary storytelling.

• Educational Background
  • University of Chicago – Master’s in Islamic Art History (Medieval and Modern/Early 20th century)
  • University of Southern California – Bachelor’s in Art History, minor in French

Safi’s writing focuses on Young Adult Fiction with themes of LGBTQ+ identity, cultural representation, and personal growth. Her novels like Tell Me How You Really Feel (2019) and Travelers Along the Way (2023) explore these topics through modern settings and historical remixes. Academic trends in her work include queer narratives, female-centric friendships, and critiques of societal expectations.

Scientific and literary accolades:

• We Need Diverse Books Young Adult Short Story Award (2018)
• Junior Library Guild Selections (2018, 2019)
• Indie Next Pick (2019)
• Autostraddle Best Book of 2019

Her teaching philosophy emphasizes critical evaluation, constructive feedback, and balancing structural awareness with creative rule-breaking. She has contributed essays to platforms like Salon and Pub Crawl, discussing writing techniques and cultural representation.