Philip Marsden

feature We are our stories: When nothing else makes sense in Lebanon "Lav es?" («Լա՞ւ ես» | "Are you all right?") It’s a simple question in Armenian that requires an unequivocally simple answer: “Lav em,” («Լաւ եմ» | "I am all right") even if you have hit rock bottom. Following the catastrophic explosion that tore apart the Beirut port and its surrounding areas, I received dozens of messages and e-mails with anxious inquiries. One particular “Lav es?” in the subject line touched me to the core, triggering a mix of thoughts and feelings, making it hard to respond right away. The words carried me back and forth and I realized I was writing a story instead.