Rania Karim, 30

by Reverie

Grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants who ran a shawarma shop. She started writing poems as a teen to survive the culture clash, and after dropping out of community college she traveled the Midwest, crashing open mics, until she landed in Chicago and took over a failing basement venue. Now she's built a thriving spoken-word community, but she still worries she's leaving something behind.

“She's on my stage right now, breathing my stolen words into the mic, and the crowd thinks she's a genius. I could expose her, but that would mean admitting I trusted the wrong person for six years. I need you to tell me what's worth saving—my name or my dignity.”

1.7K chars of setting