Meet Elan Barnehama

We recently connected with Elan Barnehama and have shared our conversation below.

Elan , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

From my parents who passed on their heritage of the gloom of war and the promise of peace. They exhibited the kind of self-assurance that comes from having survived and the mistrust of having had to. And yet they were focused on moving forward and doing stuff rather than hanging on to bitterness.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Elan Barnehama has published two novels: Escape Route and Finding Bluefield. His short story collection, Broken Hallelujah, is forthcoming in 2026 from Poets Wear Prada. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Gooseberry Pie. ParisLitUp, Synchronized Chaos, 10×10 Flash Fiction, Boog City, Drunk Monkeys, Rough Cut Press, Boston Accent, Red Fez, Syncopation Lit, HuffPost, public radio, and more. At different times, Elan served as the flash fiction editor at Forth Magazine LA, a radio news reporter, and was a mediocre short-order cook. More @ https://elanbarnehama.com

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Don’t say no to yourself – there are enough other folks who will do that.
Don’t let missed opportunities derail you – just keep moving forward. It’s the only option.
Rely on your friends.

My advice it to not fear failure – in fact embrace it and see it as an opportunity to learn.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

On the Road, Jack Kerouac
Maybe not the greatest book written, but it was authentic. And it embraced spontaneously and friendship. Rejected the status quo. And gave voice to the outcasts.

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