Anesce Dremen is a writer, educator, and public speaker often found with a tea cup in hand, traveling between the US, China, and India. She ran away and became estranged from her abusive family to pursue education as a first generation low income college student. Anesce has been supported by Fulbright, the Critical Language Scholarship, and Gilman Scholarship. Her work has been published or forthcoming in Longreads, Business Insider, Stillhouse Press, Gordon Square Review, Tea Journey, and Flora Fiction. She has been interviewed by The New York Times, DAME Magazine, ProFellow, and The Independent. She is a MFA student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she’s working on her debut memoir.
While working in international education, I lived in Beijing, New York City, and Philadelphia. I decided to leave everything to become a nomadic writer. My first visit to India was unexpectedly extended into 22 months. Stranded in a hostel during the pandemic, I transformed this crisis into a cherished opportunity.
writing dreams a reality
I grew up drinking sweet tea in tall, transparent glasses in rural North Carolina. Twirling tea bags through monstrous amounts of sugar, I had no idea what my future would entail: that education would allow me to escape my abusive family. I pursued college as a low income, first generation college student. I legally changed my name. This allowed me to find safety among strangers. Through the support of government scholarships, my dream of living in China came true as I studied in four cities. By the time I experienced a traditional tea ceremony featuring pu’er from 700 year old trees, I knew that I would do anything to continue living in Asia.
During the pandemic, I wrote and edited drafts of my memoir, performed original work in literary festivals, completed six collaborations, amassed over 340 subscribers to my monthly newsletter, became a contributing writer for tea magazines, and became the international coordinator of a writing collective. All while living on a shoestring budget.
I am building a life out of what I love most: writing, traveling, learning, listening to stories, and collaborating with creative souls. Living in Asia for 5 years has allowed me to find home in the most unexpected of places. I am now pursuing my Master in Fine Arts – Creative Writing degree at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas where I am working on my debut memoir. I invite you to grab a cup of tea and follow my adventures.
Photographs courtesy of collaborations with Balvinder Singh.
Anesce Dremen 