POETRY & PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTIONS

Written, curated, and independently published by me! All my books are limited print to preserve intention in a world of excess. My most recent collection is SEPARATEBUTEQUAL released on 3.01.2025.

34% OFF EVERYTHING FOR MY BIRTHDAY MONTH 🎉

My love for books started when I was a kid, with the scholastic book fairs and the accelerated reader program at my elementary school. My mom took notice and started taking me to Borders - I'd hideout between the shelves, while she enjoyed her Starbucks. It was pure heaven.

Bookstores have always been the birthplace for so much of my imagination and inspiration. Yes, I sell my books here on my website, but I also work my butt off to get my books in bookstores where they can reach people who also want to be inspired by aesthetically pleasing shelves of books. Please keep shopping in person, because bookstores are vital to our communities.

My books can be found in the following handpicked bookstores:

Los Angeles, CA

Sunny's Bookshop (Tarzana)

Village Well (Culver City)

Hennessey+Ingalls (DTLA)

Chevalier's Books (Larchmont Village)

Barnes & Noble (Studio City)

The Pop-Hop Books Co-op (Highland Park)

San Diego, CA

Libelula Books & Co

OUT OF PRINT

Click to read my personal farewell to the books out of print.

FILMS

I'm an actor, writer, and producer, with plans to get behind the camera some day.

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE (2025)

BAD MOM (2023)

MERIT x ZOE (2022)

RELATIONSHIP KILLERS (2022)

MILE 19 (2022)

HEAVEN & HELL (PILOT PITCH)

EVENTS

No upcoming events, but scroll below to browse photos and videos from previous events.

MIC Unplugged Presented by BLK OPS Foundation	02/28/2026	Hollywood Legion Post 43	Los Angeles	recap
DTLA Art Night with Assia Lau'ren	10/02/2025	Bohemian House of Espresso + Chai	Los Angeles
Artist-in-Residence	06/19/2025	The Pop-Hop Books Co-op	Los Angeles	recap
Indie Bookstore Marketplace	04/26/2025	Chevalier's Bookstore	Los Angeles
Artist-in-Residence	04/05/2025	Hennessey + Ingalls Art & Architecture Bookstore	Los Angeles
Book Signing Meet & Greet	03/09/2025	Village Well Bookstore	Los Angeles
SEPARATEBUTEQUAL Photography Collection Release	03/01/2025	Gallery Exhibit	Los Angeles	recap
Black History Showcase	02/27/2025	San Diego Miramar College	San Diego	watch
Poet Interview - Meet & Greet	12/21/2024	Sunny's Bookshop	Los Angeles	recap
SAN DIEGO STORIES by Francois Bereaud	11/02/2024	The Pop-Hop Books Co-op	Los Angeles	watch

SCROLL →

3.20.2026

I'm currently writing my next poetry book, so check your member dashboard to watch my most recent writing update. I talk about my writing process, the book format, and I give yall a lil sneak peak that may even include me reading one of the poems 👀

If you're not a member but want access to my process, book pre-orders, merch drops, the newsletter, and more - join here - it's free.

All Love,

Assia

BORN IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

☉ ARIES ☽ SCORPIO ↑ LEO

2026 RETROGRADES

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA

GROWING UP I WAS A BUSY KID, SUPER SERIOUS ABOUT LIFE, AND IN A RUSH TO BE AN ADULT.

I DID TAP AND JAZZ DANCE, AAU AND VARSITY BASKETBALL, TRACK AND FIELD, CROSS COUNTRY, AND SOMEHOW LATIN TOO. ALL OF IT IN A TOWN SO WHITE MY NEIGHBORHOOD WAS CALLED "STONEWALL ESTATES" AND I LIVED ON STONEWALL LANE PLUS THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UP THE STREET WAS NAMED "ROBERT E. LEE" - TALK ABOUT PROUD CONFEDERATE TOWN.

THIS UPBRINGING LED ME TO ATTEND AN HBCU WHERE I GOT TO EMBRACE MY BLACKNESS WITH COMFORT INSTEAD OF COMPLIANCE.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

WASHINGTON, D.C.

I INITIALLY STARTED WITH A MAJOR IN MARKETING

MY JUNIOR YEAR I CHANGED MY MAJOR TO FINANCE

I LOVE NUMBERS AND MONEY

I WENT ON A FULL-RIDE ARMY R.O.T.C. SCHOLARSHIP

IN 2014 I COMMISSIONED ACTIVE DUTY

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE

BRANCH DETAIL - FIELD ARTILLERY

THE MILITARY OPENED COMBAT ARMS TO WOMEN IN MARCH 2014

I BECAME PART OF THE FIRST COHORT OF WOMEN IN COMBAT ARMS

U.S. ARMY OFFICER

ACTIVE DUTY

2014

GRADUATED FIELD ARTILLERY BASIC OFFICER LEADERSHIP SCHOOL - FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA

GRADUATED AIRBORNE SCHOOL - FORT BENNING, GEORGIA

MOVED TO GERMANY

A/4-319 AFAR, 173RD IBCT(A)

2015

FIRST DEPLOYMENT & PROMOTED TO FIRST LIEUTENANT

2016

MOVED TO ITALY

A/1-503IN, 173RD IBCT(A)

2017

GRADUATED FROM JUMPMASTER SCHOOL

2018

BACK IN AMERICA

COMPLETED MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CAPTAINS CAREER COURSE - FORT HUACHUCA, ARIZONA

PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN

MOVED TO COLORADO

10TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP

TRIED TO START NESTING:

. BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE

. RESCUED MY FURBABY, HER NAME IS NIKE

2019

SECOND DEPLOYMENT

THOUGHT I'D BE STAYING STATESIDE LONGER BUT NOPE :(

2020:

LEFT THE ARMY AS A CAPTAIN

LOS ANGELES, CA

2020

MOVED TO LOS ANGELES TO START ACTING IN FEBRUARY

COVID-19 SMACKED THE WORLD IN MARCH

BOOKED THREE ACTING JOBS - FILMED TWO OF THEM

. RELATIONSHIP KILLERS

. MILE 19

. HEAVEN & HELL

2021

FORMED MY LLC - OFFICIAL ARTIST BUSINESS SHIT

FILMED RELATIONSHIP KILLERS - AND CAME ON AS A PRODUCER

BOUGHT MY SECOND HOME WITH PLANS TO MAKE LA HOME

STARTED CURATING MY POEMS AND PROSE FROM OVER THE YEARS INTO A BOOK

BOOKED MY FOURTH ACTING JOB - TO FILM IN 2022

2022

I TURNED 30 THIS YEAR AND THAT FELT PRETTY EPIC

RELEASED MY FIRST POETRY BOOK I AM NOT A POET

FILMED MERIT X ZOE

FESTIVAL CIRCUIT + PRESS TOUR FOR RELATIONSHIP KILLERS + MERIT X ZOE

MILE 19 RELEASED ON AMAZON AND PEACOCK

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BAD MOM WITH AN ALL-FEMALE CREW

WROTE AND EDITED MY NEXT POETRY BOOK

CURATED AND EDITED MY FIRST PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK

STARTED WRITING MY FIRST SCREENPLAY BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

2023

RELEASED EXCLUSIVITY AND DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 2020

TOOK A 30-DAY SABBATICAL IN PARIS, FRANCE

FILMED WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP

FILMED MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE

JOINED SAG

118-DAY SAG STRIKE

2024

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE PREMIERED AT SXSW

RELEASED DESERT DREAMING

2025

THEY SAY 33 IS YOUR JESUS YEAR

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE WAS RELEASED IN THEATERS ON FEB.28

RELEASED SEPARATEBUTEQUAL ON MAR.1

LIFE-CHANGING BREAKUP THAT OPENED ME UP TO MYSELF

STARTED TRAUMA THERAPY - CPT & EMDR

2026

LOADING

THE END.