The Fossil Record Shows
that I write my first poem at the age of six for my newborn brother. I remember rhyming “lad” with “dad.” Mercifully, I remember little else about it. Legend has it that my parents sink to their knees, wailing "what have we done?" since it is their feeding me a constant diet of books and encouragement that has given me an insatiable appetite for the written word. They are wholly responsible.
Under the Influence
of rock 'n' roll and heavy chords, I produce a horrific wealth of angst-y anthems in my teens and early 20s. This body of work has since received a proper cremation. Deepening my understanding of Urdu, British and American poetry matures my craft. Along the way, I get an MBA from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad (1998) and after I move to the US, a Masters in English from the University of Rochester, NY (2007). Meliora!
In 2012, I Screw Up
my courage and start submitting to literary journals. My work has appeared in Grey Sparrow Journal, Willow Springs, The Aleph Review, Alabama Literary Review, Forge, and other publications. My poems are also published by the Pakistan Academy of Letters. I begin the rewarding and terrifying endeavor of compiling my first poetry collection, Stones Hold Water, forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in 2022.
Long Story, Short
Pakistani-American, born in Islamabad, living in Indiana. Sun-worshipper, time-traveler, have epiphanies at 4:27 am. Believe in sucking out all the marrow of life. Wife, and mother of two. Fan of the oxford comma. Convinced writing is a bloodsport.
Bragging rights: Guinness World Record for running in the Khunjerab Pass Marathon 2019, highest altitude road race in the world.