Two institutions have come under the radar recently for allowing their platform to spout bigotry; both apologized, and in their inner circles professed that the core consensus was to give everyone a forum to vent out their inner feelings. However … Continue reading Building Inclusive Safe Spaces: my brown dream
The painting above is a depiction of Shakespeare’s Ophelia from Hamlet. The haunting scene describes how Ophelia, driven out of her mind when her father is murdered by her lover Hamlet, falls into a stream and drowns: There, on the pendent … Continue reading Thinking About the Floating Dead
“The liar often suffers from amnesia. Amnesia is the silence of the unconscious.” (Rich, Adrienne. Arts Of The Possible: Essays and Conversations. 32) Cadavers are Useful Things Vultures in wake Shoulders tense Crouching Hovering Pecking Gawk, squawk Peck, peck, peck … Continue reading Liars, Cadavers and Vultures
Saturday, January 10, 2015, I was to be in Paris for the day to meet poet and translator Marilyn Hacker. I had many questions about her experience with the ghazal and ghazal poets; she was generous enough to offer her … Continue reading Paris in the rain
The Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies had their research day conference on 26th May 2014 in Amsterdam. The day was titled – Doing Gender in the Netherlands: Feminism in Transition (Activism, Institutions and Canons). I was there to present … Continue reading The walls of the room I am building
“I know you are reading this poem late, before leaving your office of the one intense yellow lamp-spot and the darkening window in the lassitude of a building faded to quiet long after rush-hour. I know you are reading this … Continue reading “Dedications”
In my deep moments of losing and finding myself in a ghazal (right now I am reading: “Red Ghazal”) I find my mind turning to songs I’ve heard. Sometimes I can find a direct connect between the two e.g. reading … Continue reading The dots I can’t connect
