Pramila Venkateswaran presents Two Poems
A poet and sage voice in international literature, Pramila Venkateswaran straddles two worlds, bringing together South Asia and America.
Pakistan
Four poems from Modern Poetry of Pakistan
The first anthology of its kind to appear in English, "Modern Poetry of Pakistan" brings together many poetic traditions indigenous to Pakistan.
Waqas Khwaja—Two Poems from No One Waits for the Train
The poetry of Waqas Khwaja captures in image, narrative voice, and personal memory the terrible beauty of an innocence now lost.
“Made to Measure”—fiction from Farah Ahamed
Sarah realizes that gatekeepers come in all shapes and forms — over the radio, at the end of an email, in government and the person right next to us...
“Drinking Tea at Lahore Chai Masters”—a story by Farah Ahamed
When Mehreen and Asma compare notes, they realize they are still not unfettered lovers.
A Debut Novel, Between Two Moons, is set in “Arabland” Brooklyn
Novelist R.P. Finch reviews the debut novel of Aisha Abdel Gawad, set in the "Arabland" of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
The Markaz Review Interview—Ayad Akhtar
A Pultizer winner for his play "Disgraced," Ayad Akhtar is the current President of PEN America and author of the novel "Homeland Elegies."
Faces Hidden in the Dust by Ghalib—Two Ghazals
Tony Barnstone and Bilal Shaw present their book of Ghabib ghazals, translated from the Urdu.
On a Poem by Imtiaz Dharker—From Poetry Unbound
A word from Pádraig O. Tuama, poet-editor of the new anthology "Poetry Unbound, 50 Poems to Open Your World."
My Lebanese Landlord, Lebanese Bankdits, and German Racism
Racism props up its ugly head from every quarter, but Tariq Mehmood refuses to be deterred.
The Promotion (a short story from Saudi Arabia)
What happens when an immigrant professor dresses to impress in a bid to land tenure at a Saudi university? A short story by Waqar Ahmed paints a humorous picture.
Refugees Detained in Thessonaliki’s Diavata Camp Await Asylum
In which our columnist flies up to Thessaloniki and visits the Diavata camp for refugees seeking European asylum — no one is illegal, everyone merits a better life.
“Pakistani Bureaucrats & The Booze Permit”—a story by Tariq Mehmood
Novelist and filmmaker Tariq Mehmood weaves a tale of wasta, women and booze in Rawalpindi.
Allah and the American Dream
Rayyan Al-Shawaf reviews The Bad Muslim Discount, the second novel from Syed Masood, but isn't sure he likes its happy ending.
Poet in Pakistan: the Flamboyant Carolyn Kizer
Biographer Marian Janssen reveals the big, brash, blonde feminist writer and poet Carolyn Kizer, who fascinated and shocked Pakistanis—and introduced the ghazal to America.