Join South Asia Institute and Glass Lyre Press for a special book launch and reading of "Nur Melange: A Ghazal Anthology."
The event will feature readings of ghazals written in English by distinguished contemporary poets including Dina Elenbogen, Ruth Goring, Samina Hadi-Tabassum, Allison Joseph, Laura A. Ring, Dipika Mukherjee, and Vivek Sharma, who has contributed to the anthology.
This is a free event. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Event Details:
WHEN: Saturday, July 6 (3:00 pm onwards; Doors open at 2:30 pm)
WHERE: 1925 S.Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60616 (South Asia Institute)
About the book:
Nur Melange: A Ghazal Anthology showcases the versatility of the exotic poetry form known as the ghazal. Originating as rhyming couplets from centuries ago, ghazals now take on various forms with exuberance. This anthology contains ghazals written in English by some of the most compelling poets writing today as they represent a dazzling array of aesthetic sensibilities and themes. From climate change to current conflicts around the world, these poets tackle various topics with passion and sensitivity, demonstrating the possibilities of the ghazal form. The ghazals in Nur Melange explore the complexities of the human condition and offer profound insights for the reader. With Nusra Qureshi’s stunning artwork on the cover, this book of evocative ghazals is a must-have for poetry lovers everywhere.
Readers Bios
Laura A. Ring is the author of Field Notes Recovered from the Expedition to Devil’s Peak, winner of the 2020 Foster-Stahl chapbook competition. Her poems have appeared in Tupelo Quarterly, RHINO, and Stirring, among other places. Laura holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, where she serves as the Librarian in charge of the Southern Asia collection. Her ethnography Zenana: Everyday Peace in a Karachi Apartment Building was published by Indiana University Press.
Ruth Goring's poetry collections are Soap Is Political (Glass Lyre Press, 2015) and Yellow Doors (WordFarm, 2003); her next collection, The Authority of Hunger, will release in 2025 (Fernwood). Dearworthy: Little Meditations on Julian of Norwich, with Ruth's own botanical art, is forthcoming in 2024 from Anamchara Books. Ruth also writes and illustrates children's picture books.
Dina Elenbogen is author of the poetry collections, Apples of the Earth, and Shore and the memoir, Drawn from Water:. She’s received fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council and the Ragdale Foundation. Her work has appeared in anthologies and magazines including Fury:, City of the Big shoulders, Beyond Lament, Lit Hub, Bellevue Literary Review, Brevity, Prairie Schooner, december, Woven Tale Press, Cimmaron Review, Patterson Literary Review, Connecticut River Review, New City Chicago and other venues. She has an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and teaches creative writing at the University of Chicago Writer’s Studio. You can find her at www.dinaelenbogen.com
Vivek Sharma’s first book of verse, The Saga of a Crumpled Piece of Paper (Writers Workshop, Calcutta, 2009), was shortlisted for the Muse India Young Writer Award 2011. His work in English appears in Atlanta Review, Bateau, Poetry, The Cortland Review, and Muse India, among others, while his Hindi articles and verses appear in Divya Himachal (Hindi newspaper, India), Himachal Mitra and Argala. Vivek grew up in Himachal Pradesh (Himalayas, India) and moved to the United States in 2001. Vivek is a Pushcart-nominated poet, is published as a scientist, and lives and teaches chemical engineering in Chicago.
Samina Hadi-Tabassum was born in Hyderabad, India and immigrated to Chicago with her family in the early 1970s. Her first book of poems, Muslim Melancholia (2017), was published by Red Mountain Press. She has published poems in the Journal of Postcolonial Literature, Papercuts, The Waggle, Indian Review, Mosaic, Main Street Rag, Pilgrimage, riksha, Clockhouse, The Canopy Review, Tin House and Souvenir. Her poems were performed on stage in 2017 as a part of the Kundiman Foundation and Emotive Fruition event focusing on Asian American poetry. She is a professor at Erikson Institute in Chicago and teaches courses on language development. Her doctorate is from Columbia University in Anthropology and Education.
Dipika Mukherjee’s poetry collection, Dialect of Distant Harbors, was published by CavanKerry Press in October 2022 and won the Quill and Ink Award as well as being shortlisted for a CHIRBy Award. Her poetry has been performed to dance in multiple locations and installed at the South Asia Institute in Chicago; a poem is being performed as choral composition by Art Choral Canada for live events in 2024 and 2025. She is the recipient of a 2022 Esteemed Artist Award (DCASE) from the City of Chicago and teaches at StoryStudio Chicago and the Graham School at University of Chicago.
Presenter's Bio:
As the editor of Glass Lyre Press, Ami Kaye has years of experience in the publishing field. She has guided numerous books, journals, and anthologies to print. Her own work has appeared in various publications, and her new book Flutesongs of Tanjore is forthcoming from Salmon Poetry. In addition to her graduate education in Literature, Ami holds a master’s degree in Counseling, and has a keen interest in the fine arts.
Steve Asmussen has over a decade of experience in press operations, publishing, and book production; he has designed Glass Lyre’s anthologies, its poetry journal Pirene’s Fountain, and over a hundred single-author books. He creates promotional and graphic materials for the press and manages all offsite press events as well as the Live Lyre reading series. He is known for his striking book designs and is the recipient of many awards of excellence in publishing.