Themes which appear most often in my work tend to concern suffering, poverty (material and spiritual), exile, and what it means to be human. I explore these to find traces of beauty, resilience, dignity, truth, and the touch of God. Another recurring theme is disconnection between us as humans—what that does to us and how to make connections, how to reach each other at a deeper level and find community together.
My life has been spent as a “global nomad”—I’ve lived in seven countries and traveled in many more. Growing up, I experienced a near-constant sense of being other. My blond hair and light skin made me stand out in India, my birthplace, and in Pakistan, Jordan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Hong Kong. And whenever I spent time in the US, where I looked like I belonged, I carried around with me a sense of being a “hidden immigrant”—I didn’t feel at home and felt out of sync with many aspects of the dominant worldview or cultural experience. These experiences have shaped my identity and most certainly my writing. As an adult, I lived with my family for seven years in Chengdu, China, working with Food for the Hungry, an international Christian relief and development organization.
My current home is in Baltimore, Maryland, and I love connecting with others in the area who love writing, reading, and cross-cultural experiences as much as I do.
