I was invited to guest edit World Literature Today magazine

One of the highlights of my literary career, thus far, was being invited to guest edit a special issue of World Literature Today - a magazine that has been recognized by the Nobel Prize committee as one of the “best edited and most informative literary publications” in the world!

It is especially meaningful that the issue I worked on had for its theme “Belief in an Age of Intolerance” - a subject dear to my heart and vital in the challenging times that we live in...

Furthermore, it was a great honor to invite onboard this issue personal heroes of mine & seminal cultural figures, such as:

Hamza Yusuf (distinguished Islamic scholar), Stephen Mitchell (celebrated translator of Tao te Ching & Rilke), Robert Bly, Brad Gooch & Jawid Mojaddedi (fine Rumi biographer and translators) Agostino Arrivabene (Italian Master)

along with many fine writers & artists, some of whom I’m lucky to count among my friends, such as:

Alex Michael Stein, H.L. Hix, Lee van Laer, Kent Burgess, Sam Roxas-Chua, and Zakaria Ait Wakrim, whose transporting art features on the cover.

Even with this long, illustrious list, I’m afraid I’ve left off many fine contributors and much that is important in this edifying issue — not least of which is a beautiful interview between Ted Kooser and WLT editor in chief, Daniel Simon:

I remain deeply grateful to Rob Vollmar, Michelle Johnson, Jen Rickard Blair & rest of WLT team 🙇🏻 Furthermore, it was an honor to take part in the Texas Book Festival where we launched this special issue:

Thankfully, I was able to take advantage of my first visit to Austin by delivering a well-received poetry reading at Malvern Bookstore, along with other esteemed authors: