About the Author

Anis Shivani is a fiction writer, poet, and critic in Houston, Texas. His debut poetry book was My Tranquil War and Other Poems. His other new book is the story collection, The Fifth Lash and Other Stories, recently released by C&R Press and currently on the longlist for the Frank O'Connor short story award. My Tranquil War and Other Poems received advance praise from Franz Wright, Eileen Myles, Fady Joudah, Marilyn Hacker, Kevin Prufer, Campbell McGrath, Michael McClure, and others. A recent review of the book is here, and another one here. The Fifth Lash and Other Stories received advance praise from Ron Rash, Gina Ochsner, George Singleton, Murzban Shroff, and others. Publishers Weekly wrote: These new stories from Shivani, many set in Pakistan, parse the disconnect between public and private behavior, and the desires that must be muted in order for people to survive. Shivani is a perceptive writer who puts his finger on the contradictions his characters navigate to survive daily life." A recent review of the book is here. Anis's debut novel Karachi Raj will be released in October 2013. Orhan Pamuk, Ha Jin, Mohammed Hanif, and Siddhartha Deb have offered advance praise. Look for details soon. In criticism, Anis's books include Against the Workshop (2011), the recently completed Literature at the Global Crossroads, and a book in progress called Plastic Realism: Neoliberal Discourse in the New American Novel. Anis's work appears in the Southwest Review, Boston Review, Threepenny Review, Prairie Schooner, Agni, Epoch, Fence, Boulevard, Pleiades, Denver Quarterly, George Review, Iowa Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Antioch Review, Subtropics, Green Mountains Review, Puerto del Sol, Colorado Review, Times Literary Supplement, London Magazine, Cambridge Quarterly, Contemporary Review, Antigonish Review, Dalhousie Review, Fiddlehead, Prism International, Meanjin, and many other journals. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle, and reviews books for many newspapers and magazines. Anis won a 2012 Pushcart Prize. He is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. Further information and events planned at: www.anisshivani.com