On Being Human

by Ghazala Alam, Faiz Nawab (Photographer)

Overview

On Being Human is a compilation of original poems by Ghazala Alam. Written in modern Urdu and English, each poem is introduced by an English preamble detailing her inspirations and insights. Accompanied by English transliteration, her poetry is informed by her experiences as an immigrant, woman, and a person of color. This distinct lens on life's challenges also reaffirms her faith in the human capacity to empathize, overcome, and seek justice. With a sensitive, sometimes satirical style, her poems touch upon social issues pertinent to modern, everyday life. Each poem uses simple but elegant language to comment insightfully on fundamental aspects of the human struggle for meaning in the face of adversity and turmoil. Tackling issues such as ego, PTSD, and rejection, as well as true love and generosity, Ghazala's poems strike a deep chord in readers and include a rallying cry for racial justice, a depiction of inner struggles of the mind, and much more.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940186176848
Publisher:	Gatekeeper Press
Publication date:	04/04/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Poet Ghazala Alam says, “My losses and struggles made me into a poet.”
The daughter of Indian immigrants, Ghazala was born and raised in Pakistan and grew up in a culture rich in the Urdu language and literary arts. She fondly recalls listening to her father recite and explain Iqbal’s Urdu and Persian poetry. She also enjoyed the singing of devotional Sufi poetry on televised Qawwali programs with her mother.
As a young woman, she sought refuge in Europe and then, in 1991, she began building her new life as an immigrant and proud citizen of the United States. Facing her trials and challenges with grit and resolve, she has found that travelers on life’s journey share a common inner humanity that always restores hope and faith.
As a practicing physician, Ghazala Alam has seen the torment of an Alzheimer’s patient, the helplessness of someone facing terminal cancer, and the inertia of a depressed mind. It is her own experiences of joy and grief, and her observations of other’s experiences, that inspire her to write Urdu poetry and express the Urdu literary style in her English poetry.