Associate Professor English and Creative Writing
Phone: (361) 570-4215
Saba Razvi writes poetry, criticism, and fiction. Her research interests include: Contemporary Poetry and Poetics, Literature and Science, Literature and Technology, Sufi Poetry, South Asian Literature, Urdu Poetry, Contemporary Fiction, Translation and Poetry, Subculture in Literature, Robots in Poetry and Fiction, Science Fiction Poetry & Literature, and Representations of Poetry & Narrative in Science Fiction or Popular Culture.
Of the Divining and the Dead: poems. Finishing Line Press. 2012.
In The Offending Adam. Feature, Issue 66. June 13, 2011. – “Dusk Intermediary”, “Nor Equinox Nor Promise”, “An Architecture for Mystery”, “At the Lotus Tree Beyond Which There is No Passing", “Leonid Shower Above 360 Overlook”.
In The Loudest Voice Anthology. Vol 1. 2010. – “Self-Portrait as Wick-Tender and Candle Flame”, “Amphibious Catalogue with Invisible Stair”.
In Voices of Resistance: Muslim Women on War, Faith, & Sexuality. Seal Press. 2006 – “Chand Raat: Eid ul Fitr”, “Abida”, “American Flag as Pardah”, “Oil Field. Mine, Field. Afghanistan.”,“Double Edge of Scimitar”, and “Holy Land”.
In Arsenic Lobster. April 2010 – “Before the Wedding Party”, “From the Hours of Forgiveness”.
In 13th Warrior Review. Volume 7, Issue 14. Fall 2009. – “Datura”.
In 10x3 plus. April 2009. – “Eve, Eve, and Adam…Nowhere”.
Librettos & Performances:
“The Hour of Waking Windows”, libretto. Musical composition by Jeff Parola, Spring 2012.
“Lovesick Wanderer: O Dervish of the Restless Heart”, libretto. Musical composition by David Brown, sung by Caitlin Beam, performed in concert at Boston Court in Pasadena, CA as part of “The New & Newer” program, Spring 2012.
“Aviary”, libretto comprised of “Blue Heron,”, “Before Solomon’s Court”, & “Mirror Lake in Carlsbad Caverns Quivers Like A Scrying Glass Speaking”. Musical composition by Sarah Rimkus, sung by Shabnam Kalbasi, performed in concert at USC’s Annenberg Hall, Spring 2012.
“Chand Raat: Eid ul Fitr”, libretto. Set to musical composition by Melanie Churchill, Australia, 2010.
Selected Conference Presentations & Readings:
Chapbook Launch Party for “Of the Divining and the Dead”. Reading. – Los Angeles, June 13, 2012.
The Poetics Research Bureau Benefit Reading for PCRF – Glendale, CA, March 29, 2009.
The Loudest Voice Reading Series – The Mountain Bar, Los Angeles, CA, November 13, 2008. Featured Reader.
Poetry & Translation – University of Stirling, Scotland, July 15-19, 2008.
Paper Presentation: “The Lines Between the Hidden & The Manifest: Navigating the Language of the Beloved in Sufi Subculture & Mystic Poetry” + Poetry Reading: from “The Book of Deeds”.
SoundEye West: Poetry Between Languages – Los Angeles, CA, October 5-6, 2007.
Paper presentation on the function of interlinguality in some Sufi poetry, the structural problem of translating it, the use of structural translation in writing between cultures, and the influence of such translation work on my own poetic writing process. + Poetry Reading: from “The Book of Deeds”.
The Loudest Voice Reading Series – The Mountain Bar, Los Angeles, September 20, 2006. Featured Reader.
British Society for Literature & Science: Founding Conference – University of Glasgow, Scotland, March 24-26, 2006.
Paper Presentation: “Synthetic Form & Deviant Transcendence: Interfaces between 21st Century Poetics, Science & Print Technology”.
2005 AWP Annual Conference – Vancouver, BC, April 1-5, 2005.
Cross-Genre Roundtable Discussion: “The Ghost in the Machine: Inorganic Forms & Deviant Transcendence”. Panel Moderator. Presentation on: hypermediacy, contemporary formal structures, & changing conceptions of poetic form.
2nd Annual University of Hawaii International Conference of the Humanities – Honolulu, HI, January 8, 2004.
Paper Presentation as Panelist, “Writing the Language of Estrangement”. + Poetry Reading: from “heliophobia”.
Finalist in Kundiman’s 2012 Book Prize for “heliophobia”; Virginia C Middleton Fellowship; Fania Kruger Fellowship; James A Michener Fellowship