author, poet, teacher, and performer
I’m deeply honored to help inaugurate Lyric World: Conversations with Contemporary Poets, a new event series sponsored by Town Hall and curated by Shin Yu Pai. On January 30, 2020, I’ll be reading and speaking about poetry and wonder. Jali Ibrahim Arsalan will also perform West African kora music and the poet Melanie Noel will facilitate […]
CASCADIAN ZEN February 14 and 15, 2020 in Pigott 100 on the campus of Seattle University Organized loosely around exploring the relationship between the Cascadian bioregion as it intersects with Zen ideas, practices, and aesthetics, we are hosting a diverse group of writers who are interested in broadly exploring the question of “What is Cascadian Zen?” […]
I'm honored to be speaking at Veni, The Ideas Place, at the Chennai office of Krea University. Please join us for an evening of weaving together the past and the present, poetry and philosophy, ideas and the deep imagination of the heart.
This month I'm offering a very special event through Atlas Obscura. Learn More and Register
In June I'm offering a very special event through Atlas Obscura. Learn More and Register
I'm delighted to discuss and read from my new translation of the classical Tamil masterpiece on ethics, power, and love, THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar's Tirukkural in a virtual reading hosted by The Elliott Bay Book Company in my hometown of Seattle. Joining me will be Archana Venkatesan, who wrote the wonderful introduction. The reading will be held […]
I'm delighted to be speaking about the Kural in conversation with actor Jeanne Dougherty at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA). If you live in the region, I most heartily encourage you to attend in person. If you live elsewhere, I encourage you, equally as heartily, to watch the livestream free or by donation. Here's […]
I am deeply honored to be speaking about Tamil Kalvi and my new translation of THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar's Tirukkural at the 35th annual convention of the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA). The session will take place on Sunday, July 3rd, from 3:30 to 4:30pm in D'Angelo Center Classroom 4. Learn more and […]
I am looking forward to offering a keynote speech called "Openness to All People: Thirukkural and Social Justice" at the 3rd International Humanism Conference in Toronto, Canada.
I'm thrilled to be participating in the 25th Annual Sinagpore Writers Festival this November. Learn more here: https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/writer-presenter-details/thomas-hitoshi-pruiksma
I'm delighted to be speaking about Avvaiyar at the Singapore Writers Festival. Here is a description of my upcoming lecture: Why would a budding writer and poet in English become an apprentice to a 12th century Tamil woman, poet, and saint? What’s so compelling about Avvaiyar that Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma spent years learning from her? […]
I'm delighted to be speaking on a panel about The Kural at the Singapore Writers Festival. Here is a description of this multilingual discussion: Written by the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, and translated into more than 40 languages, the Thirukkural is a classic book of Tamil wisdom poetry. Where is the place of the Thirukkural among […]
I'm honored to be speaking with first-year students in the Frontiers program at Sai University in Chennai this November. My deep thanks to the organizers and gracious hosts.
I'm thrilled to be speaking in Sai University's Centre for Creative Writing and Translation in association with the Chennai Mathematical Institute’s Arts Initiative. Please join me for this free online program.
