Book excerpt: These poems are an intimate portrait of a life set against the sweeping history of human exile and belonging, from ancient Persia to contemporary America, from the Indian coastline to the rivers and forests of Washington DC. Poems in A Story of the World Before the Fence have received an International Publication Award from the Atlanta Review; a Readers' Choice Award from District Lit; twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize; Finalist, 18th Annual Arts and Letters Rumi Prize for Poetry; Semi-Finalist for the Black River Chapbook Competition, (Black Lawrence Press); honorable mention in Women of Resilience Chapbook Contest, Southern Collective.