Ali, who taught at Hamilton from 1987-1993, is now an associate professor and chair of the creative writing program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was born in Kashmir and many of his poems reflect on the struggles of his homeland. However, Ali has also become one of the foremost poets in the United States. His works include six volumes of poetry, including, A Nostalgist's Map of America, and his latest work, Country without a Post Office.
Ali is a winner of the Pushcart Prize for poetry and his work is included in the Norton Anthology of Poetry. He is also a recent recipient of a Guggenheim award.
The reading is free and open to the public.