Quarter Life Crisis by Sara Bawany
Award-winning poet, Sara Bawany’s second poetry book, Quarter Life Crisis, dives headfirst into the brutal reexamining of a period in one’s life described by many as a time of uncertainty, insecurity, and doubt for the future. This short narrative collection embraces the unknown, inviting readers to ask their own questions about “the way things are,” while positioning itself at the precarious intersection of faith, mental health, and justice. Bawany’s unique voice is unapologetic in critiquing not just the capitalist standards and expectations of young adults but also the beliefs in her earlier collection of poetry, (w)holehearted: a collection of poetry and prose, interrogating much of what she previously established as fact. Bawany writes fearlessly through a Muslim woman’s voice, but her questions are relevant for everyone, regardless of faith. Readers will sob, laugh, and sigh in relief through this reckoning with both the Divine as well as one’s own ego. quarter life crisis is as much a poetry book as it is a call to action; not only to simply consider a post-pandemic world, but to begin rebuilding a world in which we are unafraid to challenge the norms and fearless enough to choose growth through our harshest moments.
Sara Bawany is an award-winning published poet, freelance editor, and clinical social worker based in Austin, Texas. She published her first poetry book in 2018, “(w)holehearted: a collection of poetry and prose,” which was awarded “Best Poetry Book” by Daybreak Press Publishing. Her second book, “Quarter Life Crisis” will be published in 2023. She was a finalist in Button Poetry’s 2021 Annual Chapbook Contest and her work has been featured on TEDx, ACLU TX, Muslim Youth Musings, Arlington Literary Journal, Voyage Dallas Magazine, and Brown Girl Magazine. She is pursuing an MFA in Poetry at Texas State University. You can access her work at www.sarabawany.com.