I teach Arabic language and literature at Yale University, in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and in the Department of Comparative Literature. I have taught at Cornell University, the University of Mauritius, Duke University, and the University of Pennsylvania, where I received my BA (Hons), MA, and PhD.
I write and think about classical and medieval Arabic literature, the Qur'an, the Indian Ocean, modern poetry, and literature generally.
I am a member of RRAALL, an executive editor of the Library of Arabic Literature, and a Director of the School of Abbasid Studies. I serve in an editorial or advisory capacity on the boards of the Journal of Abbasid Studies, the Journal of Arabic Literature, the Journal of Qur'anic Studies, Quaderni di Studi Arabi, and Middle Eastern Literatures. I am a series editor for Cultural Legacies, and for the series, Resources in Arabic and Islamic Studies.
I drink P.G. Tips tea. I watch Doctor Who and Star Trek. I listen to public radio. I read as much as I can.
And I am undeservingly blessed with a fabulous wife, two lovely daughters, and an awesome cat.