Pakistan Arts Council Family Fun Day
By Haya Farooqui
Pictures by Annie Athar
Recently Pakistan Arts Council (PAC), University of Southern California (USC), Pacific Asia Museum, hosted two book talks during their Family Fun Day: My Scattered Thoughts by Faryal Ahsan and The Essence of Being by Anushe Shoro.
My Scattered Thoughts is a collection of poems by Faryal Ahsan. Prefaced by “I am not defined by how many comments I get on a photo”, is a good cue to where the author’s thoughts will take her reader. For a fifteen-year-old, Faryal Ahsan is wise beyond her age and this book furnishes proof of her insightfulness.
In the The Essene of Being, Anushe Shoro’s description of her mother Natasha Shoro’s journey from a budding artist to a renowned published artist is quite endearing. Natasha Shoro and Anushe Shoro emerged as a creative force at their last exhibition in 2016 that led to authoring this beautiful 250-page, multi-color book. The book exemplifies gratitude and celebrates the duo’s creativity and roots.
Southern California’s sweltering heat wasn’t a deterrent for the PAC fans who came from all over town to enjoy the book talk paired with live entertainment. Members of the PAC board, guests and their children performed the ancient folk dance of the Kailash tribe garbed in their traditional long black robes embroidered with cowry shells. Delicious food was served as usual, courtesy of the PAC board members, who never fail to amaze their members with their generosity and creativity.
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