Hana Shafi explores the hidden beauty of everyday connections in “People You Know, Places You’ve Been”

Hana Shafi, known by her artistic pseudonym Frizz Kid, is a writer and artist whose latest book, People You Know, Places You’ve Been, published by Book*Hug Press, celebrates everyday human connections and the settings we navigate. Born in Dubai and now settled in Toronto, Shafi centres her world around her two “cute, but sometimes annoying, cats” Smaug and Rorschach. As an autumn and Halloween aficionado, Shafi sums up her philosophy of life as “I try my best to see the beauty in the weird.”

Shafi’s work,which explores topics such as feminism, body politics and cultural discourse, has appeared in numerous publications, including The Walrus, Hazlitt, and This Magazine. In 2017, the Canadian Council for Muslim Women awarded her the Women Who Inspire Award. With titles like It Begins With The Body and Small, Broke, and Kind of Dirty: Affirmations for the Real World, her body of work – which is characterized by keen observations and wry humour – resonates with diverse audiences.

In People You Know, Places You’ve Been, Shafi uses poetry to delve into the tapestry of urban existence, where individuals interact with the supporting characters who populate their daily lives . . . and find themselves, in turn, playing those roles for others. The inception of the collection dates back to just before the release of Shafi’s first book It Begins With The Body in September 2018. Initially conceived as an exploration of her people-watching tendencies, the book evolved into a study of archetypes and settings. “My first ideas were to split the poems into sections like ‘People you love’, People you hate’, etc.” she recounts. “But as I began to really work on the book, I started thinking about it in terms of archetypes like Anti-hero, Nemesis, Wizards and Srones, etc, and also started branching out to include settings as well”, which are explored in chapters like ‘Palaces’ and ‘Dungeons’”, as well as the enigmatic Liminal Spaces that form the backdrop of everyday encounters.

“I think a lot of times we can sort of get lost in our heads; I certainly do, “ Shafi explains. “And poetry as a medium tends to be very introspective—that’s not a bad thing, but I wanted to start looking outwards.”  Our external experiences and interactions leave traces and shape our identities: so much so that “none of us can live in a vacuum unaffected by the external. That’s why I really wanted to explore this topic further.”

In People You Know, Places You’ve Been, Shafi is excited to offer readers a glimpse into her daily life because she believes they will find it mirrors a lot of their own day-to-day interactions: “The book is meant to have a somewhat nostalgic and universal feel because it’s exploring roles and characters that exist in the lives of everyone.”  In keeping with this idea, she encourages us to cherish and pay attention to our everyday connections, which can go unnoticed in the fast pace of our daily existence. “We don’t always allow ourselves to slow down and be present in these everyday connections because we figure they are insignificant. But they can be really special: life is not all big grand moments; it’s also those little things that are truly making up your day.”  As an example, she fondly reminisces about a memorable encounter with a neighbourhood dog whose favourite toy is a red balloon: “”It was just so simple and sweet, and it makes me smile whenever I think about it.” 

Among her myriad poems and illustrations, Shafi tries not to pick favourites . . . but she currently has a soft spot for “loving you”, a poem in the “Supporting Characters” chapter that encapsulates the bittersweet beauty of enduring friendships. Just now, she is also drawn to an illustration of a girl in a sparkling green dress juxtaposed against the ugly background of public bathroom stalls: “It’s the perfect combination of glam and grime, and encapsulates such a quintessential aesthetic of living in a big city.”

People You Know, Places You’ve Been testifies to the variegated beauty of everyday connections and settings that – often unappreciated –  shape our identities and our lives. This poignant reflection beckons us to discover the profound, extraordinary stories within the seemingly mundane. 

© Arpita Ghosal, Sesayarts Magazine, 2023