Photography by Andrew Mudrak
Awesome by Ian Khadan

The Short Version
Ian Khadan was born on August 21st, 1986 in Georgetown, Guyana. At the age of 9 he moved to the United States with his family. He has since graduated from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ with a Bachelor's degree in English. In 2008 he was a member of the Loserslam Slam Team representing New Jersey at the National Poetry Slam in Madison, Wisconsin. Ian's poetry has been printed in a number of local journals and magazines including collaborative anthologies that have raised money for homeless shelters, awareness for art, and domestic violence issues. He is currently working on publishing his work and performing across the country.

Poetry
English teachers were always my favorites (Gary Whitlock, Erica Rogers) and despite being interested in social studies and the sciences at a young age, I've always found a place for creative writing. I graduated from East Orange Campus High School (formley of Clifford J. Scott High School) in the top 5% of my class. I was sure that I would go on study Computer Science at the college level and that plan worked out for a while, however, inspired by a Creative Writing course I took with Saladin Ahmed (who introduced me to slam poets such as Saul Williams and Paul Beatty) in my first year at Rutgers University, I went on to take a Creative Writing Poetry class with Susan Miller which hereafter altered my course of study to English and Comparative Literature. It was in this class that I also met one of my closest friends who forced me on to the stage, Omar 'Ion' Holmon. With the guidance, care, and interest vested in me from these people I am today and forever a member of the contemporary performance poetry movement.

Scars
When I was a very young boy in Guyana, I had a dog named Bruso. Bruso was a very mild mannered dog but even he had his limits when I decided I was a ninja wielding a cutlass, wearing only my tighty-whities, and running about the yard in clear view of my concerned neighbors. While attempting to climb Bruso's dog pen I managed to annoy him enough that he let out a stout bark that sent me tumbling, unfortunately for me; my face scraped across an exposed nail that tore open a gash above my right eyelid. Luckily, I was able to keep my right eye and narrowly dodged blindness by centimeters. I still have the scar above my right eye.

FAQ
Favorite Color? Yellow