Ai is a Japanese-born poet and playwright, who holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Her children's book Öykü Denizi (The Sea of Stories; wrote and illustrated) was published by National Geographic and her work has appeared in New American Writing, Di-Vêrsé-City Anthology, Genre: Urban Arts, Fourteen Hills, Breathe Free Press, Toho Journal, The Laurel Review among other publications. She is a winner of the Leonard Isaacson Award Browning Monologue Contest and The Austin International Poetry Festival 2017. She is the author of Puppet Show (#puppetshowsf @ Shelton Theater: Oct.6th-23rd.) Her plays have been seen in the Bay Area.