American authors explore intersection of culture, identity and literature through verse

Pune: In cosy confines of Pagdandi Bookstore and Cafe in Baner, a riveting panel discussion titled "Bridging Cultures Through Verse" unfolded on Tuesday afternoon, under the auspices of US Consulate General Mumbai.The panel boasted the presence of three distinguished authors -- Kazim Ali, Leslie Roberts, and Cate Dicharry -- each a beacon of literary prowess from the University of Iowa's prestigious writing programme.In an exclusive interview with TOI, the authors shared their thoughts on the intricate dance between inspiration, cultural heritage, personal identity, and producing contemporary literature.Kazim Ali, a gay poet and novelist, with his profound insights into loneliness and alienation following the loss of his mother in 2023, shared his journey towards crafting his latest manuscript of poetry, 'The Man in 119'. Drawing inspiration from a 10,000 Maniacs song, Ali's work explores themes of isolation and unseen struggles of individual, paralleling his own experiences with those of the characters in his poems. Beyond the compilation of his poetry in the form of a book titled Sukoon, Ali's engagement with the Palestinian community through teaching yoga and his efforts to share their stories beyond the political narratives present a compelling case for power of personal connections in fostering understanding of other cultures. Reflecting on his experience of teaching yoga in Palestine, Ali said, "I was working on translations of an Iranian poet named Sohrab Sepehri, a 20th-century Iranian poet, when I was there, and I found the influence of Palestinian poetry in some of the poems that I wrote."Leslie Roberts delves into realms of ecologies and nuanced listening that the pandemic era enforced upon us all. Her project, How We Hear Now, serves as a global forum for sharing the heightened auditory experiences of people worldwide during the pandemic lockdowns. Roberts' forthcoming novel, deeply embedded in the examination of domestic violence and its portrayal, is a testament to her commitment to telling stories that matter, stories that challenge and provoke thought about our societal structures and hidden violence within. Roberts said, "These are stories that are so poorly told, in my opinion. So, I decided to tell one such story through a novel."Cate Dicharry, a fiction writer, spoke about the shift in her writing from comedy to exploring the consequences of storytelling, especially in healthcare contexts. "I've spent a lot more time now thinking more about how the stories we tell and the ones that are told about us have consequences in our real lives," she said, citing examples of how doctors take the stories patients tell them lightly, which can be a matter of life and death at times.The authors also addressed the changing reading habits of modern audiences. Roberts advocated for "slow reading", encouraging readers to savour the craft of writing. Ali noted how form and length have historically been shaped by practical constraints such as the shortage of paper back in the day, and the current crisis of shortened attention spans.When asked about being American in the current political climate, Dicharry quipped, "I think we have a twin weirdness going on, maybe, between Indians and Americans," while Roberts expressed pride in the diverse narratives emerging from the US, stating, "No country, no population, identity, group can be essentialised as one thing, even if there's a dominant narrative coming from that place".The panel discussion offered a rich tapestry of perspectives, showcasing how these writers navigate the intersections of culture, identity, and the written word.