12 or 20 (second series) questions with Shome Dasgupta
Shome Dasgupta is the author of The Seagull And The Urn (HarperCollinsIndia), and most recently, the novels The Muu-Antiques (Malarkey Books)and
Tentacles Numbing
(Thirty West), a prose collection
Histories Of Memories
(Belle Point Press), a short story collection
Atchafalaya Darling
(Belle Point Press), and a poetry collection Iron Oxide (AssurePress). His first book
i am here And You Are Gone
won the 2010 OW PressFiction Contest. His writing has appeared in McSweeney's Internet Tendency,New Orleans Review, Jabberwock Review, American Book Review,Arkansas Review, Magma Poetry, and elsewhere. He lives inLafayette, LA and can be found at www.shomedome.com and @laughingyeti.1 - How did your first book change your life? Howdoes your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feeldifferent?
I still very vividly remember receiving the emailabout my first book winning a contest. I had a very basic flip phone at thetime, but it was able to receive notifications. I saw it as I was driving home,and I pulled into the parking lot of the movie theater, and read the email indisbelief. I read it over and over and over again, and then the tears came. Idon’t know how it changed my life—I can’t explain it, but if anything, I knowit certainly gave me the encouragement to keep going. Atchafalaya Darling was really fun to write—there weren’t anyobstacles or challenges as I drafted each story. It was the most relaxed and atease I had felt as I put together this collection. There are some darker tonedstories in this collection, but even then, I didn’t feel burdened by them, butrather my burdens were being released as I journeyed through these pieces.
2 - How did you come to poetry first, as opposed to,say, fiction or non-fiction?
Poetry was definitely my first form entering theworld of writing, and I think this was mainly because of the music I waslistening to, which was heavily lyrically oriented, and I just wanted to createthose same sensations with my own words.
3 - How long does it take to start any particularwriting project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slowprocess? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or doesyour work come out of copious notes?
Starting a project—I don’t think it takes too longbecause I have a general idea of what I’d like to do with language or thecharacters or the plot, but only a general idea that floats around in my head.Initially, it arrives quickly, but every new project has a new experience andprocess—some being quicker than others. I’d like to think that the first draftof Atchafalaya Darling was one of myquickest, but after that—the rewrites and revisions definitely require moretime and attention. While there are several versions of each story, I don’tthink there is anything all too majorly different; however, one simplesentence, especially at the end of a story can remarkably change the wholetone.
4 - Where does a poem or work of prose usually beginfor you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a largerproject, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?
It usually begins with a line—most likely an openingline that just kind of pops into my head, or an image, and with either, Iexplore or consider how to create a sound and rhythm out of it—this is for bothpoetry or prose, and then from there, I’ll see if I can continue with it andfind out what happens. I've used both processes with different books, but Idon't know if it starts off as intentional.
5 - Are public readings part of or counter to yourcreative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I dread give a public reading (or even recordings ofany sort). The anxiety that comes with it is overwhelming. I think the actualreading part is fine, mainly because it is all a blur, but the thought ofgiving a reading or waiting to give one—the days leading up to it and on theactual day itself really gets to me. Conversely, I love to attendreadings—whether small or large venues, I find them to be magical as aspectator.
6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind yourwriting? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? Whatdo you even think the current questions are?
I don’t think I’m keeping in mind any kind oftheoretical practicalities in my writing—at least not intentionally. Perhaps,it can be analyzed in such a way, but I’m not focusing on it. I don’t know—Ithink I write on the surface level, and maybe there’s a deeper meaning that canbe found, hopefully, an engaging connection to which readers can relate. I’mnot sure if I’m trying to answer any questions—or maybe once I finish aparticular piece or poem or manuscript, questions arise, which might lead to goback and see if there’s some kind of answer, but for the most part, I just kindof write and then write and then write some more.
7 – What do you see the current role of the writerbeing in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think the role ofthe writer should be?
I think this varies from writer to writer—each havingtheir own intentions. I don’t know what the role of a writer should be—I knowthat for me, it’s trying to connect to the world in hopes that readers might beable to find the same kind of relationship. I love the elements that surroundwriting—such as language and imagery, and I try to keep it as simple as that.Perhaps, the role is given from the reader rather than the writer. I do knowthat there are writers who have impacted society in meaningful and powerfulways, and I admire them so much in their courage to share their voice toprovide a magnifying glass, hovering it over our lives, past, present, andfuture. So much change and progress, I think, has been created by literature,much like any other form of art and creativity, and it’s quite clear howreading and writing and writing and reading are so important these days,regardless of a potential role of a writer.
8 - Do you find the process of working with anoutside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I have been very, very fortunate and lucky to havenothing but amazing experiences with previous editors—whether it’s for ajournal or a publisher, there’s so much insight to learn from what they canoffer for their writers. I find it engaging and the various perspectivesprovided, I always take into consideration. I think that anything I’ve writtenwhich has gone through the expertise of an editor is stronger because of it.
9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard(not necessarily given to you directly)?
About writing? Or life in general? I guess for eitherone or both—be happy with what you’re doing. I say this coming from aprivileged way of living, though there was a large part of my life, even thoughI had all the necessities for a life, when I was nowhere near feeling any kindof joy, whether it was related to writing or pretty much anything else. I thinkself-care has much to do with it, and finding a way to love yourself and othersand sharing your experiences and emphasizing and sympathizing with others andencouraging each other to keep going. These are bits and pieces of advice,whether directly or indirectly over the recent years, and I always keep that inmind day to day.
10 - How easy has it been for you to move betweengenres (poetry to fiction to creative nonfiction)? What do you see as theappeal?
I feel like it’s generally a smooth transitionbecause it only happens when an idea pops up, whether it’s for a poem orfiction or nonfiction—I think the trickiest part is writing in one form, and anidea for another form comes to mind, and trying to make the decision of divingright into the new idea or stay with the original one, mainly because ofimpatience on my part, but I’m also worried about losing momentum if I were tomove from one piece to another without having completed the current work-in-progress.If I’ve finished one form, though, it seems to be a nice switch if there’ssomething else I’d like to write in another form.
11 - What kind of writing routine do you tend tokeep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
Oh the writing routine definitely changes—I guess itchanges with whatever works best with what’s going on at the time. Some days, Ilike to write in the mornings or afternoon, other times—at night, or ideally,at all times of the day. It all just kind of depends on what’s going on in mylife. In the summer though, as I have the time do so, I try to write everyday—it doesn’t matter what time of day, but at some point, every day, though Idon’t think it’s necessary.
12 - When your writing gets stalled, where do youturn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
I don’t think I turn to anything for inspiration, atleast not intentionally, but rather, I just wait it out or just force myself toput words down even though they aren’t the words I want, and hopefully, I’llfind a way out of it.
13 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
Oh gosh—any kind of Indian cooking.
14 - David W. McFadden once said that books come frombooks, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whether nature,music, science or visual art?
Oh definitely—all those mentioned: music, art,science, nature, movies, TV, sports—I try to soak it all in from anywhere Ican.
15 - What other writers or writings are important foryour work, or simply your life outside of your work?
All of it, to be honest. I try to read as much aspossible—whether it’s books, journals, social media, brochures, manuals,anything and everything that can be read. There are a million writers, too—butI guess I don’t want to only mention a few of them because I wouldn’t want toleave anyone out.
16 - What would you like to do that you haven't yetdone?
I would love to ride a horse, or at least be friendswith one.
17 - If you could pick any other occupation toattempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would haveended up doing had you not been a writer?
Writing is always a side gig for me—meaning, it’s notmy way of living so I think no matter what I would be doing as a profession,I’d still be writing. Any occupation to attempt? Perhaps being a farmer or amechanic, or maybe a computer programmer even though I have no clue how toperform in any these realms.
18 - What made you write, as opposed to doingsomething else?
I think because I was always surrounded by it—I wasvery lucky to have access to books, and everyone I knew, especially in myfamily, were always reading.
19 - What was the last great book you read? What wasthe last great film?
I recently read Maurice Carlos Ruffin’s American Daughters, and I was mesmerizedby it, and I’ve still been thinking a lot about Katy Simpson Smith’s The Weeds. It was on TV the other day,and I really enjoyed Unstoppable.
20 - What are you currently working on?
I’m working on some shorter pieces, whether it’sfiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, but it looks like I’m focusing a bitmore on poetry right now, while somewhere in the back of mind, and I’m lettingsome possible ideas for a novel simmer.
