Shome Dasgupta is the author of The Seagull And The Urn (HarperCollins
India), 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 (Assure
Press). His first book i am here And You Are Gone won the 2010 OW Press
Fiction 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 in
Lafayette, LA and can be found at www.shomedome.com and @laughingyeti.
1 - How did your first book change your life? How
does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel
different?
I still very vividly remember receiving the email
about my first book winning a contest. I had a very basic flip phone at the
time, 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 in
disbelief. I read it over and over and over again, and then the tears came. I
don’t know how it changed my life—I can’t explain it, but if anything, I know
it certainly gave me the encouragement to keep going. Atchafalaya Darling was really fun to write—there weren’t any
obstacles or challenges as I drafted each story. It was the most relaxed and at
ease I had felt as I put together this collection. There are some darker toned
stories in this collection, but even then, I didn’t feel burdened by them, but
rather 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 the
world of writing, and I think this was mainly because of the music I was
listening to, which was heavily lyrically oriented, and I just wanted to create
those same sensations with my own words.
3 - How long does it take to start any particular
writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow
process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does
your work come out of copious notes?
Starting a project—I don’t think it takes too long
because I have a general idea of what I’d like to do with language or the
characters 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 and
process—some being quicker than others. I’d like to think that the first draft
of Atchafalaya Darling was one of my
quickest, but after that—the rewrites and revisions definitely require more
time and attention. While there are several versions of each story, I don’t
think there is anything all too majorly different; however, one simple
sentence, especially at the end of a story can remarkably change the whole
tone.
4 - Where does a poem or work of prose usually begin
for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger
project, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?
It usually begins with a line—most likely an opening
line that just kind of pops into my head, or an image, and with either, I
explore or consider how to create a sound and rhythm out of it—this is for both
poetry or prose, and then from there, I’ll see if I can continue with it and
find out what happens. I've used both processes with different books, but I
don't know if it starts off as intentional.
5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your
creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I dread give a public reading (or even recordings of
any sort). The anxiety that comes with it is overwhelming. I think the actual
reading part is fine, mainly because it is all a blur, but the thought of
giving a reading or waiting to give one—the days leading up to it and on the
actual day itself really gets to me. Conversely, I love to attend
readings—whether small or large venues, I find them to be magical as a
spectator.
6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your
writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What
do you even think the current questions are?
I don’t think I’m keeping in mind any kind of
theoretical 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—I
think I write on the surface level, and maybe there’s a deeper meaning that can
be found, hopefully, an engaging connection to which readers can relate. I’m
not sure if I’m trying to answer any questions—or maybe once I finish a
particular piece or poem or manuscript, questions arise, which might lead to go
back and see if there’s some kind of answer, but for the most part, I just kind
of write and then write and then write some more.
7 – What do you see the current role of the writer
being in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think the role of
the writer should be?
I think this varies from writer to writer—each having
their own intentions. I don’t know what the role of a writer should be—I know
that for me, it’s trying to connect to the world in hopes that readers might be
able to find the same kind of relationship. I love the elements that surround
writing—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 know
that there are writers who have impacted society in meaningful and powerful
ways, and I admire them so much in their courage to share their voice to
provide a magnifying glass, hovering it over our lives, past, present, and
future. 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 how
reading 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 an
outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I have been very, very fortunate and lucky to have
nothing but amazing experiences with previous editors—whether it’s for a
journal or a publisher, there’s so much insight to learn from what they can
offer for their writers. I find it engaging and the various perspectives
provided, I always take into consideration. I think that anything I’ve written
which 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 either
one or both—be happy with what you’re doing. I say this coming from a
privileged way of living, though there was a large part of my life, even though
I had all the necessities for a life, when I was nowhere near feeling any kind
of joy, whether it was related to writing or pretty much anything else. I think
self-care has much to do with it, and finding a way to love yourself and others
and sharing your experiences and emphasizing and sympathizing with others and
encouraging 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 in
mind day to day.
10 - How easy has it been for you to move between
genres (poetry to fiction to creative nonfiction)? What do you see as the
appeal?
I feel like it’s generally a smooth transition
because it only happens when an idea pops up, whether it’s for a poem or
fiction or nonfiction—I think the trickiest part is writing in one form, and an
idea for another form comes to mind, and trying to make the decision of diving
right into the new idea or stay with the original one, mainly because of
impatience on my part, but I’m also worried about losing momentum if I were to
move 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’s
something else I’d like to write in another form.
11 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to
keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
Oh the writing routine definitely changes—I guess it
changes with whatever works best with what’s going on at the time. Some days, I
like 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 my
life. In the summer though, as I have the time do so, I try to write every
day—it doesn’t matter what time of day, but at some point, every day, though I
don’t think it’s necessary.
12 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you
turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
I don’t think I turn to anything for inspiration, at
least not intentionally, but rather, I just wait it out or just force myself to
put words down even though they aren’t the words I want, and hopefully, I’ll
find 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 from
books, 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 I
can.
15 - What other writers or writings are important for
your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
All of it, to be honest. I try to read as much as
possible—whether it’s books, journals, social media, brochures, manuals,
anything and everything that can be read. There are a million writers, too—but
I guess I don’t want to only mention a few of them because I wouldn’t want to
leave anyone out.
16 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet
done?
I would love to ride a horse, or at least be friends
with one.
17 - If you could pick any other occupation to
attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have
ended up doing had you not been a writer?
Writing is always a side gig for me—meaning, it’s not
my 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 a
mechanic, or maybe a computer programmer even though I have no clue how to
perform in any these realms.
18 - What made you write, as opposed to doing
something else?
I think because I was always surrounded by it—I was
very lucky to have access to books, and everyone I knew, especially in my
family, were always reading.
19 - What was the last great book you read? What was
the last great film?
I recently read Maurice Carlos Ruffin’s American Daughters, and I was mesmerized
by 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’s
fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, but it looks like I’m focusing a bit
more on poetry right now, while somewhere in the back of mind, and I’m letting
some possible ideas for a novel simmer.
12 or 20 (second series) questions;
