Poet Interview : Amit Radha Krishna Nigam, author of 'Musings of Desire' (Part 1)

Amit Radha Krishna Nigam

Read up, Interview with poet, Amit Radha Krishna Nigam. The poetry collection, 'Musings of Desire' touched me in different ways. From feeling sad, sympathetic to joyous, to appealing, unhappy, and to funny and delightful, this collection did tend to unearth the vivid nature of the world and emotions. I think I am beginning to describe and write a review, all over again. So, I must stop, and give you his words, which are almost lyrical in themselves, Folks...

 

How did this book begin? Did you have particular theme in mind when you began this?

Some of the poems in this book are older than those in ‘Pilgrims’, my first book. That is to say, this book virtually began around four years, back. After ‘Pilgrims’ was published in 2014, I was trying to recover emotional grounds but recurrences possess such a quality that they don’t let you go away easily.

‘Musings of Desire’ began while I was trying to deal with much of that left-over business. But only when ‘Pilgrims’ was out, did I have a chance to collect and reclaim all the draft works and notes.

For ‘Musings of Desire’, I did never have a theme in mind for the whole collection, but eventually after working on it, I realized that certain poems can be assembled under different sections that speak of one theme.

What drew you to poetry?

My literary calling and motivation goes back to my school days, fifteen years ago. I was fascinated by poetry’s charm, the art of saying something in such an esoteric way that opens other dimensions to thoughts. More than ‘what to say’, I was drawn towards its unique philosophical enquiry and way of saying something.

Later, I started reading more poems and as a school boy who, on seeing a charming girl desires her friendship, I started following her (poetry) after school and would give her missed calls, often even during my board exams. But poetry was not credulous to me. Back then, it was a one sided affair. I did write poems, hundreds of drafts, but people’s posts on Facebook these days are better than those.

Kahlil Gibran

My poetry took some shape of its own during my graduation when I wrote my first collection, ‘Awake Wonder and Lost’. It too, did not do very well, but the relation had started (to answer now what drew me to it) and that was more than any victory to me. That interest in the ‘art’ that grew was the complete shift for me and poets like Rabindranath Tagore, William Blake and Kahlil Gibran ensured that I don’t go astray ever.

What were your poems about? Did you have any running themes?

In ‘Musings of Desire’, poems feature some of my unrequited emotions from my years in Australia that speak of memory and its intimate relationship with loss and love. Here, I remember cities, streets, beaches, restaurants… as binding to my obligation to remember my good friends before I lose them toward the end of poetry.

Here, poems also observe the ubiquitous temporary-ness of our world and any wisdom that it has to offer. It also includes poems on memories and nostalgia that arise from haunting objects, places, and the whole thought process of recovery and discovery that go with it.

Devotional essays towards the end, reminiscence of the bhakti period and tributes to a few tragedies completes the journey for a reader.

The book has nearly 12 sections and poems each section has running themes. However I had not forced my poems to sit on one theme-chair if they don’t want to. My poems are always free to roam around in the classroom.

Any challenges you had to face while writing this particular book?

I had a huge volume of unpublished drafts and notes that I had to put in some order. A lot of time was consumed to figure out what should be included and what not, so that the book does not look completely off the mood. Finding a poetry publisher was the second, and perhaps even bigger a predicament.

What is the most fulfilling part of writing a book?

It depends on various factors, including your very purpose of writing a book and it’s largely a subjective matter (from author to author). As far as I am concerned, after writing this book I felt a little more relieved, like when you have puked after an emotional indigestion (that you carried for years). Things that make you happy or sad go a little deeper.

There was one more thing equally fulfilling – to have an opportunity to put my family’s name on a book.

You can Read the Review, right here and Buy the Book, here as well.