My new monthly Column on International writers in Nepal Weekly, this month featuring Chinese poet Jidi Majia along with three of his poems in Nepali translation..

My new monthly Column on International writers in Nepal Weekly, this month featuring Chinese poet Jidi Majia along with three of his poems in Nepali translation..

A Poetry Workshop with Yuyutsu Sharma

A Workshop with Yuyutsu Sharma

Saturday, 25 May, 2019 4pm-5pm

at Berl’s Brooklyn Poetry Shop, 141 Front Street in D.U.M.B.O, Brooklyn, NY 

Transportation :  Take the F to York Street or the A/C to High Street Phone :  347-687-2375  Email : berlspoetry@gmail.com    https://berlspoetry.squarespace.com/

Yuyutsu Sharma is a Himalayan poet, currently a visiting poet at Columbia University.

After decades of traveling around the globe as an itinerant poet, Yuyutsu Sharma has earned the respect and admiration of thousands of people all over the world. He continues to have access to prestigious platforms and venues in Asia, Western Europe, and North, Central, and South America where his works are promoted and enthusiastically purchased.

Sanskrit word for The Himalayas is 'Devataatma', the place where soul of the God lives. Yuyutsu would discuss the oral and folk traditions of the Himalayas and read his poems on his travels in three regions of the Himalayas --Everest, Annapurnas and Helambu. He will also do a PowerPoint presentation of my book, Nepal Trilogy with amazing panoramic b/w photos from German photographer, Andreas Stimm and discuss his evolution as a poet.

During the workshop he will use his new book, The Second Buddha Walk: Inspired by The Second Buddha : Master of Time Exhibit at Rubin Museum, New York (Nirala) to discuss the concept of Space and Time and role of poet in the contemporary world, He will also read from Annapurna Poems and Milarepa’s Bones, Helambu and more recent Quaking Cantos : Nepal Earthquake Poems  to sketch the art of writing poetry and vocation of a being a poet today. Yuyu was a shaman in his childhood. He spent lots of time with the Himalayan sages as his father was a devout follower of naga sadhus who do not stay in a place more than a couple of days. Yuyu believes his current wandering poet's avatar is result of his association with Naga ascetics. He will explore how the homegrown spiritual traditions shaped his writing centered on Europe and Americas.

Yuyutsu Sharma Interview in Slovenia's Leading Weekly, OnaPlus

Yuyutsu Ram Dass Sharma

Bogove sem videl ležati na tleh kot brezdomce

»Poezija je vrnila moj svet in življenje v ravnotežje in mi dala moči za naprej,« se zamisli ugledni Yuyutsu Sharma med najinim pogovorom. Ljubljano je obiskal ob izidu slovenskega prevoda svoje pesniške zbirke z naslovom Pretreseni spevi: Pesmi iz potresnega Nepala. Nastale so po uničujočem potresu v Nepalu leta 2015, ki je za seboj pustil na tisoče mrtvih, več kot milijon ljudi pa je sredi ostrega himalajskega podnebja ostalo brez strehe nad glavo. V slovenščino je od njegovih desetih pesniških zbirk prevedena tudi Jezero Fewa in konj (2008). Svetovno znani himalajski pesnik in novinar, ki se je rodil v severni Indiji, zdaj pa živi v Katmanduju, je tudi velik popotnik. Njegova poezija, o kateri pravi, da se ukvarja z resničnim življenjem ter temeljnimi resnicami, je prevedena v številne jezike. Rad se odzove tudi povabilom za branje svojih pesmi in tako večinoma neutrudno potuje.

 
• Zdenka Petan17.02.2019   |  Foto: Ljubo Vukelič

Med potresom ste bili na bralni turneji po Severni in Srednji Ameriki. Kaj je sledilo, ko ste prejeli vest o potresu?

Z ženo sva bila v New Yorku. O potresu sva slišala, potem pa je nastal komunikacijski mrk in ni bilo ne interneta ne telefonskih ali drugih povezav. Bila sva povsem iz sebe. Šele po treh dneh sva izvedela, da so najini najbližji živi. Ko sva se vrnila, smo doživeli še en potres. Bilo je katastrofalno. Velika svetišča in petnadstropne pagode, ki smo jih imeli za samoumevne, so se zrušili. Na lepem so se spremenili v nič. Ko sem videl kip gospoda Višnuja in drugih bogov iz našega svetišča ležati na tleh kot brezdomce, sem bil izjemno prizadet. Prizor sem imel za napoved gorja. Kot če bi videli kip Jezusa Kristusa iz vaše domače cerkve nenadoma na ulici. Starodavne mestne zgradbe so se spremenile v ruševine. Vse je bilo prežeto s strahom pred grožnjo in popolno zmedo.

Nepal je bil do 50. let prejšnjega stoletja prava Šangri-La (fiktivna dežela večne sreče, op. a.). Potem so odprli vrata zunanjemu svetu in v državo so prišli turisti in modernizacija. Po zelenih travnikih in riževih poljih so začeli graditi ceste ter ogromne betonske zgradbe in Katmandu spremenili v barakarsko naselje, prenaseljeno, zadimljeno in onesnaženo.  

Kako ste se spopadali s travmatičnimi posledicami?

Potres je bil velikanski šok in prevzemala so me močna čustva. Vsepovsod je vladal strah, da se bo ponovilo. Vsakič, ko se je kaj zatreslo, smo vsi iz soseske pri priči bežali iz hiš. Bilo je grozljivo in kaotično. Številni so zmrzovali. Drugi so s cest pobirali dragocene spomenike. Politiki so žrtve potresa obravnavali politično, kar je najslabša oblika sočutja. Ljudje so prejemali podporo glede na to, kateri stranki pripadajo. Prispele so milijarde, vendar so jih razdelili strankarjem. Prispela je hrana, a so jo prodajali na tržnici. Zmeda je postala še večja, ko je nepalsko ljudstvo Tarai indijskega izvora zahtevalo enakopravno obravnavo v novi ustavi in je Indija zaprla meje. To je povzročilo pomanjkanje bencina in vsakdanjih dobrin v gospodinjstvu. Najbolj pa sem bil iz sebe, ko sem svoje bogove videl na tleh. Začel sem pisati.

Sedem stvari, ki so povzročile potrese je naslov drugega dela vaših Pretresenih spevov. Kako si je potres razložilo vaše ljudstvo?

V naših verovanjih imamo zelo poetične razlage, zakaj naj bi se zgodili potresi. Po ljudskih verovanjih je to znamenje, da so bogovi jezni. Obstajajo številne razlage, denimo, da so brahmini ubili sveto kravo in s tem povzročili potres. Ali o kralju, ki ga je obiskovala boginja in ga, medtem ko sta igrala šah, poučevala, kako naj vodi kraljestvo. Ko je ugotovila, da se je kralj zaljubil vanjo, je pobegnila, njena jeza pa od tedaj stresa Zemljo. Tretja, denimo, pravi, da so se otroci igrali z iphoni in ipadi in izgubljeni v virtualnih svetovih ubili belo kačo ter jo vrgli v reko Sankosi. Kača je v reki oživela in preklela kraljestvo. V naše razmišljanje je religioznost prirojena. Nepal je bil do 50. let prejšnjega stoletja prava Šangri-La (fiktivna dežela večne sreče, op. a.). Potem so odprli vrata zunanjemu svetu in v državo so prišli turisti in modernizacija. Po zelenih travnikih in riževih poljih so začeli graditi ceste ter ogromne betonske zgradbe in Katmandu spremenili v barakarsko naselje, prenaseljeno, zadimljeno in onesnaženo. Naša dolina je bila zelo plodna; riž je bistven za naše čaščenje in duhovne rituale. Himalajski ekosistem je zelo občutljiv, ljudje pa imajo vse za sveto, zato ogromno dopustijo. Mislim, da je potres nekakšna kulminacija dogajanja od 50. let prejšnjega stoletja, ko so deželo odprli velikim investicijam in naravi ne izkazujejo več nobenega spoštovanja.

V Nepalu je mogoče najti območja, kjer nihče ne uporablja sladkorja, zato nihče nima sladkorne, povišanega krvnega pritiska, nihče ne nosi očal, hrana je biološka, vsak dan hodijo po gorah, živijo zdravo in veliko dlje. 

Je Šangri-La, fiktivno deželo večne sreče, in prebivalce, ki živijo več desetletij dlje od povprečne življenjske dobe, kot jih je opisal James Hilton v svojem romanu Izgubljeno obzorje, še mogoče kje najti?

Ko sem se preselil v Nepal, sem našel delo v vasici, ki je bila povsem neokrnjena. To je bil paradiž, ki sem ga iskal. Vaščani so bili preprosti in prijazni, okrog mene pa so se dvigovale mogočne zelene gore. Ko sem opustil delo na univerzi, sem po naključju odšel v Himalajo. Od takrat jo obiščem vsako leto in pišem o njenih lepotah. Tamkajšnji prebivalci se iz dneva v dan borijo za preživetje, a so srečni. Razveselijo se vsakogar in delijo, kar imajo. So kulturno in duhovno bogati ter živijo v skladu z naravo. V Nepalu je mogoče najti območja, kjer nihče ne uporablja sladkorja, zato nihče nima sladkorne, povišanega krvnega pritiska, nihče ne nosi očal, njihova hrana je biološka, vsak dan hodijo po gorah, živijo zdravo in veliko dlje. Čeprav je Nepal majhna država, je podnebno zelo različna. Je dežela ekstremov, imamo najvišje gore, najmlajšo republiko in tam se je rodil eden najbolj veličastnih ljudi na svetu, Buda. Vendar bi politiki deželo radi spremenili v Zahod in še v Himalaji gradijo ceste. Le zakaj bi moral biti Nepal kot Zahod?

Včasih vas označijo za himalajskega, drugič za nepalskega, tretjič indijskega pesnika. Kaj je pravilno?

Sem vse to. Rojen sem v Indiji, živim v Nepalu, največ pa pišem o Himalaji. Pišem v nepalščini, ki je izjemno lep in poetičen jezik. Ko opevam najvišje gore na svetu, sem srečen. Slavljenje narave je moje zaupanje. Pisati o Himalaji imam za sveto dolžnost. V Himalaji sem našel svoj element, gore so iz mene naredile pesnika. Vendar sem bil pesnik, še preden sem se tega zares zavedal. Na univerzi sem sicer želel postati igralec in igral v Shakespearjevih, Brechtovih, Albeejevih in drugih igrah. Potem sem spoznal Davida Raya, ameriškega pesnika, ki je prišel k nam kot gostujoči profesor. Seznanil me je z ameriško poezijo, denimo Whitmanovo in Ginsbergovo. Povabil me je k sodelovanju pri reviji New Letters, uredil nekaj mojih del ter jih objavil. Ko sem v Nepalu odkril neokrnjeno vasico, kjer sem pri 24 letih napisal svojo prvo pesniško zbirko, se je vse prepletlo. Gorsko divjino čutim kot dušo boga in to je postalo temelj mojemu delu.

Poezija je v Nepalu zelo pomembna. Pesniki pripadamo svetu in smo čaščeni, a se moramo preživeti sami. Pridobiti si moramo bralce in osvojiti srca ljudi. Kot pravi naš mistični pesnik Kabir: Če želiš biti pesnik, zažgi svojo hišo in pridi z mano. Storil sem ravno to, podal sem se na polja življenja in od takrat potujem. 

Pravite, da ste bili pesnik, ko se tega še niste zavedali. Kako?

Rodil sem se v zelo religiozni družini. Moj oče je postal goreč sledilec golih sadujev, ki so kadili hašiš in mučili svoja telesa. Med počitnicami sem hodil z njim, v njihovih ašramih sem pomagal pri gospodinjskih opravilih ter se na pamet učil manter in svetih spisov, umetnosti pisanja, recitiranja in čaščenja. Ob nekem prazniku, ko so obdarovali guruja, mu je oče ponudil mene v dar. Želel je, da bi postal njegov učenec. Saduji so me ogledovali, kadili in kašljali, potem pa je guru rekel: Pameten otrok je, pošljite ga v šolo. Če tega ne bi rekel, ne vem, kje bi bil danes ali kakšen bi bil. Ta guru je povsem spremenil moje življenje, saj mi je oče potem omogočil najboljšo mogočo izobrazbo. Bil sem bister in oster in že pri 22 predaval na univerzi v Indiji.

Menda ste bili tudi že pri devetih letih proglašeni za šamana.

To je druga zgodba. Otroštvo sem večinoma preživljal pri dedku in babici po mamini strani. Moj dedek je častil Gorakhnatha, hindujskega jogija in svetnika. Na teh religioznih festivalih vedno veliko bobnajo, ljudje pa postanejo obsedeni, začnejo se tresti in bičati. Ob enem takem prazniku sem se tudi jaz začel tresti, se zvijati po tleh in bičati. Naslednji dan so me vsi imeli za šamana. Moj dedek se je pred menoj priklonil in vaščani so me klicali »babaji«. Zastavljali so mi najrazličnejša vprašanja in jaz sem jim odgovarjal. Vendar sem obiskoval angleško šolo in sčasoma mi je začelo postajati nelagodno. Bal sem se, da me bodo vrstniki imeli za zmešanega. Z učenjem znanosti in logike sem to stran v sebi zatrl. Ko sem začel pisati poezijo, pa je v meni oživela. Ko zdaj pišem ali berem poezijo, se vsakič povežem z nevidnim svetom in ponovno postanem šaman.

Ko je bila moja mama, ki je živela v Pandžabu, še živa, nisem nikoli potoval. Do njene smrti leta 2002 nisem nikdar zapustil Indije ali Nepala. Zanjo me je vedno skrbelo. Po njeni smrti sem se odločil, da se ne bom ničesar več bal, in od takrat nenehno potujem. Še moji otroci se čudijo, da nisem nikoli utrujen. 

Kako je poezija sprejeta v Nepalu in kakšen je tamkajšnji položaj pesnikov?

Poezija je v Nepalu zelo pomembna. V Aziji pišejo visoko literaturo. Vsako pleme, vsaka skupnost ima svojo poezijo. Pesniki so v Nepalu odigrali ključno vlogo tudi pri spreminjanju političnega sistema. Eden prvih takih pesnikov je bil Gopal Prasad Rimal, ki je povzročil revolucijo v 50. letih prejšnjega stoletja, ko še ni bilo dovoljeno tiskati knjig ali se javno družiti, deklice pa niso smele obiskovati šol. Je prvi mogočni moderni pesnik, ki so mu sledili številni. Njegove pesmi znajo ljudje še danes na pamet. Pesniki so postali osrednji pri spreminjanju moderne politike, vendar tam za pisanje poezije ne prejemamo štipendij. Pesniki pripadamo svetu in smo čaščeni, a se moramo preživeti sami. Pridobiti si moramo bralce in osvojiti srca ljudi. Kot pravi naš mistični pesnik Kabir: Če želiš biti pesnik, zažgi svojo hišo in pridi z mano. Storil sem ravno to, podal sem se na polja življenja in od takrat potujem.

Zakaj toliko potujete?

Ko je bila moja mama, ki je živela v Pandžabu, še živa, nisem nikoli potoval. Do njene smrti leta 2002 nisem nikdar zapustil Indije ali Nepala. Zanjo me je vedno skrbelo. Po njeni smrti sem se odločil, da se ne bom ničesar več bal, in od takrat nenehno potujem. Še moji otroci se čudijo, da nisem nikoli utrujen. Kot pravi moja pesem Družinsko božanstvo v Pretresenih spevih: »In zdaj boš, kamor koli greš, / zmagoval / in vladal srcem / ljudi, ki jih srečuješ / na svojih potovanjih okoli sveta.« To je blagoslov, ki ga je dobil Gorakhnath od boga, mislim, da imam del tega blagoslova svojega učitelja tudi jaz. Tako sem ukrojen. Gradim mostove z ljudmi z drugih celin in razširjam srčne dišave Himalajcev po vsem svetu. Ram Dass Sharma

I saw gods lying on the ground like homeless people

"Poetry has returned my world and life into balance and has given me strength for the future," said Yuyutsu Sharma, a respected reputation among our conversations. He visited Ljubljana on the occasion of the publication of a Slovene translation of his poetry collection, entitled The Shattered Songs: Songs from the Earthquake Nepal. They were created after the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, which left thousands dead, and more than a million people were left without a roof over the head in the middle of the harsh Himalayan climate. Lake Fewa and Horse (2008) are also translated into Slovene from its ten poetic collections. The world-renowned Himalayan poet and journalist who was born in northern India, now living in Kathmandu, is also a great traveler. His poetry, which he claims to be dealing with real life and fundamental truths, has been translated into many languages.

 
• Zdenka Petan02/17/2019   |  Photo: Ljubo Vukelic

During the earthquake you were on a reading tour across North and Central America. What happened when you received news of the earthquake?

My wife was in New York. We heard about the earthquake, and then there was a communication eclipse, and there was no Internet, no telephone or other connections. We were totally out of ourselves. Only after three days we learned that our closest ones are alive. When we returned, we experienced another earthquake. It was catastrophic. Great sanctuaries and five-storey pagodas, which we took for granted, crashed. They were turned into nothing in the beautiful. When I saw the statue of Lord Vishnu and other gods from our shrine lying on the ground as homeless, I was extremely affected. I had a scene to predict the mountains. As if you could see the statue of Jesus Christ from your home church suddenly on the street. Ancient city buildings have turned into ruins. Everything was full of fear from the threat and total confusion.

Until the 1950s Nepal was a real Shangri-La (the fictional land of eternal happiness, op. A.). Then they opened the door to the outside world and tourists and modernization came to the country. In the green meadows and rice fields, they began to build roads and huge concrete buildings and converted to Kathmandu into a barrack settlement, overcrowded, smoky and contaminated.  

How did you deal with the traumatic consequences?

The earthquake was a huge shock and I was absorbed by strong emotions. Everywhere there was fear that it would recur. Every time something shaken, we all fled from the neighborhood with a story from the houses. It was horrible and chaotic. Many were freezing. Others collected precious monuments from roads. Politicians treated the victims of the earthquake politically, which is the worst form of compassion. People received support according to which party they belong to. There were billions, but they were distributed to the parties. Food arrived, but it was sold at the market. The confusion became even greater when the Nepalese people of Tarai of Indian origin demanded equal treatment in the new constitution and India closed the borders. This caused the lack of gasoline and everyday household goods. Most of all I was from myself when I saw my gods on the ground. I started writing.

Seven things that caused earthquakes are the title of the second part of your Shaken songs. How was the earthquake explained by your people?

In our beliefs we have very poetic explanations of why earthquakes should occur. According to human beliefs, this is a sign that the gods are angry. There are many explanations, for example, that the brahmins killed a sacred cow and caused an earthquake. Or about the king who was visited by the goddess and taught him how to lead the kingdom while playing chess. When she realized that the king fell in love with her, she escaped, and her anger has since shook the Earth. The third, for example, says that children played with iphones and ipads and lost in virtual worlds killed a white snake and threw it into the Sankosi River. The snake in the river revived and cursed the kingdom. Religion is inherent in our thinking. Until the 1950s Nepal was a real Shangri-La (the fictional land of eternal happiness, op. A.). Then they opened the door to the outside world and tourists and modernization came to the country. In the green meadows and rice fields, they began to build roads and huge concrete buildings and converted to Kathmandu into a barrack settlement, overcrowded, smoky and contaminated. Our valley was very fertile; rice is essential for our worship and spiritual rituals. The Himalayan ecosystem is very sensitive, and people have everything to be holy, so they allow it a lot. I think that the earthquake is a kind of culmination of the events of the 1950s, when the land was opened to great investments and no longer show any respect to nature. rice is essential for our worship and spiritual rituals. The Himalayan ecosystem is very sensitive, and people have everything to be holy, so they allow it a lot. I think that the earthquake is a kind of culmination of the events of the 1950s, when the land was opened to great investments and no longer show any respect to nature. rice is essential for our worship and spiritual rituals. The Himalayan ecosystem is very sensitive, and people have everything to be holy, so they allow it a lot. I think that the earthquake is a kind of culmination of the events of the 1950s, when the land was opened to great investments and no longer show any respect to nature.

In Nepal, it is possible to find areas where no one uses sugar, so no one has diabetes, high blood pressure, no one wears glasses, food is biological, they walk on the mountain every day, live healthy and much longer. 

Is Shangri-La, the fictional land of eternal happiness, and the inhabitants who live decades more than the average lifespan described by James Hilton in his Lost Lost Horizon, maybe elsewhere find?

When I moved to Nepal, I found work in a village that was completely untouched. It was the paradise I was looking for. The villagers were simple and friendly, and the mighty green mountains rallied around me. When I left work at the university, I accidentally went to the Himalayas. Since then, I visit her every year and I write about her beauty. The local population is struggling for survival every day, but they are happy. They cheer everyone up and share what they have. They are culturally and spiritually rich and live in harmony with nature. In Nepal, it is possible to find areas where no one uses sugar, so no one has diabetes, high blood pressure, no one wears glasses, their food is biological, they walk on the mountain every day, live healthy and much longer. Although Nepal is a small country, climate is very different. It is the land of extremes, we have the highest mountains, the youngest republic, and there was born one of the most magnificent people in the world, the Buddha. But the politicians would like to change the country to the West and build roads in the Himalayas. Why should Nepal be the West?

Sometimes they call you Himalayan, secondly for the Nepalese, the third Indian poet. What is correct?

I'm all this. I'm born in India, I live in Nepal, but mostly I write about the Himalayas. I write in Nepali, which is an extremely beautiful and poetic language. When I sing the highest mountains in the world, I am happy. The celebration of nature is my confidence. I have a sacred duty to write about the Himalayas. In the Himalayas, I found my element, the mountains made me a poet from me. But I was a poet before I really knew it. At the university, I wanted to become a player and played in Shakespeare, Brecht, Albee and other games. Then I met David Ray, an American poet who came to us as a visiting professor. He introduced me to American poetry, such as Whitman and Ginsberg. He invited me to participate in the New Letters magazine, arranged some of my works and published them. When I discovered an unspoilt village in Nepal, where at the age of 24 I wrote my first poetry collection, everything got intertwined. I feel the wild wilderness as the soul of God and this has become the foundation of my work.

Poetry is very important in Nepal. Poets belong to the world and we are honored, but we must survive on our own. We need to get the readers and win the hearts of people. As our mystic poet Kabir says: If you want to be a poet, burn your house and come with me. I did just that, I went to the fields of life and since then I travel. 

You say that you were a poet when you were not aware of it yet. How?

I was born in a very religious family. My father became an ardent follower of naked Saduys who smoked the hash and tortured their bodies. During the holidays, I walked with him, in their ashrams I helped with household tasks, and learned to master the manners and scriptures, the art of writing, reciting and worship. On a holiday, when they gifted the guru, his father offered me a gift. He wanted to become his student. The Saduji looked at me, smoked and coughed, and then the guru said: A smart child is, send him to school. If I did not say this, I do not know where I would be today or what it would be. This guru has completely changed my life, since my father then enabled me the best possible education. I was bright and sharp and at 22 at the University of India.

You were also supposed to be a shaman at the age of nine.

This is another story. I spent most of my childhood with my grandfather and grandmother on my mother's side. My grandfather worshiped Gorakhnatha, a Hindu yogi and a saint. At these religious festivals, there are always a lot of drums, and people become obsessed, start shaking and screaming. At one such holiday, I also began to shake, to bend on the floor and to scream. The next day, all of us had a shaman. My grandfather bowed before me and the villagers called me "baboons". They asked me a lot of questions and I answered them. But I attended English school and eventually I started to get uncomfortable. I was afraid my peers would have me crazy. With the teachings of science and logic, I put down this side in myself. When I began to write poetry, it brought me to life. Now that I write or read poetry,

When my mom, who lived in Punjab, was still alive, I never traveled. Until her death in 2002, I never left India or Nepal. I was always worried about it. After her death, I decided that I would not be afraid of anything, and since then I have been traveling constantly. Even my children are surprised that I'm never tired. 

How is poetry adopted in Nepal and what is the position of the poets there?

Poetry is very important in Nepal. They write high literature in Asia. Each tribe, each community has its own poetry. In Nepal, poets also played a key role in changing the political system. One of the first such poets was Gopal Prasad Rimal, who caused the revolution in the 1950s when it was not allowed to print books or to publicly socialize, and girls could not attend schools. He is the first mighty modern poet, followed by many. His songs are still known to the people today. Poets have become central in changing modern politics, but there are no scholarships for writing poetry. Poets belong to the world and we are honored, but we must survive on our own. We need to get the readers and win the hearts of people. As our mystic poet Kabir says: If you want to be a poet, burn your house and come with me.

Why are you traveling so much?

When my mom, who lived in Punjab, was still alive, I never traveled. Until her death in 2002, I never left India or Nepal. I was always worried about it. After her death, I decided that I would not be afraid of anything, and since then I have been traveling constantly. Even my children are surprised that I'm never tired. As my poem says, the Family Deity in Shattered Speech: "And now you will, wherever you go, win / rule the hearts / people you encounter / on your travels around the world." This is the blessing that Gorakhnath received from God , I think I also have part of this blessing of my teacher. I'm so ruined. I build bridges with people from other continents and spread myths of the Himalayas around the world.

https://onaplus.delo.si/yuyutsu-ram-dass-sharma-bogove-sem-videl-lezati-na-tleh-kot-brezdomce?fbclid=IwAR2G-0DGgOwW5ntFed-yG9rcGgEGOMmuUJ7rbw0fmVuMA6Ntp4IfykzpS9c

Yuyutsu Sharma Reading Tour, May 2019

Wednesday, May 1,2019 at 6 pm :  Poetry Reading by Yuyutsu Ram Dass Sharma, Poet and Journalist from Nepal at DODGE ROOM, EARL HALL, Columbia University, Main-Campus at Morningside. Hosted by David Austell, OISS, 524 Riverside Drive, International House North New York, NY 10027 Phone: (212) 854-6263

Thursday, May2, 6:30 pm -9:30 Nirala Book Party and Poetry reading and Launch of Winter Issue of Pratik: A Magazine of Contemporary Writing: Yuyutsu Sharma reading with David Austell, Ruth Danon, Mike Graves, Ravi Shankar, Mike Jurkovic, Fran Antmann, Carolyn Wells, Robert Scotto, Anna Halberstadt, Jack Tar & Others at La Mistral  330 5th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 11215  RSVP: 9292577846

Thursday, May 9, 2019 at 7 pm - 8pm: Yuyutsu Sharma Reading with Michael C. Keith and Gloria Mindock in the Cervena Barva Press Reading Series: A Night of Fiction & Poetry at Arts at the Armory/Basement B8, 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA, And Admission: $5.00, Refreshments served

Recipient of fellowships and grants from The Rockefeller Foundation, Ireland Literature Exchange, Trubar Foundation, Slovenia, The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature and The Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature, Yuyutsu Sharma is a world renowned Himalayan poet and translator published by Nirala Press. He has published ten poetry collections including, The Second Buddha Walk, A Blizzard in my Bones: New York Poems, Quaking Cantos: Nepal Earthquake Poems, Nepal Trilogy, Space Cake, Amsterdam and Annapurna Poems. Three books of his poetry, Poemes de l’ Himalayas (L’Harmattan, Paris), Poemas de Los Himalayas (Cosmopoeticia, Cordoba, Spain) and Jezero Fewa & Konj (Sodobnost International) have appeared in French,  Spanish and Slovenian respectively.  In addition, Eternal Snow: A Worldwide Anthology of One Hundred Twenty-Five Poetic Intersections with Himalayan Poet Yuyutsu RD Sharma has just appeared.

Half the year, he travels and reads all over the world and conducts Creative Writing workshops at various universities in North America and Europe but goes trekking in the Himalayas when back home.  Currently, Yuyutsu Sharma is a visiting poet at Columbia University and edits, Pratik: A Quarterly Magazine of Contemporary Writing.

Yuyutsu Sharma's Upcoming Columbia University Reading

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1^st at 6:00pm

DODGE ROOM, EARL HALL

Columbia University

Main-Campus at Morningside

Recipient of fellowships and grants from The Rockefeller Foundation, Ireland Literature Exchange, Trubar Foundation, Slovenia, The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature and The Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature, Yuyutsu Sharma is a world renowned Himalayan poet and translator.

 He has published ten poetry collections including, The Second Buddha Walk, A Blizzard in my Bones: New York Poems, Quaking Cantos: Nepal Earthquake Poems, Nepal Trilogy, Space Cake, Amsterdam and Annapurna Poems. Three books of his poetry, Poemes de l’ Himalayas (L’Harmattan, Paris), Poemas de Los Himalayas (Cosmopoeticia, Cordoba, Spain) and Jezero Fewa & Konj (Sodobnost International) have appeared in French,  Spanish and Slovenian respectively.  In addition, Eternal Snow: A Worldwide Anthology of One Hundred Twenty-Five Poetic Intersections with Himalayan Poet Yuyutsu RD Sharma has just appeared.

Half the year, he travels and reads all over the world and conducts Creative Writing workshops at various universities in North America and Europe but goes trekking in the Himalayas when back home.

Currently, Yuyutsu Sharma is a visiting poet at Columbia University and edits, Pratik: A Quarterly Magazine of Contemporary Writing.

Harbour news-- Upcoming Yuyutsu Sharma Connecticut reading with Ravi Shankar and Brent Terry

Making of The Indian Muse : Context and Perspectives in Indian Poetry in English 

• Publisher: Nirala Publications, New Delhi (2019)
• ISBN-10: 8182500273
• ISBN-13: 978-8182500273
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/8182500273?ref=myi_title_dp
  Also on Amazon India:
  https://www.amazon.in/dp/8182500273?ref=myi_title_dp
• 
  

Though at the very outset Indian English Poetry imitated the patterns of the British poetry, over the decades the genre has evolved along with Indian ethos and bears a distinctive feature and sensibilities. Since without understanding the nuances of this genre one can’t explore its diversity, the present volume attempts to explore its various dimensions, studying it from numerous perspectives. The book begins with an overview of Indian English Poetry, and moves on to explore the various themes of Pre and Post-Independence period of this genre the writers discussed in the book include Toru Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, Sarojini Naidu, Shiv K. Kumar, Nissim Ezekiel, Bibhu Padhi, Jayanta Mahapatra, A.K. Ramanujan, P. Lal, Arun Kolatkar, Kamala Das, Meena Alexande, R. Parthasarathy, Keki N. Daruwalla,Dilip Chitre, Dom Moraes, Adil Jussawalla, Agha Shahid Ali, Vikram Seth, R.Raj Rao, Sujata Bhatt, Yuyutsu Sharma, Robin S Ngangom and Ranjit Hoskote. A must read for all interested in the making of the Indian Muse. 


A ground breaking volume.. highly recommended to any scholar of Indian literature. -Elisabetta Marino, Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Rome.


 "Goutam Karmakar has curated a much-needed critical collection that traces the history of modern Indian poetry in English.... This is a welcome addition to our scholarship, deepening the depth of our learning and freeing the streams of our wisdom into flow. --Ravi Shankar 


CONTRIBUTORS: 
Abina Habib, Aparna, Bonosree Majhi, Chaitali Giri, Debaditya Mukhopadhyay, Durba Mukherjee, Durga Patva, Ebrahim SK, Hemant Kumar Jha, Hemanga Dutta, Huzaifa Pandit, Indrani Chakraborty Jimmy Sharma, Manisha Bhattacharya, Monika Manidarshan, Nahid Kaiser, Pankti Desai, Parneet Jaggi Prasun Maji, Rima Ghosh, Rimpa Roy, Santanu Ganguly, Seema Sarkar, Subhas Chandra Dasgupta, Sudhir K. Arora, Sutanuka Ghosh Roy, T. Vaudeva Reddy, Tanima Shome, Timothy Jairaj

Yuyutsu Sharma to read with David Austell & Dean Kostos at The Phoenix Reading Series,

Yuyutsu Sharma to read with David Austell & Dean Kostos
Sunday, April 14, 6 pm
The Phoenix Reading Series, 27 Bethune Street, 212-929-3249

David B. Austell, Ph.D. is Associate Provost and Director of the International Students and Scholars Office at Columbia University in New York City where he is also an Associate Professor of International Education in Teachers College-Columbia University (adjunct). David has over thirty years of executive leadership experience in International Education, and is a frequent writer and presenter in his professional field. David has undergraduate and graduate degrees in English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also completed his Ph.D. in Higher Education, focusing on International Education. His doctoral dissertation, The Birds in the Rich Forest, concerned Chinese students in the United States during the Student Democracy Movement. David was a Fulbright Fellow in Japan and Korea in 1992. He is also a poet, and The Tin Man is his third book.

Yuyutsu Sharma is a recipient of fellowships and grants from The Rockefeller Foundation, Ireland Literature Exchange, Trubar Foundation, Slovenia, The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature and The Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature, Yuyutsu RD Sharma is a distinguished poet and translator. He has  published nine poetry collections including, A Blizzard in my Bones: New York Poems (Nirala, 2016), Quaking Cantos: Nepal Earthquake Poems, (Nirala, 2016),  Milarepa’s Bones, 33 New Poems, (Nirala, 2012),  Nepal Trilogy, Photographs and Poetry on Annapurna, Everest, Helambu & Langtang (www.Nepal-Trilogy.de, Epsilonmedia, Karlsruhe, 2010), a 900-page book with renowned German photographer, Andreas Stimm, Space Cake, Amsterdam, & Other Poems from Europe and America, (2009, Indian reprint 2014) and Annapurna Poems, 2008, Reprint, 2012).

Dean Kostos is the author of This Is Not a Skyscraper, selected by Mark Doty for the Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award, published by Red Hen Press in 2015.

Kostos's earlier collections include Rivering, Last Supper of the Senses (required reading at Duke University), The Sentence That Ends with a Comma, and the chapbook Celestial Rust. He also edited the anthology Pomegranate Seeds: An Anthology of Greek-American Poetry; its debut reading was held at the UN. He co-edited the anthology of personal essays Mama’s Boy: Gay Men Write about Their Mothers, a Lambda Book Award finalist. 

A Pushcart Prize nominee, he has taught at the Gallatin School of New York University, The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Wesleyan, Teachers & Writers Collaborative, The City University of New York, Berkeley College, and Gotham Writers’ Workshop.Recipient of a Yaddo fellowship, he has served as literary judge for Columbia University’s Gold Crown and Gold Circle Awards. His poem "Subway Silk" was translated into a short film and screened in Tribeca and at the San Francisco IndieFest, February 2013.
  

Winter Issue of Pratik: A Magazine of Contemporary Writing released: Special Focus Contemporary Russian and French Poetry

The current issue has special focus on Contemporary Russian and French Poetry. It features new work by fourteen Russian Poets including Dmitry Grigoriev, Alla Gorbunova, Olga Anikina Andrei Polonsky, Danila Davydov, John William Narins, Anastasia Romanova, Dmitry Legeza, Igor Karaulov. Valerii Zemskikh, Dina Gatina, Maya-Marina Sheremeteva, Irina Evsa and Serge Tashevsky. An essay “Russian Poetry Today: A Contemporary Sampler” by A. DMITRIJANOV has been included as a prelude to the Russian Section.

The Winter Issue also presents Eleven  French poets including  Michel Bulteau , Gabriel Arnou Laujeac, Maram Al-Masri, Hélène Cardona, Véronique Joyaux, Marie-Claude Deudon,  Jean-Claude Tardif, Pierre Rosin,  Nicole Barrière, Claire Paulian, Cirène Gayraud and Jacques Jouet.  It also has special France related poems by Four American poets namely,  Willis Barnstone, David Austell, Robin Metz, and Rebecca Morrison

Plus it has new work of non-fiction American Authors,  Susan Shapiro and Elizabeth Enslin and a short story by leading Hindi writer, Pankaj Bisht

The artist of the Issue is Lithuanian sculptor and painter, Ruta Jusionytė.

In addition,  new work by Tim Kahl, Amrendra Khatua, Usha Akella, Shailendra Sakar. Chuck  Joy and Raghubir Sharma has been showcased. Besides,  Haig Chahinian’s  review of Susan Shapiro’s The Byline Bible, George Wallace’s review of All Vows: New & Selected Poems By David B Axelrod, Edmound Miller’s  review of Diane Frank's Letters from Sacred   Mountain Place and  Jeff’s  Deck review Dan Szczesny’s The White Mountain are the highlights of the Issue. Stephanie Laterza Review Essay focused on Voices Carry (Shearsman Books, 2017) by Mervyn Taylor, Drugstore Blue (Five Oaks Press, 2017) by Susana H. Case, and Out From Calaboose (Nirala, New Delhi, 2017) by Karen Corinne Herceg has also been included.

Winter Issue of Pratik available in North America on
Amazon.com, Special focus Contemporary Russian and French Poetry...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QBBYSM7?ref=myi_title_dp

Winter Issue now on Amazon India!
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07QBBYSM7?ref=myi_title_dp

Saman Rushdie with Yuyutsu Sharma at South Asian Poets Reading at New York University

Indian Edition of the Selected Yuyutsu Sharma Poems translated into French by Nicole Barriere et Camille Bloomfield originally published by L'Harmattan

Indian Edition of the Selected Yuyutsu Sharma Poems translated into French by Nicole Barriere et Camille Bloomfield originally published by L'Harmattan, Parishttps://www.amazon.com/dp/8182500990?ref=myi_title_dp

An Indian Edition of world famous Himalayan poet Yuyutsu Sharma's Selected poems in French published by Paris-based publisher, L' Harmattan. La poésie de Yuyutsu R. D. Sharma mêle humour et gravité pour raconter l'expérience commune humaine. Entendre ses poèmes en népali, c'est entendre un chant venu des plus hautes cimes, mais c'est aussi pénétrer les fêlures de la modernité du monde. Qu'il évoque les porteurs de l'Himalaya, qu'il raconte ses aventures à New York, il décrit les expressions fondamentales de l'humanité en mêlant les rêves, l'espoir et la réalité. Son travail poétique est aussi bien nourri des grands auteurs (Shakespeare, Brecht, Pinter...) que de situations inédites et personnelles.

Product details

Series: Nirala Series

Paperback

Publisher: Nirala Publications, New Delhi; 2nd edition (2018)

Language: French

ISBN-10: 8182500990

ISBN-13: 978-8182500990

Package Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds

Today's column on my travels around the world and Allen Ginsberg in Nepal's leading daily, Naya Patrika.. गिन्सवर्गको पाइला टेक्दै

गिन्सवर्गको पाइला टेक्दै

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युयुत्सु आरडी शर्मा

२०७५ फाल्गुण २५ शनिबार १०:५६:०० | काठमाडौं

सत्र वर्षको उमेरमा हिप्पी बनेका एलेन गिन्सवर्गले उडस्टकमा स्थापना गरेको ‘राइटर्स रिट्रिट’मा गएर बस्ने शिवले निधो गरे । उडस्टक त्यसवेला नितान्त निर्जन ठाउँ थियो । यति विकट कि हुलाक कार्यालयले आफ्नो एक मात्र शाखा बन्द गर्ने निर्णय गरेको तथ्य उनी सम्झन्छन् ।

साठीको दशकप्रति समर्पित एउटा हिप रेस्टुरेन्टमा शिव उपनाम गरेका एक अमेरिकी कविसँग म चिया पिइरहेको छु । हिप्पीहरूको स्वर्ग मानिने न्युयोर्क राज्यलाई । त्यही रमणीय ‘उडस्टक’को मुख्य बजारको मूल सडकमा बसेर हामी अतीतका पाना पल्टाइरहेका छौँ । शिव आफ्ना यौवनकालमा गरेका निर्णयको चर्चा गरिरहेका छन् ।  सत्र वर्षको उमेरमा हिप्पी बनेका एलेन गिन्सवर्गले उडस्टकमा स्थापना गरेको ‘राइटर्स रिट्रिट’मा गएर बस्ने शिवले निधो गरे । उडस्टक त्यसवेला नितान्त निर्जन ठाउँ थियो । यति विकट कि हुलाक कार्यालयले आफ्ना एक मात्र शाखा बन्द गर्ने निर्णय गरेको तथ्य उनी सम्झन्छन् । त्यस क्षेत्रमा गिन्सवर्गको आगमनपछि हुलाक विभागले थप निर्णय गर्न बाध्य भए । किनकि गिन्सवर्ग आएपछि यति धेरै चिठी हुलाक शाखामा आउन थाले कि त्यो शाखाको विस्तार नै गर्नुप-यो । 

मैले विश्व भ्रमण सुरु गरेदेखि नै यस्ता अनौठा र अद्भूत कथाहरू सुन्ने मौका पाइरहेको छु । यहाँसम्म कि कहिलेकाहीँ त मलाई यी लेखकमध्ये केहीले त कुनै सेतो ख्याकझैँ पछ्याएको जस्तो भान हुन्छ । ती लेखकमध्ये गिन्सवर्ग, फ्रेडरिक गार्सिया लोर्का र रवीन्द्रनाथ टैगोरहरू विभिन्न महाद्वीपहरूमा पुगेका कथाहरू सुन्दा म निरन्तर तिनीहरूले बनाएका अदृश्य रोडम्यापमा हिँडिरहेको जस्तो अनुभूति हुन्छ । मैले मेरा विश्व भ्रमणहरूको सिलसिलामा आफू कुनै पनि ठाउँमा पुग्नुअगाडि नै तिनीहरू पुगिसकेको देख्दा म छक्क परेको छु । स्नेलमेलको जगजगी र इन्टरनेट आउनुअघिको संसारमा पनि कसरी तिनले आफ्ना भ्रमणतालिका बनाउन सकेका होलान् ?

रोमानियाको सानो गाउँमा होस् वा नेदरल्यान्ड्सको पुरातन हारलमका फराकिला चोकहरूमा, अर्जेन्टिनाको होटेल ग्रान्डे होस् वा स्लोभेनियाको सानो रेलवे स्टेसनमा, यी साहित्यिक दिग्गजहरू मलाई सधैँ पछ्याइरहेका हुन्छन् । साँच्ची भनूँ भने उराठलाग्दो विकराल महाद्वीपहरूका अँध्याराहरूलाई चिरेर बनेको आकाशे रोडम्यापहरूमा एउटा आज्ञाकारी चेलाझैँ म हिँडिरहेको जस्तो अनुभूति पाइरहेको हुन्छु ।

अञ्जान महानगरहरूमा एक्लै भौँतारिएका वेला म अचम्मित हुन्छु कि तिनीहरू कसरी हिँडेका होलान् विभिन्न विकट गन्तव्यमा, नौलो कवितास्थलहरूको निर्माण गर्दै विश्वस्तरमा यायावर कविहरूको एउटा कुटुम्ब बनाउँदै । कसरी तिनीहरू नौलो संस्कृति, विभिन्न मानिस र समाजको गन्धमा भिजेका होलान् ? कसरी तिनीहरूले यस प्रक्रियामा टाढाटाढा रहेका महाद्वीपहरूको सांस्कृतिक धरोहर बनाएर त्यहाँका पाठकको कल्पना संसारमा प्रवेश गरेका होलान् ? खासगरी म गिन्सवर्गको घुमन्ते प्रवृत्तिबाट निकै प्रभावित भएको छु । कसरी उनले आफ्ना बिट परम्पराका सहयोगीहरूसित मिली आधुनिक यायाबर स्रष्टाहरूको परम्परालाई नौलो आयाम दिएर विश्वभरि अटुट मित्रताको माला बुने ? वाल्ट ह्विटम्यानका शब्दमा भन्दा ‘मित्रताहरू सल्लाको काण्डजत्तिकै मोटा र बलिष्ठ हुन्छन् ।’

हाइडलवर्ग नजिकै एउटा गाउँमा कविता पढ्नुअघि मैले मेरो आतिथ्य संयोजक जर्मनेली लेखक एवं सम्पादक बर्नर पाइपरलाई ‘म बिफ खान्न’ भन्नेबित्तिकै उनले गिन्सवर्गले पनि हाइडलवर्ग आउँदा एउटा हिन्दू सन्तझैँ कविता पाठ गरेको र त्यसपछि ‘म बिफ खान्न, हिन्दू भइसकेँ’ भन्ने उद्गार दिएको कुरा मलाई सुनाएका थिए । अर्काे कुरा, नेदरल्यान्ड्सको सानो पुरातन सहर हार्लेमको सानो बार (जहाँ मेरो कविता वाचन कार्यक्रम राखिएको थियो)मा मानिसहरूले गिन्सवर्गले हार्माेनियम बजाएर ‘हरेराम हरेकृष्ण’ शैलीमा आफ्नो प्रसिद्ध कविता ‘हाउल’ वाचन गरेको पनि मैले थाहा पाएँ ।

मैले सोही मदिरा पसलमा कविता पाठ गर्नेबित्तिकै आफूले बोकेको हिमाली सांस्कृतिक धरोहरको परिचय ती बिट आइकनहरूले जमानामै गरिसकेकाले मलाई सुरुका दिनहरूमा राखिएको वाचन कार्यक्रममा मैले धेरै प्रोत्साहन पाएँ । श्रोतामा मेरो प्रभाव जमाउन सजिलो भयो। त्यसैगरी एमस्ट्रर्डमको कुनामा रहेको कलाकारहरूको गाउँ रायखोटमा डच कवि हान्स पल्म्पले घन्टौँ गिन्सवर्गको डचसँगको सम्बन्धका कुरा गरेका थिए । पहिलो भेटमा नै उनले गिन्सवर्गले निकालेको प्रतिनिधि डच कविहरूको संग्रह मलाई देखाएका थिए । त्यसमा सिमोन भेन्केनोजलगायत हान्सका कविताहरू पनि राखिएका थिए ।

मैले केही समय रायखोटमा बिताउने क्रममा हान्सले मलाई गिन्सवर्गले पछि कोलोराडोमा नारोपा इन्स्टिच्युट खोलेको र त्यसमा उनले लगेका बौद्धिक भिक्षु चोग्याम टुङ्पा रिम्पोछेका अनेकौँ प्रसंग सुनाए । महान बौद्धसन्त चोग्याम आफ्नो जीवनको अन्तिम खण्डमा बौलाहा र जँड्याहा भएका थिए । त्यहाँका युवा चेलीहरूलाई सार्वजनिकस्थलमा प्रताडन गर्न थालेको कुरा हान्सले मलाई सुनाएका थिए । हान्सका अनुसार गिन्सवर्गले रिम्पोछेको त्यो ‘अलौकिक उत्तेजना’को थरीथरीका स्पष्टीकरण दिँदै उनको यौन उत्पीडन दिने व्यवहारको बचाउ गरेका थिए । 

त्यसैगरी न्युयोर्कमा पस्नेबित्तिकै मैले धेरै मानिसले गिन्सवर्गलाई भेटेको र गिन्सवर्गले तिनीहरूलाई शारीरिक सम्बन्धका प्रस्तावहरू राखेका कथाहरू सुनेको थिएँ । समलिंगी स्वभावका उनले राम्रा पुरुषहरूलाई आफ्नो कोठामा बोलाएर उत्तेजित गर्ने गरेका हल्लाहरू प्रायः सुन्न सकिन्थ्यो । एक पुरुष कविमित्रलाई बोलाउँदा कोठामा उनी कपालै कपाल भएको नांगो रूपमा देखेको पनि मैले सुनेँ । हाल रिलिज भएको पुरस्कृत फिल्म ‘वोहोमियान रैपसोडी’मा त्यस कालखण्डको उत्तेजनालाई छाम्न सकिन्छ । गिन्सवर्गका डिलन थोमस, अन्य बेलायती कवि र संगीतकारहरूसितको साझेदारी जगजाहेर नै छ । विशेष रूपले लन्डनका कविहरू आज पनि उनको बेस्ट बुक्स र एलवर्ट हलमा गरेका कविता वाचनका कथाहरू सुनाउने गर्छन् । त्यसैगरी गिन्सवर्गको चीन भ्रमण र त्यहाँ उनले दिएको भाषणको चर्चा निकै समय साहित्यिक जगत्मा चल्योे । त्यसमाथि छुट्टै एउटा लेख नै लेख्न सकिन्छ ।

भारतमा गिन्सवर्गको बंगाली कवि मलायराय चौधरीसितको साझेदारी, सहकार्य र हंग्री जमातको कुरा यदाकदा नेपाली साहित्यिक जगत्मा पनि सुनिन्छ । बंगाली सम्बन्धका अत्यधिक रोचक कथाहरू मलाई संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकामा बसेका कवि ज्योर्तिमा दत्तले सुनाएका थिए । दत्त न्युयोर्कको न्यू स्कुलमा भइरहेको मेरो कविता पाठ सुन्न आएका थिए । उनकी श्रीमतीले आफ्नी बुहारी नेपाली नागरिक भएको बताइन् र न्युजर्सीस्थित घरमा आई केहीदिन बस्न अनुरोधसमेत गरिन् । आफ्नी नेपाली बुहारीलाई खुसी पार्नका नेपाली कविलाई सम्मान गरिएको मेरा लागि यो पहिलो अवसर थियो ।

श्रीमती दत्तले पहिलो पल्ट गिन्सवर्गलाई कोलकातामा भेटेकी थिइन् । उनलाई अचम्मित पार्नका लागि उनका समलिंगी मित्र पिटर ओर्लाेभ्स्कीलाई गिन्सबर्गले ‘मेरी श्रीमतीज्यू’ भनी परिचय गराएका थिए । त्यसपछि केहीबेर श्रीमती दत्तको अनुहारमा यस्तो नौलो सम्बोधनको प्रभाव हेर्न उनी प्रतीक्षारत भएको कुरा उनले रमाइलो गरी मलाई सुनाएकी थिइन् । दत्त पछि कोलकाताबाट अमेरिका सरेपछि गिन्सवर्ग प्रायःजसो उनीहरूको न्युजर्सीस्थित निवासमा जान्थे । त्यस समय गिन्सवर्ग निकै चर्चित र लोकप्रिय भइसकेका थिए । बेलुका गिन्सवर्ग दत्त परिवारसहित टाइम्स स्क्वायरतिर डुल्दा तिनको सानो छोरा गोगो (हाल स्वर्गीय)लाई काँधमा राखी घुम्न जान्थे । उनी यति नाम चलेका व्यक्ति थिए कि टाइम्स क्स्वायरमा मानिसहरूले उनलाई चिनेर अटोग्राफको अनुरोध गर्न थालेका थिए ।

यस्ता प्रसंग र कथाहरू संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकामा मात्र होइन, विश्वको साहित्यिक र सहरी लोकसंस्कृतिको अभिन्न अंग भइसकेको छ । यो कुनै आश्चर्यको कुरा होइन कि वर्तमान दशकमा साठीको दशकको कला, संगीत र साहित्यको पुनर्जागरण भइरहेको छ । यस्तो फराकिला मानसिकता, बौद्धिक विस्तार र आत्मा प्रस्फुटन गर्न सक्ने शक्ति र ऊर्जा भएकाले आज विश्वमा बिट साहित्यको जगजगी छ । प्रायःजसो अधिकांश अमेरिकी पसलमा गिन्सवर्गको ‘हाउल’ र जैक कैरुयकको ‘अन द रोड’ पुस्तकका प्रतिहरू सदाबहार साहित्यिक कृतिका रूपमा राखिरहेको देखिन्छ । आजका युवापुस्तामा यी लेखकको प्रभाव निकै प्रबल छ । 

मेरो सुरुको युरोप भ्रमणका वेलाको लेखनमा ‘स्पेसकेक एम्स्टर्डम’ र न्युयोर्कमाथि केन्द्रित ‘अ ब्लिजार्ड इन माई बोनज’ कृति ती कालजयी दिग्गजहरूको गोरेटामा टेक्दै कोरिएका छन् । युरोप र अमेरिकाका प्रायःजसो सहरमा गिन्सवर्ग र अन्य बिट लेखकहरू जस्तै विलियम एस वोरोज र ज्याक कैरयुकका पुस्तकहरू सदाबहार बेस्ट सेलरका रूपमा आज पनि देख्न सकिन्छ । यी लेखकहरूले आफ्नो आत्मासित गरेका वार्तालाप र अन्वेषणहरू आजको विश्व वाङमयको अजर तथा अमर धरोहर बनेका छन् ।

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