Thursday, March 14, 2019

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


Saturday, March 9, 2019

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

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 ।
yuyutsurd@gmail.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Yuyutsu Sharma with local Eternal Snow Poets Penny Kline, Tim Kahl, Allegra Silberstein, Meera Klein and Nancy Aidé González

Yuyutsu Sharma 
with local Eternal Snow Poets 
Penny Kline, Tim Kahl, Allegra Silberstein,
Meera Klein and Nancy Aidé González

 Monday, December 17, 7:30 pm
Sacramento Poetry Center, 1719 25th St
Host Penny Kline
Holiday Celebration:
 Open Mic (bring a Christmas/Holiday poem to read)
Hot Cider ... Eggnog ... Sweet Treats ... Free Event
Eternal Snow: A Worldwide Anthology of  
One Hundred Twenty-Five Poetic Intersections 
with Himalayan Poet Yuyutsu RD Sharma
Edited by David Austell & Kathleen D Gallagher
​​​​​​​Books available for purchase.
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Penny Kline
and
Yuyutsu Sharma
in
New York
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Tim Kahl
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Allegra Silberstein
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Meera Kline
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Nancy Aidé González
Coming Events:  SPC and Elsewhere
 Events take place at the Sacramento Poetry Center
and are Free (unless otherwise noted)
☆  Poetry Center Gallery December ☆
Women's Wisdom Art​​​​​​​

Monday, December 17, Host Penny Kline
Yuyutsu Sharma with local Eternal Snow Poets
Penny Kline, Tim Kahl, Allegra Silberstein,
Meera Klein and Nancy Aidé González
&  Christmas Celebration, 7:30 pm

Wednesday, December 19
Facilitated by Christin O'Cuddehy
 MarieWriters Generative Writing Workshop
Come and write freely in a small, guided group. 6 pm 

Thursday, December 20
Hosts Mary Zeppa and Lawrence Dinkins
Sacramento Room, Central Library, 828 I Street
12 Noon 
Bring a poem by a poet other than yourself.

Monday, December 24 & 31
Poetry Center will be closed to observe the holidays.
    
Sacramento Poetry Center
1719 25th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816 | Phone: 916 240 1897
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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Upcoming Rubin Museum Reading and Launch




WRITING BUDDHAS: THE CONCEPTS OF TIME AND SPACE
IN-GALLERY POETRY READING AND LECTURE

WEDNESDAY, 12.5.18 
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM 

The world-renowned Himalayan poet Yuyutsu Sharma will discuss the art of writing and share his recent work based on the exhibition The Second Buddha: Master of Time.
Using images and the exploits of Padmasambhava, who traveled to Tibet in the 8th century and established Vajrayana Buddhism, Sharma will discuss the art of writing through an exploration of Himalayan masters, and read new works from his collection, The Second Buddha Walk: I Walk Like an Old Man.
Sharma’s poetry explores concepts of time in Asian mythology and writing, including the treasure troves, or terma, that Padmasambhava left across time and space for his disciples. Discussing the guru-disciple relationships that are central to Hindu and Buddhist traditions, he evokes the motif of time and space to express the role of deities in shaping the future of humanity.
The talk will be followed by a book signing of his work.
Yuyutsu will be introduced by David B. Austell, PhD, associate provost and director of the International Students and Scholars Office at Columbia University.

About the Speaker



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 an internationally acclaimed South Asian 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), 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.
He has read his works at prestigious locations worldwide including Seamus Heaney Center for Poetry, Belfast, The Kring, Amsterdam, P.E.N, Paris, Knox College, Illinois, Whittier College, California, Baruch College, New York, WB Yeats’ Center, Sligo, Shi Shangzhuang, Hebei, China, Gustav Stressemann Institute, Bonn, Rubin Museum, New York, The Irish Writers’ Centre, Dublin, Lu Xun Literary Institute, Beijing, The Guardian Newsroom, London, Gunter Grass House, Bremen, GTZ, Kathmandu, Nehru Center, London, Beijing Normal University, Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI) / Indian Embassy, Buenos Aires, Gannon University, Erie, Frankfurt Book Fair, Frankfurt, Sahitya Academy, New Delhi, and Villa Serbelloni, Italy.
He has held workshops in creative writing and translation at Queen’s University, Belfast, University of Ottawa and South Asian Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany, University of California, Davis, Sacramento State University, California, Beijing Open University, and New York University, New York.


Artwork Credit
Padmasambhava; Tibet; 18th century; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin; C2006.66.418 (HAR 866)
Tickets: $19.00
Member Tickets: $15.20

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Yuyutsu Sharma Upcoming Europe Tour






November 2018, Europe

Germany

Friday, November 16, 2018,  Reading with German Novelist and  Editor, 
Eckhart Nickel at the famous bookstore, "Artes Liberales“ on Ingrimstrasse, Heidelberg https://buchladen.artesliberales.name/

France
Sunday, November 18, 2018,  Yuyutsu Sharma  reading at Lithuanian artist, Ruta Jusionyte’s  Studio with Selwyn Rodda, Dominique Bernard, Valdas Papievis, Antonia Al1exandra Klimenko, John Alexander Serna at 93 rue de Romaine 93·100 Montreuil, France 0665143873

Slovenia 

Sunday, November 25, 2018, 11-12, National Book Fair, Yuyutsu Sharma to read at the Slovene launch of Quaking Cantos: Nepal Earthquake Poems, Translated into Slovene by Barbara Pogačnik 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 18.00 pm, Yuyutsu Sharma to read at Central Library, Celje, Slovenia


Thursday, October 4, 2018

Reading the Himalayas at Cornelia St Café Readings & Book Launch


Reading the Himalayas at Cornelia St Café
Readings & Book Launch
Plus a Select Open Mike
Thursday, Oct 25, 2018, 6-7:30 pm
  29 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014, USA Phone: +1 212-989-9319
http://corneliastreetcafe.com/


Renowned Himalayan Poet Yuyutsu Sharma travels to read at New York’s famous West Village venue along with distinguished fellow poets, namely Jill Hoffman, Robert Scotto, Anna Halberstadt and Mike Jurkovic. Yuyutsu will read from his new work based on The Rubin Museum Exhibit, The Second Buddha focused on Padmasambhava along with his Himalayan poems. A launch of his Pratik Magazine’s Double Summer/Spring Issue carrying special material on Europe along with the Pre-launch of the American poet, Robert Scotto’s new book of poems, Imagined Secrets ( Nirala, 2019) by acclaimed NYU Professor, Poet and Curator of New York Writers Workshop,  Tim Tomlinson will also take place.

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 an internationally acclaimed South Asian poet and translator. He has published nine poetry collections including, A Blizzard in my Bones: New York Poems, Quaking Cantos: Nepal Earthquake Poems, Nepal Trilogy, Space Cake, Amsterdam, & Other Poems from Europe and America, and Annapurna Poems. Widely traveled author, he has read his works worldwide and held workshops in creative writing and translation at Queen's University, Belfast, University of Ottawa and South Asian Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany, University of California, Davis, Sacramento State University, California, Beijing Open University and New York University, New York. Yuyutsu is the Visiting Poet at Columbia University, New York and has just returned from China where had gone to read and conduct workshops at Beijing Normal University. Half the year, he travels and reads all over the world to read from his works and conducts Creative Writing workshops at various universities in North America and Europe but goes trekking in the Himalayas when back home. 

Jill Hoffman is the Founding Editor of Mudfish (Box Turtle Press), and the Mudfish Individual Poet Series. Box Turtle Press has just published The Gates of Pearl, a book-length poem in two voices, hers and her mother Pearl's, as Mudfish Individual Poet Series #11. Black Diaries (Mudfish Individual Poet Series # 2) was published in 2000. Her first book of poems, Mink Coat, was published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1973. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1974-75. Jilted, a novel, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1993. She has a B.A. from Bennington College, M.A. from Columbia University and Ph. D. from Cornell University. She has taught in major universities (Bard, Barnard, Brooklyn, Columbia) and published in major magazines, such as The New Yorker and Paris Review. She has led the Mudfish Writing Workshop in Tribeca since 1990. She is also a painter.

American poet and scholar, Robert Scotto was a professor of English at Baruch College, CUNY, until his retirement. His previous publications include A Critical Edition of Catch-22, a book on the contemporary American novel and essays on Walter Pater, James Joyce and other major and minor nineteenth and twentieth-century writers.  The first edition of his biography, Moondog, won the 2008 ARSC Award for Best Research in Recorded Classical Music and the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2008 bronze medal for biography. The second edition, published in 2016, is the basis for a documentary, to be released in 2018, featuring him as a participant. He has also written the entry for Moondog in the second edition of The Grove Dictionary of American Music. Although he has published poems occasionally in small journals throughout his life, his 2010 book, Journey Through India and Nepal, was his first collection.

New York-based poet, psychologist and translator, Anna Halberstadt has published six books, including, Vilnius Diary, 2014, Transit, 2016, Green in a Landscape with Ashes, 2017 and Gloomy Sun, 2017, and two books of translations: Selected Selected by Eileen Myles and Nocturnal Fire by Edward Hirsch, in Russian.  Her work has appeared in over 60 literary journals and anthologies, such as Alabama Literary Review, Alembic, AmarilloBay, Atlanta Review, Bluestem, Caliban, Café Review, Cimarron ReviewEast Jasmine Review, FatherNature, Literary Imagination, (Oxford Journals) and many others. Halberstadt was a finalist of the 2013 Mudfish poetry contest and she was nominated for the Pushcart prize twice.She is a recipient of the International Merit Award by Atlanta Review, 2016, Award for Poetry by the journal Children of Ra in 2016. Her book Vilnius Diary in Lithuanian translation had won TOP 10 by Lt.15– named one of the best ten books published in Lithuania in 2017. It also won the Award of the Association of Lithuanian Translators in 2017. Anna was named Translator of the Year 2017 by the journal Persona PLUS for her translation of Bob Dylan’s poem. She is a member of the American PEN center.

American poet, Mike Jurkovic is the 2016 Pushcart nominee, poetry and musical criticism have appeared in hundreds of magazines and periodicals. Full-length collections, smitten by harpies & shiny banjo catfish  (Lion Autumn Press, 2016) Chapbooks: Eve’s Venom (Post Traumatic Press, 2014) Purgatory Road  (Pudding House Press) Anthologies: WaterWrites and Riverine (Codhill Press, 2009, 2007). President, Calling All Poets, New Paltz, NY and producer of CAPSCASTS, performances from Calling All Poets Series. Features & CD reviews appear in All About Jazz (August 2017 - ) & the Van Wyck Gazette. He loves Emily most of all.







Saturday, September 29, 2018

Yuyutsu Sharma visits Lake Town Pokhara Plus a Poem on the Lake Fewa

Just came back from Pokhara where I had time some quiet time with my beloved Lake Fewa                                         
Revisiting my favourite cafe, TeaTime, Bamboostan, Lakeside Pokhara where I gave final touches to "Annapurna Poems" nearly two decades ago ...



Found a tiny cafe towards the root of the Lake to recall what two decades ago the Lakeside looked like...






The Lake Fewa, An Unfinished Poem

From the shoulder of a hill
from a garden restaurant where
exhausted tourists lie, massaging
hysteric limbs of a nightmare,
from dingy tea-shop
of a grandma, crying from
the smoke of her charred dreams,
from the balcony
of a hut where a blonde Buddhist nun
sleeps with a local drug addict,
from Naudada,
from Lumle, from the luminous sheets
of the windows of a racing car
or like a despot
of once a famished principality, Sarangkot,
from an aeroplane
with the nose of snobbery ticking
the gleaming summits of fishtail
from the colourful pages
of a coffee table book,
from the fury of the goddess
who created the lake to avenge
the unkind inhabitants of the valley,
from the sunken sockets
of a porter's eyes where
magnificent draggers of Himal have grown,
from the obscene columns
of a magazine on frozen peaks of Himal,
printed from the evil ink donated
by some treacherous NGO,
from the bedroom of trekking couple,
about to reach an orgasm in unison,
from the bleeding eye of a folksinger
in love with local Sahu's daughter,
from the prow of a ferry
scurrying over the surface to measure its secrets,
from the tip of the fishtail
where lamblike sun bounces defunct,
from the unfinished draft
of this poem that I tear off
to look at the blue
of the Eye-lake, Fewa. 

From The Lake Fewa and a Horse
@Yuyutsu Sharma