US-based writer launches her first book of poetry
InfodeaNewsNetwork;
Kolkata: Literature and poetry blossomed in the city of Kolkata recently when USA based writer Lopamudra Banerjee’s debut poetry book ‘Let the Night Sing’ was launched.
It is a collection of 70 poems, most of them born as lunar musings in the wee hours of the night, the poet, sometimes as a child woman, sometimes as a restless sojourner, celebrates the splinters and shards, the broken pieces of life in its continuum.
The poet sees her womanhood evolve with these poems as both life and death have spoken to her in myriad hues through the diverse trajectories of these wayward verses. USA based poet, writer, translator and editor’s debut work was launched at the Doodle Room amidst excited poetry lovers and gleeful audience.
The event was initiated by the moderator and artist Sufia Khatoon who in her poetic voice introduced the author and the eminent panelist before showcasing a painting and poetry exhibition on the theme Let The Night Sing and Lopamudra felicitating the guests of honours and panelists present for the book launch.
A panel discussion on the ‘womanhood and its exploration in contemporary Indian English poetry was initiated by Sufia. Sanjukta Dasgupta, professor, English department, Calcutta University and poet Santosh Bakaya who is also an academician and author of Ballad of Bapu and Flights from My Terrace were a part of the panel discussion.
The panelists spoke about the journey of poetry and how it affects the experiences in life. It has the capability of changing thoughts and voice out strong opinions on the disharmony of the world.
The art and poetry exhibition by artist Sufia Khatoon and Rhythm Divine Poets was a hit. Santosh Bakaya, Lopamudra Banerjee, and Sufia Khatoon then read out verses from the book with a performance.
Musicians Pavlu Banerjee, Kolkata Music Dairy band, Akash DasGupta and Sahil Sarkar created an amazing ambiance where other poets were also inspired to perform.
The Performance poetry was done by Sufia Khatoon, Amit Shankar Saha, Anindita Bose, Subhajit Sanyal, Aiman Abdullah, Arjun, Tanya Sengupta, and Aparajita Dutta on the theme Let The Night Sing.
The excerpts:
Should I walk through this maze of reluctance?
Should I paint my hands and feet in mud,
Learning to fall in bones, sphincter and grace?
The water whispers seductively.
Between us, a zebra-crossing of blood and blossoming,
Of sacrilege and promiscuity. Are the lines of one of the poems written by Lopa Mudra.
They invoke in us a sense of longing and quest that each one of us might have felt in some situation of our life. Poetry is a medium through which one is able to speak on the causes affecting everyone on a deeper level and Lopa does that quite well in her book.
