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The Penguin Book Of Indian Poets
Jeet Thayil has compiled the definitive anthology of Indian poetry in English. This monumental undertaking, two decades in the making, brings together writers from across the world, a wealth of voices--in dialogue, in soliloquy, in rhetoric, and in play--to present an expansive, encompassing idea of what makes an 'Indian' poet. Included are lost, uncollected, or out of print poems by major poets, essays that place entire bodies of work into their precise cultural contexts, and a collection of classic black and white portraits by Madhu Kapparath. These images, taken over a period of thirty years, form an archive of breathtaking historical scope. They offer the viewer unparalleled intimacy and access to the lives of some of India's greatest poets.
- GenresPoetryIndiaLiterature
1531 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2022
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About the author
Jeet Thayil
33 books293 followersJeet Thayil (born 1959 in Kerala) is an Indian poet, novelist, librettist and musician. He is best known as a poet and is the author of four collections: These Errors Are Correct (Tranquebar, 2008), English (2004, Penguin India, Rattapallax Press, New York, 2004), Apocalypso (Ark, 1997) and Gemini (Viking Penguin, 1992). His first novel, Narcopolis, (Faber & Faber, 2012), was shortlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize and the Hindu Literary Prize 2013.
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February 3, 2023
This is an impressive collection and definitely a behemoth task that Jeet Thayil has undertaken. Irrespective of what worked for me and what didn't, this giant collection gives an idea of Indian voices that's spread not just across country but globe as well. From young minds to those who have long past lived and departed, there is wealth of human experiences trapped in here.
The diaspora presents in the style, tone and the stories the poems produce - sometimes long form verses, rhythmic sonnets, out-of-tune snippets, haikus, those that reminded me of the dohas and the ones that were popular in South India during Bhakti movement, and my favorites - the ones from the time when the country was slowly transforming to what it would become, the time of rage, revolution and severe introspection.
I was surprised that in this collection, there are hardly half a dozen contemporary poets I truly loved and would read more from them in the future. My affection seem to lie elsewhere - the ones who were at their peak between 1970s-1990s.
I had good fun reading this. Many didn't work for me but that's okay. For my own sake, all the poets in the collection are below.
01. Nissim Ezekiel: A poet who writes about his view, perspective and his reactions to happenstances around him making note of culture, politics and the ever present changes
02. Annidita Sengupta: I find her quite fascinating, writing about the feel of places, and constantly being nostalgic about home, for somewhere to put your roots.
03. Akhil Katyal: He is one of the contemporary poets that I really like and I was first introduced to his work in The world belongs to us: An Anthology of Queer Poetry from South Asia. There is so much rage and love and frustration in his poems, absolutely love.
04. Raena Shirali: I was blown away by the final three lines in this poets collection. I wasn't expecting that and the sleepy calm that I had cultivated till then, dissolved.
05. Hamraaz: Lovely, lovely poet who chooses to be anonymous.
06. Mona Arshi: A very slice of life variety, most didn't work for me.
07. Avinab Datta-Areng: Ah, a voice that balances this incredibly porous line of whimsical and magical.
08. Melanie Sigardo: She writes in an unexpected way, it threw me off a lot. Some hits, some I couldn't continue.
09. Eunice De Souza: What a discovery. Absolutely wonderful with short witty, sometimes poignant and sometimes brutal, the pauses between stanzas provides a reprieve; as if a marathon was run.
10. K.V.K. Murthy: A delightful read, quite similar to his contemporaries in Mumbai, very classical and very rhythmic.
11. Bhanu Kapil: A miss.
12. Rajiv Mohabir: A miss. I guess they were okay but I feel a distance.
13. Jennifer Robertson: Ah, someone who I would revisit again. Quite metaphorical, layered with cultural influences and stands out with her perspectives.
14. Deepankar Khiwani: In the author bio the poems are "secret narratives of loss and oceanic nostalgia for the present" and that's a spot on explanation for what I read.
15. Sohini Basak: I am a bit lost with the verses but the short poetry was nice.
16. Vahni Capildeo: This poet was a miss for me. Its probably me who isn't stimulated by what they had to offer.
17. Sudesh Mishra: In one poem he says "This life, evening light, Falling leaves in their fury." Some were miss, unfortunately.
18. Sneha Subramanian Kanta: She is an interesting poet in the way she narrates two things at the very same time and in short few sentences there is a fully formed life form.
19. Prithvi Varatharajan: A miss, the style didn't work for me.
20. Mukta Sambrani: They are okay, nothing stood out.
21. Sunu. P. Chandy: Skipped some as I couldn't connect with them.
22. Sivakami Velliangiri: Slice of life writer which can be charming.
23. Arjun Rajendran: I couldn't get into these poems. Its not just the style but the construction itself made something amiss for me.
24. Aditi Nagrath: A poet whose linguistic style is pretty fascinating to follow - the appeal is there.
25. Srinivan Rayaprol: Love this. I love when poets introspect with a hint of self deprecation. It makes the work far more engaging than they intended them to be.
26. Sophia Naz: There is distance in her writing, a way of observing through a binoculars - plus the sweet whimsical notes.
27. K. Srilata: They are okay, nothing really stood out for me.
28. Hoshang Merchant: A complete miss. I read coupe of poems twice. Still unclear.
29. Mona Zote: I think Mona Zote is one of the best in this collection who can critique and provide a social commentary without being in your face. Subtle, nuanced and pretty grounded.
30. Ajithan Kurup: One of the titles by this author is "the metaphysics of the tree-frog's silence". But its not titled that way to be quirky. And that makes this poet stand out from his contemporaries. (he wrote in lower case before it got trendy.)
31. Aloika Dutta: There is a lot to like in her poems. Though some of them didn't work for me, it made me pause a little and absorb before continuing.
32. Vandana Khanna: They are okay, I will probably pick up their collection in future.
33. Vijay Nambisan: I like the fact that the editor has included the poet's poetry about poem, art of poetry, poetess and the qualms of rhythms and rhymes. Will definitely read more of his works in future.
34. Pascale Petit: She has the urgency of a teen activist that's gorgeous to read.
35. Vivek Narayanan: This poet has takes on myths and legends into a whole brand new level. So good.
36. Aimee Nezhukumatathal: They are complex, multi layered and everything is actually summed up and a layer is purposefully revealed.
37. Manohar Shetty: Well, there we have it. Quarantine poetry.
38. Monica Mody: There is an underlying common thread across the handful of poetry shared here. it could be the shared wonder of the unknown or the stories that were left behind for the present to untangle. I couldn't be sure.
39. Vikram Seth: I am familiar with his works and I disagree with the editor. He is in essence a prose writer first and poetry is where he gambles with words.
40. Tishani Doshi: There is a poem - how to be happy in 101 days, which is brilliant and the underlying philosophy that spans volumes of books, has been reduced to handful of lines delivering the same value.
41. Nidhi Zak/aria Eipe: I am slightly disappointed as I was looking forward to this poet in the collection, having come across some stunning ones in the past and to see that the ones in this collection are slightly underwhelming ones.
42. Bibhu Padhi: They are okay, very retrospective, slice-of-life variety.
43. Ranjani Murali: I am not sure...
44. Prithvi Pudhirarkar: Mostly missed. The one poem "None of the above" is arguably funny, an entire treatise on tests & education, and a simple story.
45. Keki Daruwala: Miss.
46. Arundhati Subramaniam: "We're losing EQ and IQ, forgetting to say please and thank you". Best lines here.
47. Subhashini Kaligotla: I was pleasantly surprised with the references this poetess makes.
48. A.K. Ramanujan: This was an interesting read. Its quite skillful but it didn't captivate me much.
49. Dom Moraes: In only couple of sentences the poet can wrench out multiple emotions, while distancing himself from the reader to watch. Its marvelous in its rebellion, grounded in its poignancy.
50. Jeet Thayil: Mostly miss, I did enjoy couple of lines from half a dozen poems in this collection.
51. Monica Ferrell: "you are a basket of sexual fruits". Spilled my tea when I read this line from the poem "Oh you absolute darling"
52. Shalim M Hussain: I might be a little biased with this poet. I loved pretty much all the poems because of how the first one in the list captivated me.
53. Pragati Sharma: Long prose form which became popular in the 90s, the angst of the Gen X taking over literary space. Not a fan when they exist independently without a plot surrounding them.
54. Anand Thakore: I couldn't connect, they were okay I guess.
55. Ruth Vanita: I have read this author's works in Queer anthology. South East Asian feminist poetry, pretty good ones.
56. Siddhartha Bose: I do wish to read this author's play - its a one man play and sounds brilliant. The other prose were alright.
57. Imtiaz Dharker: It says a lot about a person who chooses art over recognition. And it shows in her poems as well. Absolutely brilliant.
58. Robin Ngangom: Filled with nostalgia and memories, a pleasant read throughout.
59. Satyajit Sarna: Such a refreshing poet having a grounding perspective of happenstances and presents it endearingly.
60. Kamala Das: I am quite sure I've read her autobiography when in college and was stumped. As wonderful as she is in her writing, her poems are equally good.
61. Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih: No sir. You aren't what you say here - "a counterfeit scholar, since I write only poetry, working at university". Your poems here are thoughtful and provocative.
62. Nandini Dhar: I am very drawn to this poet's works. I cannot figure out why.
63. Gopal Honnalgere: My first pick of the poet in the collection and he didn't disappoint. What seems to be an enigmatic figure in literature, Gopal was quoted by various poets of his era yet very few of his collection exists. This poet is a remarkable discovery for me in the way he transcends mundane to something of a longing and deeply touching. Be it a similarity of a bachelor melting bee wax, or a spinster fixing clothes, or Mendel -a monk, peeping into world of pollination. He does it all in handful of sentences and some words but when they come together - its spectacular.
64. Meena Kandsamy: I am familiar with the poet from their previous works, and have read and enjoyed them. The collection presented here is quite similar in theme and ideas.
65. Daljit Nagra: I enjoyed all the poems here, will look for more of their works.
66. Yaimini Krishnan: I liked the style and some parts of poem but as a whole, they didn't work for me.
67. Gieve Patel: They are nice, good read.
68. Leeya Mehta: Really, really liked her poems.
69. Dilip Chitre: There isn't a lot here but what's there, didn't work for me. I came out conflicted and then confused with the pairing of metaphors.
70. Ranjit Hoskote: some of the poems have good meter to them, and some of them are downright brutal in their execution. So many styles to play with and all so rhythmically different. Quite an eclectic poet, for sure.
71. Meena Alexander: I am ending today's reading with this poet who hit all the right spots for me. An absolutely skilled writer and is reminiscent of "penning down errant thoughts morphed by emotions" variety.
72. Mamta Kalia: They were okay.
73. Jayanta Mahapatra: "Fable of the first person" stood out. Thematically, its not in anyway unique but I really loved this poet's spin on it.
74. Preti Taneja: Mostly verses and dense writing - didn't work for me.
75. Arun Sagar: I absolutely loved this poet. "Windows" is arguably one of the best poems in this entire anthology.
76. Karthika Nair: The style of the poems didn't work for me. Verses lost me before I could hit the midpoint and in some cases, I just quit.
77. Suhit Kelkar: I like this poet's style; clean and minimalist. And its consistent in everything that's put in here. Its quite good.
78. Sridala Swami: Her short poems are great - they are structured well and is rarely still.
79. Adil Jussawalla: I am very glad for this collection to publish "Missing Person" - a book length poem. Everything works - the structure, the layers, shift in tone and the textures. So good!
80. Urvashi Bahuguna: I have read and loved the essays she wrote on mental health. The poems are quite nice.
81. Lawrence Bantleman: Miss.
82. Minal Hajratwala: Loved couple of them (Abode, Anger fish), the rest were miss.
83. E.V. Ramakrishnan: Every poem offers more than its intention and oscillates between being obtuse and blatant.
84. Revathy Gopal: They are okay, the endings are a miss for me.
85. K. Sathchidanandan: A good chunk of them were a miss with how cramped they made me feel.
86. Sabitha Satchi: Loved the art with the poems -especially "Hammer and Nail"
87. C.P. Surendran: This one line stood out "And forests green as blood have grown out of their days". It struck me.
88. Nisha Ramayya: The very first poem I read by her, I read it twice. Every line is a multitude of fire crackers constantly firing. Hanabi, if you will.
89. Vijay Seshadri: I read couple of poems before reading about the author and the tone sounded quite foreign. Its always fascinating to me to read works by Indian diaspora where the birth heritage and their culture meet and multiply. This works for me very well.
90. Mindy Gill: When you read their work, you don't realize how young they are. Sure, poetry knows no age limit, always driven by a much primal need, yet, their writing has the shade of soul that's lived long and has been bruised every time its been nudged. pretty good ones here.
91. Sampurna Chattarji: There is sadness in between the lines, they are hedged between the verses divided by asterisk. Both hit and miss - hit being a very high and miss being stopped reading entirely.
92. Sandeep Parmar: Mostly a miss. Its both the content and the style that didn't work for me. There is a sonnet which was pretty good, and the poets own collection can probably offer more.
93. Arvind Krishna Mehrotra: A translator of poetry makes a great addition to this collection. His own poetry though, is filled with longing.
94. Aurn Kolatkar: I truly wish there was more of this poet in this collection. I will look for more by him as they hit the right spot for me; unhurried, whimsical and a lot of tongue in cheek. Its absolutely lovely to read through his poems as they flow languidly yet managing to tag you along with a latent storytelling.
The diaspora presents in the style, tone and the stories the poems produce - sometimes long form verses, rhythmic sonnets, out-of-tune snippets, haikus, those that reminded me of the dohas and the ones that were popular in South India during Bhakti movement, and my favorites - the ones from the time when the country was slowly transforming to what it would become, the time of rage, revolution and severe introspection.
I was surprised that in this collection, there are hardly half a dozen contemporary poets I truly loved and would read more from them in the future. My affection seem to lie elsewhere - the ones who were at their peak between 1970s-1990s.
I had good fun reading this. Many didn't work for me but that's okay. For my own sake, all the poets in the collection are below.
01. Nissim Ezekiel: A poet who writes about his view, perspective and his reactions to happenstances around him making note of culture, politics and the ever present changes
02. Annidita Sengupta: I find her quite fascinating, writing about the feel of places, and constantly being nostalgic about home, for somewhere to put your roots.
03. Akhil Katyal: He is one of the contemporary poets that I really like and I was first introduced to his work in The world belongs to us: An Anthology of Queer Poetry from South Asia. There is so much rage and love and frustration in his poems, absolutely love.
04. Raena Shirali: I was blown away by the final three lines in this poets collection. I wasn't expecting that and the sleepy calm that I had cultivated till then, dissolved.
05. Hamraaz: Lovely, lovely poet who chooses to be anonymous.
06. Mona Arshi: A very slice of life variety, most didn't work for me.
07. Avinab Datta-Areng: Ah, a voice that balances this incredibly porous line of whimsical and magical.
08. Melanie Sigardo: She writes in an unexpected way, it threw me off a lot. Some hits, some I couldn't continue.
09. Eunice De Souza: What a discovery. Absolutely wonderful with short witty, sometimes poignant and sometimes brutal, the pauses between stanzas provides a reprieve; as if a marathon was run.
10. K.V.K. Murthy: A delightful read, quite similar to his contemporaries in Mumbai, very classical and very rhythmic.
11. Bhanu Kapil: A miss.
12. Rajiv Mohabir: A miss. I guess they were okay but I feel a distance.
13. Jennifer Robertson: Ah, someone who I would revisit again. Quite metaphorical, layered with cultural influences and stands out with her perspectives.
14. Deepankar Khiwani: In the author bio the poems are "secret narratives of loss and oceanic nostalgia for the present" and that's a spot on explanation for what I read.
15. Sohini Basak: I am a bit lost with the verses but the short poetry was nice.
16. Vahni Capildeo: This poet was a miss for me. Its probably me who isn't stimulated by what they had to offer.
17. Sudesh Mishra: In one poem he says "This life, evening light, Falling leaves in their fury." Some were miss, unfortunately.
18. Sneha Subramanian Kanta: She is an interesting poet in the way she narrates two things at the very same time and in short few sentences there is a fully formed life form.
19. Prithvi Varatharajan: A miss, the style didn't work for me.
20. Mukta Sambrani: They are okay, nothing stood out.
21. Sunu. P. Chandy: Skipped some as I couldn't connect with them.
22. Sivakami Velliangiri: Slice of life writer which can be charming.
23. Arjun Rajendran: I couldn't get into these poems. Its not just the style but the construction itself made something amiss for me.
24. Aditi Nagrath: A poet whose linguistic style is pretty fascinating to follow - the appeal is there.
25. Srinivan Rayaprol: Love this. I love when poets introspect with a hint of self deprecation. It makes the work far more engaging than they intended them to be.
26. Sophia Naz: There is distance in her writing, a way of observing through a binoculars - plus the sweet whimsical notes.
27. K. Srilata: They are okay, nothing really stood out for me.
28. Hoshang Merchant: A complete miss. I read coupe of poems twice. Still unclear.
29. Mona Zote: I think Mona Zote is one of the best in this collection who can critique and provide a social commentary without being in your face. Subtle, nuanced and pretty grounded.
30. Ajithan Kurup: One of the titles by this author is "the metaphysics of the tree-frog's silence". But its not titled that way to be quirky. And that makes this poet stand out from his contemporaries. (he wrote in lower case before it got trendy.)
31. Aloika Dutta: There is a lot to like in her poems. Though some of them didn't work for me, it made me pause a little and absorb before continuing.
32. Vandana Khanna: They are okay, I will probably pick up their collection in future.
33. Vijay Nambisan: I like the fact that the editor has included the poet's poetry about poem, art of poetry, poetess and the qualms of rhythms and rhymes. Will definitely read more of his works in future.
34. Pascale Petit: She has the urgency of a teen activist that's gorgeous to read.
35. Vivek Narayanan: This poet has takes on myths and legends into a whole brand new level. So good.
36. Aimee Nezhukumatathal: They are complex, multi layered and everything is actually summed up and a layer is purposefully revealed.
37. Manohar Shetty: Well, there we have it. Quarantine poetry.
38. Monica Mody: There is an underlying common thread across the handful of poetry shared here. it could be the shared wonder of the unknown or the stories that were left behind for the present to untangle. I couldn't be sure.
39. Vikram Seth: I am familiar with his works and I disagree with the editor. He is in essence a prose writer first and poetry is where he gambles with words.
40. Tishani Doshi: There is a poem - how to be happy in 101 days, which is brilliant and the underlying philosophy that spans volumes of books, has been reduced to handful of lines delivering the same value.
41. Nidhi Zak/aria Eipe: I am slightly disappointed as I was looking forward to this poet in the collection, having come across some stunning ones in the past and to see that the ones in this collection are slightly underwhelming ones.
42. Bibhu Padhi: They are okay, very retrospective, slice-of-life variety.
43. Ranjani Murali: I am not sure...
44. Prithvi Pudhirarkar: Mostly missed. The one poem "None of the above" is arguably funny, an entire treatise on tests & education, and a simple story.
45. Keki Daruwala: Miss.
46. Arundhati Subramaniam: "We're losing EQ and IQ, forgetting to say please and thank you". Best lines here.
47. Subhashini Kaligotla: I was pleasantly surprised with the references this poetess makes.
48. A.K. Ramanujan: This was an interesting read. Its quite skillful but it didn't captivate me much.
49. Dom Moraes: In only couple of sentences the poet can wrench out multiple emotions, while distancing himself from the reader to watch. Its marvelous in its rebellion, grounded in its poignancy.
50. Jeet Thayil: Mostly miss, I did enjoy couple of lines from half a dozen poems in this collection.
51. Monica Ferrell: "you are a basket of sexual fruits". Spilled my tea when I read this line from the poem "Oh you absolute darling"
52. Shalim M Hussain: I might be a little biased with this poet. I loved pretty much all the poems because of how the first one in the list captivated me.
53. Pragati Sharma: Long prose form which became popular in the 90s, the angst of the Gen X taking over literary space. Not a fan when they exist independently without a plot surrounding them.
54. Anand Thakore: I couldn't connect, they were okay I guess.
55. Ruth Vanita: I have read this author's works in Queer anthology. South East Asian feminist poetry, pretty good ones.
56. Siddhartha Bose: I do wish to read this author's play - its a one man play and sounds brilliant. The other prose were alright.
57. Imtiaz Dharker: It says a lot about a person who chooses art over recognition. And it shows in her poems as well. Absolutely brilliant.
58. Robin Ngangom: Filled with nostalgia and memories, a pleasant read throughout.
59. Satyajit Sarna: Such a refreshing poet having a grounding perspective of happenstances and presents it endearingly.
60. Kamala Das: I am quite sure I've read her autobiography when in college and was stumped. As wonderful as she is in her writing, her poems are equally good.
61. Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih: No sir. You aren't what you say here - "a counterfeit scholar, since I write only poetry, working at university". Your poems here are thoughtful and provocative.
62. Nandini Dhar: I am very drawn to this poet's works. I cannot figure out why.
63. Gopal Honnalgere: My first pick of the poet in the collection and he didn't disappoint. What seems to be an enigmatic figure in literature, Gopal was quoted by various poets of his era yet very few of his collection exists. This poet is a remarkable discovery for me in the way he transcends mundane to something of a longing and deeply touching. Be it a similarity of a bachelor melting bee wax, or a spinster fixing clothes, or Mendel -a monk, peeping into world of pollination. He does it all in handful of sentences and some words but when they come together - its spectacular.
64. Meena Kandsamy: I am familiar with the poet from their previous works, and have read and enjoyed them. The collection presented here is quite similar in theme and ideas.
65. Daljit Nagra: I enjoyed all the poems here, will look for more of their works.
66. Yaimini Krishnan: I liked the style and some parts of poem but as a whole, they didn't work for me.
67. Gieve Patel: They are nice, good read.
68. Leeya Mehta: Really, really liked her poems.
69. Dilip Chitre: There isn't a lot here but what's there, didn't work for me. I came out conflicted and then confused with the pairing of metaphors.
70. Ranjit Hoskote: some of the poems have good meter to them, and some of them are downright brutal in their execution. So many styles to play with and all so rhythmically different. Quite an eclectic poet, for sure.
71. Meena Alexander: I am ending today's reading with this poet who hit all the right spots for me. An absolutely skilled writer and is reminiscent of "penning down errant thoughts morphed by emotions" variety.
72. Mamta Kalia: They were okay.
73. Jayanta Mahapatra: "Fable of the first person" stood out. Thematically, its not in anyway unique but I really loved this poet's spin on it.
74. Preti Taneja: Mostly verses and dense writing - didn't work for me.
75. Arun Sagar: I absolutely loved this poet. "Windows" is arguably one of the best poems in this entire anthology.
76. Karthika Nair: The style of the poems didn't work for me. Verses lost me before I could hit the midpoint and in some cases, I just quit.
77. Suhit Kelkar: I like this poet's style; clean and minimalist. And its consistent in everything that's put in here. Its quite good.
78. Sridala Swami: Her short poems are great - they are structured well and is rarely still.
79. Adil Jussawalla: I am very glad for this collection to publish "Missing Person" - a book length poem. Everything works - the structure, the layers, shift in tone and the textures. So good!
80. Urvashi Bahuguna: I have read and loved the essays she wrote on mental health. The poems are quite nice.
81. Lawrence Bantleman: Miss.
82. Minal Hajratwala: Loved couple of them (Abode, Anger fish), the rest were miss.
83. E.V. Ramakrishnan: Every poem offers more than its intention and oscillates between being obtuse and blatant.
84. Revathy Gopal: They are okay, the endings are a miss for me.
85. K. Sathchidanandan: A good chunk of them were a miss with how cramped they made me feel.
86. Sabitha Satchi: Loved the art with the poems -especially "Hammer and Nail"
87. C.P. Surendran: This one line stood out "And forests green as blood have grown out of their days". It struck me.
88. Nisha Ramayya: The very first poem I read by her, I read it twice. Every line is a multitude of fire crackers constantly firing. Hanabi, if you will.
89. Vijay Seshadri: I read couple of poems before reading about the author and the tone sounded quite foreign. Its always fascinating to me to read works by Indian diaspora where the birth heritage and their culture meet and multiply. This works for me very well.
90. Mindy Gill: When you read their work, you don't realize how young they are. Sure, poetry knows no age limit, always driven by a much primal need, yet, their writing has the shade of soul that's lived long and has been bruised every time its been nudged. pretty good ones here.
91. Sampurna Chattarji: There is sadness in between the lines, they are hedged between the verses divided by asterisk. Both hit and miss - hit being a very high and miss being stopped reading entirely.
92. Sandeep Parmar: Mostly a miss. Its both the content and the style that didn't work for me. There is a sonnet which was pretty good, and the poets own collection can probably offer more.
93. Arvind Krishna Mehrotra: A translator of poetry makes a great addition to this collection. His own poetry though, is filled with longing.
94. Aurn Kolatkar: I truly wish there was more of this poet in this collection. I will look for more by him as they hit the right spot for me; unhurried, whimsical and a lot of tongue in cheek. Its absolutely lovely to read through his poems as they flow languidly yet managing to tag you along with a latent storytelling.
May 17, 2022
I have barely “read” 10% of this chonky book and 1 star is for that portion. May be there are better poets after this part. Who can tell. Also it made me curious as in what made the selector picked these guys? I don’t want to sound harsh but there are way better ‘poets’ than this bunch.
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