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by Sasenarine Persaud (Author)
India infuses the poems in this collection--as it does the entire body of this poet's work, inspired by the inimitable musical rhythms and ragas of the subcontinent; the scents of its spices; the riotous colours; the exquisite temple sculptures and ancient dances; the mathematics, philosophies, and multitudinous languages and cultures. These influences subtly and not-so-subtly inform his community's 184-year history in the Americas--starting in South America (Guyana) and the Caribbean (Trinidad) and later including Canada and the United States. These poems are also enriched by the evolving cultures, politics and languages of the Americas, and Persaud does not exclude exploring perspectives on the craft of writing.
Author Biography
Sasenarine Persaud is a Guyana-born Canadian American author of Indian ancestry and originator of the term "Yogic Realism." He has published essays in Critical Practice (New Delhi), World Literature Today (Oklahoma), and Brick (Toronto) on this subject. His lifelong engagement with Indian philosophies, art, and languages and an awareness of his community's 184 years domicile in the Americas, clearly distinguishes his craft.
Persaud is the author of 15 books of prose and poetry, including Canada Geese and Apple Chatney (stories), the title story of which is anthologized on both sides of the Atlantic and included in The Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories, An Anthology of Colonial and Postcolonial Short Fiction, and the Journey Prize Anthology: Short Fiction from the Best of Canada's New Writers; two ground-breaking novels, Dear Death and The Ghost of Bellow's Man, and his signature, raga-infused poetry collection, A Surf of Sparrows' Songs, which alternates between Miami, Toronto, Guyana's Atlantic coast and India. His poetry has appeared in several anthologies including The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse.
