Publisher's Synopsis
Kolkata Dreams is a work of travel poetry that will transport you across the sea to northeastern India. The poems explore the idealization of Mother India against the realities of its westernization from the perspective of a Canadian-born Indo-North American discovering his heritage for the first time. When reading and reciting this poetry (you may be forced to voice these poems aloud), you will find that laughter often chokes itself on tears while the book yo-yos between meditation and contemplation. The experimental use of a first-person/third-person singular-detached narrator encapsulates the feeling of disembodiment often felt by the voyager, especially in this case, as the poet simultaneously belongs to yet remains apart from the cultures he explores. In short, Kolkata Dreams is a must-read for anyone interested in the balance between tradition and modernity, particularly in the context of globalization and twenty-first century India.
