Not just a few poems strung together, the book is a process, a narrative of the coming of age of a poetic conscience in exile. Each poem speaks of a different stage in the development of politics, personality, and perception of its author.'We Called the River Red: Poetry from a Violent Homeland' is a collection of poetry by Uddipana Goswami, who is a poet, researcher and media consultant. It is being published by Authors Press, New Delhi.
The book tries to portray how in times of political turbulence and social upheavals, the individual must understand that love and the agony of personal loss are not independent of the larger social, historical and political milieu. The poet's sense of responsibility -- towards her identity, community and nation -- is reflected in this collection. Leading up to the point where the personal entity is increasingly fused with the political identity, it ends with a prayer for peace in times of political conflicts and social turmoil plaguing the violent homeland.
Uddipana is Assamese literature editor of 'Muse India', a literary e-journal. She has been addressing issues of ethnicity, nationalism, migration, displacement, conflicts and reconciliation in Northeast India through her writings. She blogs at www.jajabori-mon.blogspot.com.
