Rachna Singh, Editor The Wise Owl talks to Jonaki Ray about her book Firefly Memories

Rachna Singh, Editor The Wise Owl talks to Jonaki Ray about her book ‘Firefly Memories’. Jonaki Ray was educated in India (IIT Kanpur) and the USA (UIUC), and graduated with Master’s degrees in Chemistry and Computer Science. After a brief stint as a software engineer, she returned to her first love, writing. She is now a poet, writer, and editor based in New Delhi, India.

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Awards and nominations for her work include the 2019 Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Award, the 2018 Pushcart Prize nomination(Zoetic  (Zoetic Press, USA), and the 2018 Forward Prize for Best Single Prize nomination (Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre, UK). She was the winner of the 2017 Oxford Brookes International Poetry Contest, ESL category, and has been shortlisted in many other contests, including the 2021 Live Canon Pamphlet Competition, the 2020 Verve Poetry Press Open Submission Call, and the 2018 Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications including POETRY, Poetry Wales, The Rumpus, the Best Indian Poetry 2018 anthology, Asian American Writers’ Workshop, among others.

She is the author of Firefly Memories (Copper Coin, India) and Lessons in Bending (Sundress Publications, USA).

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Hi Jonaki. Thank you for taking time out to talk to The Wise Owl about your recently released collection of poetry. Let me start by complimenting you on your thought-provoking collection of poems.

 

 

RS: Firefly Memories, is a beautiful collection of poetry embracing a number of themes and poetic structures. For the benefit of our readers and poetry lovers, please tell us what made you gravitate towards poetry. Also tell us a little about how you began your journey as a poet?

 

JR: Thank you for your kind words about my book! I started writing when I was in college, mostly a few short pieces for the student magazine. After a gap of some years, I picked it up again to jot down my memories, and like most people, process the emotional upheavals that were happening in my life and around me. I also write fiction, and in fact, was a part of a couple of writing groups. I’d share both my fiction and poetry in those groups, and I realized that poetry for some reason came more naturally to me. That started my journey as a poet, and though I still write fiction, I’ve focused on writing poetry.

 

 

RS: Can you share some insights into your creative process? How do you find inspiration for your poetry?

 

JR: There is no set process. I usually write either about something historical or inspired by an event or image that I see around me. I always write longhand first, and then work on it and revise online. Some of my poems, therefore, have taken a long time to see the light of the day—one poem, for instance, got published four years after I first wrote it!

 

RS: Your poetry collection spans personal experiences as well as themes like immigration, domestic violence etc. Talk to us a little about the recurring themes in your poetry, and why you find them compelling?

 

JR: I write about those I consider voiceless, and those are usually people who are deemed powerless—either children or women, or immigrants, refugees, or those who are considered non-citizens. I find myself writing about these themes because I feel that as a poet it is important both to witness and testify about what is happening around us. A lot of those themes are common in our personal lives as well, and in fact, poetry is a very powerful way of processing what is happening in our lives and speaking up when needed. Writing about these themes is my way of tilting at the windmill of injustices that happen within and without, and staying silent is not an option for any artist, in my opinion!

 

 

RS: Your collection is part memoir and partly inspired by events, exhibitions & paintings. Our readers would be curious to know (as I am) how you approach the balance between personal experience and imagination in your poetry?

 

JR: This is a good question! I think every artist always leaves an imprint of themselves in their work, and we all start with what is known, and that is usually our own lives. I, however, realized that there is often a commonality in all our experiences, though individually we may have differences. So, for instance, I collaborated with a painter, Nathalie, who created a series of paintings about her father who had passed away recently. When I saw the painting, I could immediately identify with the grief and loss that she experienced even though she is from a different country and culture. That was because my father was also ageing. That common bond inspired me to write a poem about her father (and mine) called, Verdigris. I’d say rather than balance between personal experiences and imagination, it is a hybrid of those.

 

 

RS: Indian culture and heritage often serves as a rich source of inspiration for poets and writers. Your poetry is fragrant with the essence of Indian culture. How does your Indian identity influence your poetry, both thematically and structurally?

 

JR: All my writing has its roots in India, and even my poems that are based on my travels are based on the fact that I am visiting another country for a short time, or have studied in a country and therefore have the experience of an immigrant. I have also started writing a lot of ecopoetry and that is based on the environment around us, and of course, the issues that we are facing due to deforestation and unplanned development in India. While these are concerns that are faced all over the world, I try to bridge the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’ through writing in a way that is easily accessible to everyone, while remaining grounded to what is ‘home’.

 

 

RS: Are there any poets, Indian or otherwise, who have influenced or inspired your writing style or perspective on poetry?

 

JR: There are many—and not just poets. I also read a lot of fiction! I am a fan of classical writers—therefore, Rabindranath Tagore, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Audre Lorde, Thomas Hardy, and Charles Dickens remain my inspirations.

 

 

RS: Do you think poetry contributes to social and cultural discourse in India? Does your collection add to existing narratives or trigger a fresh narrative?

 

JR: I am hoping it triggers a fresh narrative, especially because I’ve used words from other languages, such as Bengali, Bhojpuri, and Hindi, in my writing! I think poetry remains relevant, and while the publishing part might be a challenge, there is a rich tradition of poetry in India, and hopefully, it will continue.

 

 

RS: Being a poet is not without its challenges. Please share with our readers the challenges you've faced as a poet, either in your creative process or in getting your work recognized and appreciated?

 

JR: I learnt rather early not to have too many expectations. Most of my work has been published in literary journals, and the process by its very nature consists of many rejections. For any poem to be accepted, for instance, I might have had a dozen (if not more) rejections. Poetry, especially is rather subjective, and coming from a science background, I initially felt that is was doubly hard for my writing to be recognized (or understood). Over time though, I’ve realized that my diverse background is a strength, and now I focus on the stories that I want to share, rather than whether they get any recognition.

 

RS: You are an award-winning poet who has been longlisted and shortlisted for various literary prizes. What advice would you give to aspiring poets on how to hone their creativity and poetic craft, particularly young women, who are looking to pursue a career in poetry?

 

JR: Keep reading and writing—that is the only way to get better!

 

 

Thank you Jonaki for taking time out to talk to The Wise Owl. Here is wishing you the best in all your literary and creative pursuits.