Poetry Session devoted to Women Poets – Aug 11, 2018

Collage of Women Poets recited

A magnificent group of women poets was featured at the reading: 4 English, 7 Americans, and 1 each from Peru and Russia. That KumKum's birthday fell on the date chosen was by design to give an extra piquancy to the occasion.

Hemjit, KumKum, Priya

The attendance was a record; it is not possible to accommodate more readers in the time allotted, and we had to curtail the free-form discussion, which is always interesting since it brings out the readers’ reactions, and furnishes curious knowledge about the poets and their exploits.

Devika, Saras, Kavita

There is a line of thinking that examines the poet's works, the words that will outlast and overshadow the life, and accords it pre-eminence. The life and the experiences, the raw material from which the poetry springs, is set aside as having little importance in appreciating it.  However, in many cases, realising the highly condensed nature of poetic expression, the words themselves will not offer a meaningful reading without the context of the poet's life and the occasion that gave rise to the poem. That is why the poet's life is presented in brief as an introduction.

Geetha, Hemjit, KumKum, Priya, Thommo

At the end there was a felicitation with sandwiches, sandesh, and cake to wish KumKum for her birthday.

Kavita, Zakia, KumKum cutting the cake, Priya.

Here is the group at the end of the session, wreathed in smiles –

(standing) Preeti, Devika, Geetha, Kavita, Saras, KumKum, Zakia, Priya (sitting) Joe, Hemjit, Thommo