Poet Interview: Shome Dasgupta
Shome Dasgupta is the author of The Seagull And The Urn (HarperCollins India), and most recently, the novel The Muu-Antiques (Malarkey Books), a short story collection Atchafalaya Darling (Belle Point Press), and a poetry collection Iron Oxide (Assure Press). His writing has appeared in McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Emerson Review, New Orleans Review, Jabberwock Review, American Book Review, Arkansas Review, Magma Poetry, and elsewhere. He lives in Lafayette, LA and can be found at www.shomedome.com and @laughingyeti.
Shome's poem, "A Kolkatan Uncle Duplex," was published by MoonLit Getaway in January of 2025.
INTERVIEW
MG: What got you into poetry?
SD: My joy for poetry was sparked in multitudes: through reading, through writing, through being constantly exposed to books. Both of my parents were always reading, and when I would visit my grandfather in Kolkata, he was always reading and writing—the size of his personal library was dizzying. Another thing that sparked my interest in poetry would be music and the lyrics from songs, which really connected to the sentiments I was seeking to see myself while looking in the mirrors of others. I remember my brother giving me a collection of Pablo Neruda’s poetry, which really pushed me into the world of expression.
MG: Tell us more about “A Kolkatan Uncle Duplex”—what inspired it? What makes it unique?
SD: I wanted to try more specific forms of poetry, from sonnets to gazals to pantoums, as I was working on a collection. I’m a fan of Jericho Brown’s poetry, so I thought I’d give his duplex a try. The subject matter of the poem itself stems from this journey I’ve been taking, internally, about the different cultures and identities I’ve been around, being a Bengali growing up in the Cajun South.
MG: Are you currently working on anything else?
SD: I think so—I’ve vaguely started writing a short story, another attempt at magical realism, and a larger project has been settling in my mind for about a year now. Poetry is always there, too, whether intentional or not. If a line or an image pops up, I go for it.
MG: What’s your favorite piece you've ever made? Why is it your favorite?
SD: Oh—I’m not sure if I have a particular favorite piece, mainly because each of my writings, regardless of form, has its own experience, and it’s the experience I cherish for each written entity.
MG: Are there any poets that inspire the way you make your pieces?
SD: I believe any poet or poetry or any kind of writing—or any medium for that matter—in some way or another, inspires my writing. I try to soak in as much as possible from every experience—the inspiration of creativity and expression feels infinite.
MG: Do you have any social media you'd like to share?
SD: I’m currently on Twitter or X at @laughinyeti, and I’m also on Goodreads, but that’s about it.
MG: Do you have any advice for other poets?
SD: I always feel like I’m not the right person to provide advice, but I just try to share my personal experiences, including that I love to read and write and because I love it so much, I pursue those journeys with anticipation, vulnerability, and excitement. I tend to base my own poems on imagery and sound. Sometimes, I’m not feeling it, so I let it be because I know that it’s there, always patiently waiting for me whenever I’m ready to dive back into it.
Read "A Kolkatan Uncle Duplex" by Shome Dasgupta.
