A poet from Buffalo, NY is about to be heard by a lot more people. Susan Marie’s poetry was accepted by a group from India called Kritya who will publish two of her poems into Hindi. Not only is this a titillating prospect for Marie, it is a great opportunity for the work of a WNYer to be read in another country.
Kritya is more than just a group; it is a rousing International Poetry Festival. According to their website, the problem in India is that there are many cricketers who are very wealthy but poets roam the country getting no recognition at all. Kritya is an attempt to bring about the recreation of the power of words through poetry.
The idea behind translating pieces from other languages into Hindi stems from the group’s idea that by doing so, they are introducing the culture of a language to another. Kritya believes that though translating poetry can be difficult and problematic, it is worth the effort to expose the work to another culture.
Marie was even invited to India to read her poems aloud at the festival. “I am honored that my words have been chosen. That people in another country are going to read my words from America, is literally, mind blowing,” says Marie.
Marie, who has been writing since her teens, has always been into art of any kind whether that is painting, drawing, photography, or poetry. After learning of her acceptance, she contacted the Just Buffalo Literary Center and the Arts Council in the hopes of gaining support to make the trip to India.
Whether or not she obtains the funds needed, she will still be in contact with Dr. Saxena, the editor of Kritya, and will be interviewing her via telephone for Think Twice Radio, a side project of Marie’s that attempts to represent the art and underground scenes.
“Dr. Saxena is grateful I am interviewing her. To her that is huge to be heard in such a manner. To me, it is a surprise she accepted. It seems to me, on both sides, we are pleasantly surprised for such a connection,” says Marie.