Desicritics Comments on Interview: Pakistani Poet, Sahar Rizvi

Comment by Amitabh Mitra

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:35:26 EDT

Thanks Riaz Happy that you enjoyed this interview Regards Dr. Amitabh Mitra www.amitabhmitra.com

Comment by RIAZ ALI TOORI

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:50:18 EDT

SO NCIE POETRY WITH A VERY SWEET PICTURE OF YOU KEEP IT UP WTS UR ID?

Comment by temporal

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:11:04 EDT

sahar: you are welcome...and it was a pleasure to see you took it in the right spirits:) re: naswar stuffed under their paan-stained lips this is based on my observation paan eaters do not use naswar and naswar folks do not eat paan (it is an ethnic trait: pathans and muhajir) khair now that you are here check this LINK and join Desicritics:)

Comment by Amitabh Mitra

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:37:47 EDT

Having experienced a Datsun in Zimbabwe, this poem brought me back memories of this hardy car. spiderweb windshield sand streams through six perfect holes A great poem, loved reading it a number of times Amitabh

Comment by Sahar Rizvi

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:07:52 EDT

correction, when writing about Naswar, "...stuffed under the lip".

Comment by Sahar Rizvi

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:05:55 EDT

Interesting. I don't mind at all. Your comments were all constructive. Firstly italics are a part of my style, and if you ready contemporary poetry you'll find italics have been employed for various reasons that you can figure out for yourself when you read the poem. Secondly, paan stains the lips, and that is a descriptive, I am not taking about the act of consuming paan. There is also no said rule between naswaar and paan, both are consumed differently but I don't undersatand what 'group' you are alluding to? Naswar is chewing tabacco, and is usually stuffed. I have consumed Naswar so I am speaking from expereince. I don't understand what you mean by factual? This stanza mentions nothing about facts, it merely describes someone. Urdu words do not have to be italacised, there is no requirement. Initially I used to but was advised not to by my writing Professors. I have had this poem workshopped by non-urdu speakers, and they did not ask for translations. In fact I won an award for this poem a few years ago, and it was selected by an English speaker whom did not ask for translations either. I appreciate your feedback. Best, Sahar

Comment by temporal

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:11:42 EDT

AM: thanks for bringing this here:) digressions on the poem: i liked it generally but there were some flaws * all non-english words should be italicised * some words needed foot notes for a non-desi or non-local reader * some thoughts did not sit well one example: naswar stuffed under their paan-stained lips this is not factual some baloch and mostly pathans eat/lick naswar (a greenish tobacco derivative) those who use naswar shy away from paan these are TWO different groups * jampir s/b Jhampir (that is how it is spelled from what i have read) * janat ul baki was mentioned THREE times...in phonetic urdu it should be jannat (two n's) hope sahar does not mind:) (it was a good poem)