Teesta Review : A Journal of Poetry
Interliminal Encounters : Indian and Australian Writers in Po(i)etic Dialogue
vol.
5
no.
2
November
2022
25715269
2022
periodical issue
'‘Let us flow like the river’, I read frequently in the email signatures of my esteemed colleague and Editor-in-Chief of Teesta Journal, Jaydeep Sarangi. No matter how many times I see these words, I never tire of them, and never fail to feel myself smile as I read them. They evoke thought of the mighty Teesta River, which courses through such diverse terrains, feeding and connecting many otherwise very different people and cultures. The river as symbol says so much about what poetry at its best can be, and of the reasons why it matters. In multiple senses, poetry flows, and allows us to flow. It flows both from and towards – from experiences, emotions, thoughts, situations, responses, and often other poems; and towards new insights, connections, possibilities, and actions, including actions of inspiring or creating more poems.' (Editorial introduction)
Teesta Review : A Journal of Poetry
vol.
4
no.
2
November
2021
25715172
2021
periodical issue
'Reading poems for the current issue of Teesta Review has been a challenge for me. As a reader you walk into a poem and can never imagine how far you can travel with it. A poem must vibrate, resonate and if need be, embrace. The theme of this issue is the “Muse” and I strongly believe that no poet survives without a muse. Which is why it is not so surprising that many responded to the call of muse. She/ He could be anyone – your inspiration, mother, lover, sister, friend, teacher, soul mate. I thought muse would open many doors and unlock the quiet corners of the heart. We had a good number of poems to choose from. Each of the poems in this issue splits open as a curious site of representation. They speak, weep, move and smile with a rhythm and win our hearts with their distinct touch – a touch of kindness.' (Editorial introduction)
Teesta Review : A Journal of Poetry
vol.
4
no.
1
May
2021
25714632
2021
periodical issue
poetry
'Each of us carries multiple legacies. I reflect on my personal history: ancestors from Germany, Scotland and England who travelled to Australia by boat seeking better lives. In this way, I am part of a broader legacy of English colonisation. My place and opportunity living on unceded Wurundjeri country has come at the cost of the Boonwurrung and the Woiwurrung peoples who are the custodians of this land. I am part of a generation that is grappling with how to reckon with the violence of this history; seeking ways in which non-Indigenous Australia can make meaningful restitution with First Nations peoples, and, importantly, learn from the legacy of these ancient knowledges.' (Editorial introduction)
Teesta Review : A Journal of Poetry
vol.
3
no.
2
November
2020
25714496
2020
periodical issue
'Communication between poets and nature is very intimate and nature in many ways inspires creation, especially when it comes to arts and writing. Flowers, one of nature’s greatest gifts, be it a single stalk of a rose or a garden filled with all kinds of blossoms inspires all ranges of emotions in mankind. Their beauty, their colour, their fragrance, their folds, and their very brief life makes them objects of wonder. No doubt their beauty and fragrance have stirred up the keenest of imaginations and roused memories right from the beginnings of human imagination somewhere in the solitary caves or together around a fire.' (Editorial introduction)
Teesta Review : A Journal of Poetry
vol.
2
no.
1
May
2019
25714313
2019
periodical issue
'My mom came from a small town called Kota in Dakshina Kannada and moved to a bigger city Bangalore in India and I have spent a parts of my childhood by the sea with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, cows, cats, puppies and Kota in itself is a world to me. Then I grew up in a vibrant city Bangalore which is throbbing with life, culture and people from all over the country. It was worlds apart. I would then imagine what other cities would be like. When I was asked to curate this edition I grabbed the opportunity to hear stories from other cities which I have never been to as travelling is my another passion after poetry. Poems can make us envisage cities in new light and even uncover the histories of a place. The canvas that a city can provide for a poet is too vast and there are so many emotions which one connects or disconnects with a city, there will be so many stories to tell and I want us to experience it through poetry. Of course, as cities and environment is directly related poetry can be used to highlight the same. Cities fill us with nostalgia, wisdom, beauty, energy, diversity, pain, compromise, adapting skills and language. Poems about cities gives us an insight into humanity. Across these chosen works, I believe that an enigmatic picture of different cities is showcased in all its diversities. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all the poets who put forward their time and creativity, to be a part of this poetry edition of Teesta Review: A Journal of Poetry. We hope that you enjoy reading this issue as much as I enjoyed curating it.' (Editorial introduction)
Teesta Review : A Journal of Poetry
vol.
1
no.
2
November
2018
25714159
2018
periodical issue
poetry
'Let us imagine with Socrates that a group of manacled prisoners have lived their lives inside a shadowy cave. A fire burns behind them at a distance. Unable even to turn their heads they sit watching the shadows on a wall projected by puppeteers passing behind them. They will assume the shadows to be real. If a prisoner ever breaks free to confront and perceive the reality that exists outside the cave rather than the manufactured reality of the shadows the inmates are in no position to believe in him. Yes, we are into Plato’s famous Cave Allegory (Republic 514a–520a) that puts to question our perceived reality. Are we living in shadows perceiving the world as has been professed to us through the ages to be understood only through binaries? Is there no other way for human minds to perceive the truth? Did Socrates have to die because he could walk out of the cave and it was difficult for the inmates to have believed in him?' (Editorial introduction)
Teesta Review : A Journal of Poetry
vol.
1
no.
1
May
2018
25713770
2018
periodical issue
poetry
'The faintest ink is better than the strongest memory, says a Chinese proverb. Rivers rice civilisation. Histories are scripted on the banks of the rivers. They flow in us. They make us move forward. Rivers hug currents of time. They play a significant part in the water cycle, acting as drainage channels for surface water. There is also great tolerance for rivers as entity. Throughout history, many people of faith have found spiritual energy on the riverside. According to Hindu belief, the seven sacred rivers are, the Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri. Water collected from these seven sacred rivers is put in the pot, which is used during ritualistic worship. ‘Water from the seven sacred rivers has the ability to attract and transmit the aura of seven superior deities. We believe or not, rivers are our mother( for some, father).' (Editorial)
