Interview – Author & Poet – Prakash Nagarajan

Q.1 What inspired you to use the sky as a metaphor for human experiences in Different Skies?

Ans.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my views.

I once came across a lovely quote by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He had written, ‘Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.’ That beautiful strain of thought stayed with me, long after I had read it.

Just as ever-changing shades of the sky inspires one to ponder over the limitless boundaries, so does a variety of experiences in life enriches one, even as it encourages discernment over the true nature of human existence.

I chose the sky as a metaphor for self-expression and creative freedom for depicting and understanding existence, since it opens countless windows of thoughts, help explore new possibilities in art and imagination, while mimicking life in its colourful variety.

Q.2 Can you tell us about your writing process? How do you develop your characters and their stories?

Ans.

I don’t have a pattern or process to my writings.

For most parts I write intuitively. However I do take conscious efforts to keep the persona and dialogues of my characters true to their skin, to aptly reflect the mood of my narratives.

A few of my stories are inspired by people I have come across in real life.

Many of course have been written, simply to revel in the exaggeration of an imagined scenario; or by way of introspection over life’s many unexpected conundrums. However, the characters populating these stories are imagined in a way as to make the narrative interesting.

Also some of the incidents I have narrated are but my own life experiences.

Q.3 Your writing often touches on themes of resilience and adaptability. Why do you believe these themes are particularly important in today’s world?

Ans.

These are difficult times. Everything now gets sacrificed at the altar of fame or success. It’s a dog eat dog world, with mercy or compassion hardly seen anymore. It seems as though we are on a downhill ride, and accelerating fast, with no brakes – competing in a race on a road to nowhere.

We now live in a world where survival has become prime. Any wonder why disillusionment sets in early?

Hopes for a better world is the only thing that keeps us going. To keep those hopes alive, to surmount the problems we face, it’s imperative that we repose our faith in the intrinsic goodness of human nature. It’s equally important, we never forget to extol virtues of honesty, resilience, compassion and patience; virtues that are no doubt considered old-fashioned now, but values those are time-tested to assure one of a contented life.

Q.4 How do you balance your passion for writing with your commitment to teaching and community service?

Ans.

Perhaps I live in a fool’s paradise, but I harbour fond hopes of bringing in few positive changes to our society through my writings, be it through my poetries or stories. The same holds true for my teaching endeavours and community service.

In all of these initiatives there is an unity of purpose of living up to my own ideals. In the absence of ideological conflicts, natural equilibrium gets attained.

Q.5 In what ways do you think your background and experiences have influenced your writing?

Ans.

I was born in a family that had very humble beginnings. I grew up in a joint family set up that fostered a strong sense of familial duty and interdependence, while living together under one roof, sharing resources and responsibilities. From childhood we were taught the value of thrift and actively encouraged to eschew wasteful consumption.

My background, as also of my siblings, was rooted in simplicity; our outlooks on life were grounded. Coupled with those were the high moral values imparted to us by our elders, which gave us an inbuilt compass, helping guide us on our onward journeys.

Most of the values learnt long back, still help guide me in my everyday interactions, relationships, and decision-making – as I navigate through life and its varied experiences. Consciously or unconsciously it deeply reflects in my writings too.

Q.6 As a poet and novelist, how do you approach the differences between the two forms of writing?

Ans.

Both are totally different art forms. By nature, I’m quiet. I often like to ponder over the nature of human existence. Being more of an observer, I tend to view events and happenings in the society at large in an equanimous and dispassionate manner. Writing allows me the vent to voice my thoughts and feelings. As an individual personal experiences I go through in life, usually become fodder for thought. I simply like to share those experiences with the readers through my writings.

Poetry is a truthful expression of what one feels inside. I consciously choose poetry as the medium at times, not because of its lyrical nature or its concise form of communication, but more often than not it helps find an instant connect.

I sincerely feel very many social issues can be portrayed sensitively or highlighted through this lovely medium of poesy. Poetry is not only for enjoyment, pleasure or entertainment, but goes a long way in awakening a society, help build a common bond of goodwill and amity among people. Sensitively done poetries, in a most beautiful way, can become real eye-openers to several social ills that plague a society.

I try to shape or write my poetry in a way, where it can find on its own an immediate successful bond between me as a narrator, with my reader…allowing him or her to dwell on my poem…not simply read it.

As a writer of short stories or as a novelist I find, I can get an even more or wider leverage to effectively convey my thoughts across. Elements like plot, characters, setting or themes can be presented or explored in a more elaborate way.

Through these literary genres I strive to touch upon several critical issues that plague our modern societies, be it environmental issues, hunger, greed, vices, terrorism, moral issues, or poverty.

As human beings our aspirations, dreams and hopes are the same, irrespective of the differences to our backgrounds. If we have to aspire for credible peace and progress, then it becomes absolutely imperative that we unify or tie people to a common ethos.

Thus, by way of thematic explorations I try to bring to fore these issues through my novels and short stories.

Q.7 What role does nature play in your writing, and how does it influence your creativity?

Ans.

It plays a tremendous role and greatly inspires my creativity.

Not a few decades back, men had more time on hand, were more at leisure to enjoy the simpler and finer things of life. Unfortunately, in this modern age of technology and mechanization, we have been thrust into a mad rat-race where only material prosperity is deemed supreme. And as a corollary, our time is no more ours or even belongs to our family or friends. It has been pawned at the altars of the commercial and the material. No wonder, intrinsically we are more unhappy than as compared to the happier times we had enjoyed years ago.

Modern world has become materialistic, hectic, and automated beyond measure, as a result of which people are becoming badly pressed for time, and in process, have even lost the will to seek pleasure. Shorn of nature, we live in concrete jungles now. Such frenetic lifestyles have taken a serious toll of our mental and physical health and well-being.

It is essential that we connect back to nature for our own sakes and retrace our steps when we still have the time. Nature helps us revive, recoup and rejuvenate. Half of the stress and illness that we have wrought upon ourselves will vanish, if only we learn to co-exist, stay in harmony with nature. Nature not only heals one, but inspires beyond measure.

Philosophers and poets strive their best to put back core values to the fore, and try bring clarity to warped and confused perspectives.

But unfortunately, more often than not,  they’re voices lost in the crowd.

Q.8 Can you share a memorable moment from your writing journey that has significantly impacted your work?

Ans.

I recollect one such incident. It was in the year 2017 or 2018. I had just published my first book, ‘Stepping back…’, a story that revolves around a spiritual theme.

Around the same time I happened to meet an old friend of mine who, I had learnt then, was in a state of deep emotional trauma due to grave personal and financial issues.

Since my own financial means were modest, I couldn’t offer much help to him by way of money; but do remember having spent hours with him, giving patient ears to his problems and offering my solace. I also remember having given him, on a whim, a copy of my newly published book.

As fate would have it, it was destined to be our last meeting. He left for his city to cope with the issues he was grappling with.

Years later I happened to come across a blog he had written online. It spoke of our meeting, specifically mentioning about the book I had written, and how it had metamorphically transformed his outlook towards life,  inspiring him towards asceticism and spiritualism as a way of life in his onward journey.

I was happy to learn that his life was back on even keel now, especially after the emotional upheavals he had gone through, and more so that my book had played a tiny part in bringing about that metamorphosis.

Q.9 What are the reasons for man’s unhappiness? If he is discontented, whom would you hold responsible?

Ans.

If the context of this question refers to inner happiness, I would say, non-acceptance and ignorance are the two key reasons why most people tend to remain unhappy. The day a person’s approach to life bends towards the philosophical or even simply becomes more accepting of what life has to offer, he or she would find themselves on a sure path of contentment and in turn, happiness.

Illumination should come from within, there is none else upon whom one can blame for one’s own discontentment.

Q. 10 How do you look at life? And are you happy? What is happiness in your opinion?

Ans.

I view life as a journey. Happiness is a state of mind. To me, happiness is contentment, a state in which one can remain, even without the trappings of name, fame or wealth, if one so desires.

Q. 11 Poet stands marginalized in our modern society? What is the reason?

Ans.

One of the more important reasons to this state of affairs is, poets these days tend to write to impress rather than making any real attempt to being truthful to heartfelt emotions.

Today, it is all about trying to awe the readers with flourishes of vocabulary or by simply paying homage to, what I would like to call, ‘pop-corn’ sentiments, feelings that are all fluffy and flowery but which carry no real substance. Therein lies the bane.

Q.12 How do you hope readers will connect with the themes of Different Skies in their own lives?

Ans.

Foremost, I fondly hope the few true short stories contained within the book makes them curious and fires their imaginations.

Again, a couple of the sci-fi stories based on climate issues are meant to provoke thoughts and raise questions as to what for are we abusing this our mother planet, (that is so giving) sadly to our own detriment?

Rest that are purely from realms of fantasy should hopefully please the readers, entertain them, and give them unadulterated reading pleasure.

Q.13 What advice would you give to aspiring writers who wish to explore complex emotional themes in their work?

Ans.

Imagination is the key.

While writing, put yourself in the shoes of each of your characters – try visualizing the overall evolving plot, purely and solely from their individualistic point of views at every stage of your story, so as to give it an authentic feel. As long as the characters stay comfortable in their own skins, remain true to their intended depiction, complex emotional interplays and themes would play out naturally all by themselves.

Q. 14 Tell us something about your next book.

Ans.

I’m planning to bring out my next book in a combination of two – A Novella and A Novelette, both published together, in tandem.

The novella is titled, ‘The Moon Worshipper’ while the novelette is titled, ‘The Business kinds…’

I’m hoping to get them published before the mid of September 2025.

Book Title: Different Skies…

Author: Prakash Nagarajan

Book Link: Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Different-Skies-Prakash-Nagarajan/dp/9366655378/