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Poet Inspired By Love, Politics

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 4, 2009

Sasenarine Persaud spends his days working as an analyst for a major banking firm.

The job is a paycheck, he said. Writing poetry and fiction is his passion.

Persaud, 51, was born and raised in Guyana, where political tensions inspired him to begin writing. He spent years as a working writer in Canada, winning awards such as the Ontario Arts Council Award for Fiction and Poetry. He then moved to the United States, where he found it difficult to support himself by art alone.
Persaud has published two novels, a book of short stories and seven books of poetry. His latest poetry collection, "In a Boston Night," was published by TSAR publications and is available at all major bookstores.
Persaud lives in New Tampa.

When did you start writing?

I have been dabbling with writing since I was a teenager. I got started, without realizing it, by writing to various pen pals. I just kept writing.

Growing up in Guyana, Indian culture and life were trivialized, ignored, made invisible. As a teenager, I saw this. This, and the study of English literature, helped me see how writing could be used to record the culture and lives of the Indians.

Did you study writing?

I have a master's in creative writing from Boston University.

What inspires you?

Love, politics, the world in which I live, everything around me inspires me, especially the quirks in society: the environment, nature, art, literature, science, space, issues of race and politics. I have a poem on my Web site and blog www.poets-and-co.blogspot.com/ on President Barack Obama and race which would not be popular. As a poet and a writer, truth, not popularity, concerns me.

What is the most challenging aspect of trying to make it as an author?

I write because I have to write. I will write, regardless of whether there is recognition. In many ways, I have made it. My work is taught and studied in schools and universities in the Caribbean and in several colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada.

How much time are you able to dedicate to writing?

I have a full-time job. I write around this job. I generally write in the early mornings. I leave evenings for e-mails and correspondence. But this is not a strict rule. I don't set myself a specified amount of time every day when I have to write.

Are people at your day job surprised to learn you write?

Most have been. Many are very surprised at how much I have published.

Did you enjoy the book signing?

This was a first. I've never been to an author event without reading from or formally talking about my work. It was good to talk to other authors. Overall, it was a positive experience.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Believe in yourself. Live life fully and consciously. Read widely on every topic, and above all, write. Don't be afraid of your voice, and don't be afraid of your vision, even when it goes against conventional thinking on writing and literature.

Sarah Rothwell

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