An Arizona State University graduate, poet and writer Samyak Shertok is currently pursuing his second Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Mississippi. He believes that language, in its purest form, is a prayer. Shertok, who splits his time between Nepal and the US, is currently in Nepal to launch his upcoming project, Healing through Poetry. The post’s Marissa Taylor caught up with the writer to talk about fiction, poetry and his upcoming ventures. Excerpts:

Why did you decide to have an MFA in poetry when you already had one in fiction?

I have always loved poetry and fiction equally; I think I fell in love with poetry before I did with fiction. But as things turned out, I ended up completing my MFA in fiction before poetry. There are a lot of people who write in both genres, but I guess I wanted to formally study both of them. Hopefully, I will be able to write both too. 

Is there any distinct difference between the way you channel your creativity to fiction and poetry? What is the process?

They’re both two very different things to me and they do work differently. More like, they work similarly, yet very differently. At the basic level, they are both created out of language and involve playing with words. I think poetry allows you more liberty and gives a dream-like quality to your writing; you can be more mysterious. But in fiction, at some level, you have to be clearer of what you’re trying to say. In poetry, you can jump from one sentence to another and rely heavily on the reader to make the connection; whereas in fiction, clarity and transparency are crucial. They have a slightly different approach and imagination.

Which one is easier for you?

Neither. Writing is tough! The writing process takes a lot of effort. I was watching this documentary about ballet dancers and one of the instructors was saying how they practice every single move a thousand times so that it looks effortless to the audience. Writing is the same, I think. I mean there are times when a line comes just like that, but that happens once in a blue moon. More often than not, you’re going line by line, at the pace of a snail, and getting frustrated, cutting out lines and even chunking out paragraphs at times. 

When does your writing happen? Are you a dedicated writer?

I think I am lucky to be doing my masters in creative writing because it keeps me in the loop of creative writers, teachers and art lovers and it helps me draw inspiration. I sometimes do wish I could just take a year or two off just to focus on my writing. I try to write every day but sometimes weeks go by without writing anything and feeling guilty.

This metaphor of a spark is probably misleading, but I write when something strikes me while I am reading a piece or when I see images that speak to me. I revisit many of my stories and poems during these times.

Why do you write?

People can write and not share, right? The reason I share my writings is because I want to connect with people. I think my ultimate goal in writing anything is to make my readers feel a bit of empathy. It’s partly to understand myself and understand people. Besides that, I think it’s because of my love for language. Language, in its purest form, is a prayer.

Are you working on any major body of work right now?

I am working on a couple of poems; I don’t have a collection in mind. I am also working on a collection of short stories. I have a few of them written but I need to work on a few more to make it a collection. I am also working on a bigger 

project on fiction, but right now it is just an outline.

Do you plan to teach in the future or do you want to devote your time exclusively to writing?

If possible, I would like to be a full-time writer. That would be the ideal plan. If I had to pick a job, then I would pick teaching creative writing at college level.

Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming project, Healing through Poetry?

Healing through Poetry is project that aims to work for the earthquake victims. Basically, the project is to record and transcend the tragedy Nepalis went through last year via art and poetry. Basically, I want to talk with earthquakes victims and encourage them to speak and write about it and help them heal through it, or at least make an effort through poetry. 

How much are you familiar with the current Nepali writing scene?

I do try to keep a track of what’s going on but I haven’t really read much. I do want to catch up on them while I am here. But I believe the current scene is getting better by the day. The number of English reading audiences is growing; people are very aware about book launches and readings and these events are well attended. It definitely seems to be going in the right direction and it is a good sign; hopefully that will compel us to produce quality work as well. 

Any writers that you admire?

I think it really comes down to story by story and poem by poem. There are some stories by some writers that I really like and then there are some stories that I completely don’t. Jhumpa Lahiri, Adrienne Rich, Michael Ondaatje, Anne Enright, Natasha Trethewey, Rita Dove are some of my favourite writers and poets. From Nepal, I like Samrat Upadhyay’s works.