The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers
Back of the Book
Poetry. Asian American Studies. The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers blends the narratives of the travelog and the coming of age novel. It is written by a young Indian woman whose travels take her between homes in two countries, India and England, and through parts of the United States. These short pieces reveal new ways of belonging in the world and possibilities for an art grounded in a localized cosmopolitan culture.
We Love It Because
Bhani Kapil comes to realize the tangible place of her body in the tactile universe in this coming-of-age poetry collection. Beyond the usual bildungsroman, Kapil’s insight into belonging and nomadhood as a body of color blooms as her thoughtful and voracious eyes take in the wider world, and its reaction to her burgeoning womanhood and her stifled personhood.
Memorable Passage
WHAT IS THE SHAPE OF YOUR BODY?
The feeling of my body. I feel like the man who is making a pathway through a forest of thorns. He wants to reach a place that does not exist until he touches it with his mouth.
She has been sleeping for a long time. Brown crystals, like sugar, in the corners of her eyes. Her dreaming saliva has dried on her cheek, where it drizzled from her mouth. There are sparrows singing in the tree outside her window. People are shouting and embracing, as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. Then they remember.
When they open the door, he. Has sunk his nails. Into her hip. She is pressing. Her hand against. Her eye. Smearing it. Her hand. Against the wall.
They tear the man out of her body.
I am thinking of the man, how he reminds me of Christ: the bloody one; the lover who is torn from his beloved; the stranger who brings the gift of awakening, but who is executed at dawn; the exhausted traveler.
About the Author
Bhanu Kapil is a British-Indian writer, poet, and artist whose boundary-defying work challenges traditional forms and pushes the limits of literary expression. Born in England, Kapil's writing reflects a rich tapestry of cultural influences, bridging the worlds of diaspora, feminism, and experimental narrative. Her notable works, including The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers and Ban en Banlieue, blur the lines between poetry and prose, inviting readers into immersive and fragmented landscapes. Kapil's writing delves into themes of migration, identity, and the intersections of personal and collective histories. Her distinctive narrative style, characterized by a poetic intensity and a commitment to innovative storytelling, has earned her critical acclaim and positions her as a luminary in contemporary experimental literature. Bhanu Kapil is worth knowing for her fearless exploration of language, form, and the complexities of cultural identity, contributing to the rich tapestry of global literary voices.
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