Natwar Gandhi on Gujarati Diaspora Writing in U.S.A – a few observations

By Harish Trivedi, Dayton, Ohio.

© 2010


8

American Literature

‘In the nineteenth century, as American letters were coming of age the American writers were also looking to the mother country for approval. They read what was published in England. They strived to publish in British journals and periodicals. Those who can afford it took annual pilgrimages to Europe, particularly to England to rejuvenate their literary heritage. They sent their children to the best English and European boarding schools.’ Well, they still do. During the 20th century and in this first decade of 21st century some people have been sending their kids to boarding schools in England, Switzerland, France.

In the early 20th century writers did go and settled in England, France or Italy. Take Ezra Pound for example, Natwarbhai has referred to him in his article. Pound was born in Idaho, and grew up in suburban Philadelphia. He was trained in classical literature at the University of Pennsylvania and Hamilton College. In 1908 (early 20th century) he moved to London where he lived until 1921, then relocated to Paris, France. He moved to Italy, in 1924, where he lived for much of the rest of his life. He married Dorothy Shakespeare in 1914, and they had a son in 1926. For most of his married life, he was romantically involved with the classical violinist Olga Rudge, with whom he had a daughter in 1925. Pound died in Italy, in November 1972.

(An incidental foot-note: Pound’s life-style was not unlike some of our own contemporary Gujarati writers/poets/critics, journalists… who also indulge in similar extra-marital activities described above and sometimes they even proudly brag about it. Generally no one cares about such ‘friends with benefits’ affairs but this ‘bragging’ is really uncalled for. It is juvenile, cheap and it also demeans one of the partners involved in such relationships).

Paris has been a destination of choice for many American writers, including Natwarbhai's favorite (Ralph Waldo) Emerson and Henry James and also of Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, E. E. Cummings, Cole Porter, Henry Miller, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Theodore Dreiser, Edith Wharton, and John Dos Passos. Henry James called Paris 'the most brilliant city in the world'.

Whether they were escaping, becoming an exile, or just enjoying the mystery and romance of Paris...is of little consequence. The most important and relevant fact is that all these writers chose to live wherever they wanted to live...

‘Some even decided literally to migrate to England to make their name in English literature. As late as early twentieth century, the distinguished poet and critic Ezra Pound advised his literary pupil T. S. Eliot to live in London to make his name in English literature. Eliot did just that and eventually became a British citizen. For Eliot, only Europe can provide the cultural authority that he was looking for. Henry James, the distinguished novelist also chose England and Europe over America. Both Eliot and James established great reputations and became giants of English literature. By mid-Twentieth Century, Eliot was already a Nobel laureate and by wide agreement most literary critics believed that Henry James should also have been awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.’ (Page 5)

The above and similar comments about American writers living abroad are not really relevant to the question of Gujarati NRI writers and their writing. The Gujarati NRI writers live in various countries because of necessity – education, jobs or family connections. Gujarati writers in various countries are there by default. As far as I know no Gujarati NRI writer or for that matter even a Gujarati writer in India could afford to move abroad to soak in or to absorb the culture of a particular country and WRITE.

To be continued....