Description
Jim Wungramyao Kasom, whose soul is deeply entwined in the land of his nativity, through these poems, shares stories that could be forgotten in time. Stories told in succinct lines imbued with emotions, longings, pain and joy reflective of him and his people cradled in their remote homeland — a beautiful place that births women and men strengthened by the toughness of the mountains and its bequeathed history. Cradling Memories of My Land is a collection of poems, intimately voicing the memories that have individually and collectively made them.
Jim Kasom’s anecdotes strung together evoke a primitive yearning to be by the fireside listening to folktales. — MUSE INDIA
In our world where everyone is now an artist or writer, Jim’s writing and photographs stand out for me: they highlight the ordinary world and the nuances of everyday life that we usually ignore or take for granted, compelling us not just to look but to really see. Cradling Memories of My Land travels across space and time with lines like “Perhaps my name is my grandmother’s swan song / her legacy and prayer / I don’t know if I feel weighed down by it / and all the expectations of my ancestors / Occasionally, I do find myself whispering my name / as if to get used to the weight of it / as if I were a hermit crab testing a new shell.” The book owes much to Kasom’s ability to articulate moments that are often ungraspable. His voice is curious, empathetic and rich with love for the natural world. Don’t pass this up. — Prarthana Banikya, founder, The Little Journal
Jim Wungramyao Kasom is a storyteller and a photographer, and the author of Homecoming & Other Stories. Born and raised in a village in Ukhrul, Manipur, Jim has lived away in the cities for most of his life and dreams of reuniting with his homeland. Writing about home is a self-indulging therapy to cope with the space and time lived away from home.