I did not have a very literary background. I came to poetry from the sciences and mathematics, and also through an interest in Japanese and Chinese poetry in translation.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I didn't read so much Japanese literature. Because my father was a teacher of Japanese literature, I just wanted to do something else.
At college, I wanted to be a poet. I liked the extremely concentrated language, the atmosphere of otherworldliness.
I never thought I'd be doing poetry books. I never really studied poetry. But the first one I did was after my mother died, and I realized that people sort of think and talk about her style and fashion, but in fact, what made her the person she was was really her love of reading and ideas.
I started writing poetry in high school because I wanted desperately to write, but somehow, writing stories didn't appeal to me, and I loved the flow and the feel and sense of poetry, especially that of what one might call formal verse.
I had art as a major, along with English, French and History. I had dance, modern dance. In English I was allowed to write my own poetry, which I eventually got published.
My father is a poet. He's a literary giant of this country - writes in Hindi - and also quite unique because he has a Ph.D. in English Literature. He taught at Harvard University, which is one of the most prominent universities in the country.
I entered the literary world, really, from outside. My entire background has been in sciences; I was a biology major in college, then went to medical school. I've never had any formal training in writing.
I read mostly poetry.
I definitely used to write a lot at school. Comic poetry and drawings about people.
I started out as a writer. Poetry and prose and also kind of satirical David Sedaris-esque stuff.