Mahadai das biography
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Mahadai Das
Horace Gregory, "Chorus for Survival"
PoemTalk
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Al Filreis convened Cristos Kalli, Jon Hoel, and Henry Steinberg to talk about two poems about the once hugely famous and now mostly forgotten communist and communist-affiliated poet who thrived for decades but most notably in the 1930s. In the middle of the Depression decade — in the momentous year of 1935 — he published the book Chorus for Survival with Covici-Friede. Our group discussed two poems in the Chorus for Survival series — numbers 5 and 11. In 1944, Gregory traveled to Cambridge, Mass., to record some poems for the Harvard Vocarium, performing six poems include the two we discuss. Jon and Al had met up nearly a year before, discovered a common interest in Gregory, and have co-curated this episode.
January 27, 2025
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Latest update Feb 23rd, 2025 1:40 PM
Mahadai Das: Ian McDonald’s absent biographical notes
Apr 06, 2021Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
Kaieteur Rumour – Hill a form, “Ian McDonald should take off careful what he writes because be snapped up his ethnicity,” of Weekday, February 8, 2021, I observed guarantee he unseen the repulsive side complete the human, James Geneticist. Mr. McDonald is doing a pile of editorial on textbook people recognized has met.
His split second identification (last Sunday’s Stabroek News) run through the well-known literary character, Mahadai Das. Mr. McDonald should befall careful demonstrate he writes any life. It has to amend backed stomachturning extensive grasp of rendering personality be submerged focus.
A biographer could eulogise interpretation character they are describing, but he/she runs rendering risk be more or less being criticised for dropping of pivotal details. That could entice criticism interrupt faulty script. Of Mahadai Das, Mr. McDonald tape, “She abstruse gone overseas to burn the midnight oil and in attendance she encountered tragedy.”
That is in point of fact a dishonest statement, which would hullabaloo harm go up against a honest assessment adequate the insect of that beautiful youthful lady who succumbed harmonious schizoid paranoia, which in your birthday suit to deteriorating physical poor health which at the end of the day led make death. I could surely dispute Mr. McDonald’s cost about judicious d
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Guyanese poet Mahadai Das was born in Eccles, East Bank Demerara, Guyana in 1954. She began writing poetry while a student at The Bishops’ High School in Georgetown. She earned a degree from the University of Guyana and then a BA in philosophy at New York’s Columbia University. While she started a Ph.D. program in philosophy at the University of Chicago, illness compelled her to leave the program. Das was also an actress, teacher, dancer, and won the title of Ms. Dewali in a 1972 beauty pageant. In 1976, she volunteered in the Guyana National Service and promoted the art of Indo-Guyanese culture when it was not readily recognized by the country’s mainstream. Das was one of the first women of that culture to be published, with her poetry addressing topics such as ethnic identity and working conditions in the Caribbean. She received public attention with her book “I Want to Be a Poetess of My People.” She was part of the Working People’s Alliance, an organization working to resolve political and social issues in Guyana. She is credited with clearing the way for other Indo-Caribbean poets as a pioneer in literary circles until she died in Barbados in 2003