Songs and Poems: An interview with Suma Subramaniam
Suma Subramaniam is the author of She Sang For India - a picture book biography that is the true story of the first Indian musician who performed at the United Nations. Before M.S. Subbulakshmi became a famous singer, she was a young girl with a prodigious voice. But Subbulakshmi was not free to sing everywhere. In early 1900s India, girls were not allowed to perform for the public. So Subbulakshmi busted barriers to sing at small festivals. Eventually, she broke tradition to record her first album. She did not stop here. At Gandhi’s request, Subbulakshmi sang for India’s freedom. Her fascinating odyssey stretched across borders, and soon she was no longer just a young prodigy. She was a woman who changed the world.
Suma Subramaniam also has a picture book entitled Namaste Is a Greeting. This picture book explores the word’s layers of meaning. It follows the story of a child, going about their day in a bustling city, and finding the different ways Namaste is used in friendship, community, and empathy.
Suma is a founding member of Diverse Verse and I asked her 3 quick questions about music, poetry and her process.
Padma Venkatraman: You were one of very few poets selected for inclusion in the March 2021 anthology of Poetry magazine, which is the leading poetry journal in the English language. Since then, you have written beautiful picture books. Do you see yourself as primarily a poet, or a storyteller, or do you define yourself differently in a creative sense?
SUMA SUBRAMANIAM: It was an honor to be included in the Young People’s edition of Poetry Magazine with you. I do see myself as a poet first, Padma. My first chapbook of poems was published in 2008 by Finishing Line Press. All of my writing is influenced by poetry.
During my MFA program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Author Martine Leavitt suggested reading at least one poem every day before I tackled a work-in-progress manuscript. I followed her advice and discovered that there was much to receive and give in poetry. We can draw words, weave them, break them, shape them into sounds, and make the words transcend reality. I use it as a natural expression of storytelling.
Padma Venkatraman: Your beautiful picture book about M.S. Subbalakshmi has met with roaring success. What is your relationship to language, and specifically, Carnatic music? Do you think this consciously or subconsciously influences your lyricism when you write a picture book or a poem?
SUMA SUBRAMANIAM: Thank you for the kind words about She Sang for India, dear Padma. My relationship with language and music is love. I grew up in South India and learned multiple languages in my childhood years. I also learned Indian classical music and was surrounded by subject matter experts in my family. “Bani” is a word that is often used in the vocabulary of Carnatic music. There is no equivalent word for it in English. In his book, A Southern Music: The Karnatic Story, Musican, Activist, and Author T.M. Krishna writes that “Bani is a school of music training and presentation that is developed through years of practice and refining. It is a school that has a voice of its own.” This conditioning for decades had a huge influence on my writing. Carnatic music just like poetry has conventions and traditions, also called “sampradaya”. I’ve been working for years on finding my own “bani” and “sampradaya” in writing for children. It’s this relationship with music that gives me clarity. It certainly influences me both consciously and subconsciously. Writing poetry in picture books has morphed into a medium of telling stories with a stronger, intimate connection with young readers.
Padma Venkatraman: One of your upcoming picture books is based on a Tamil rhyme for children. Do you think your poetic rhythms are inspired by your love of the beautiful Tamil language?
SUMA SUBRAMANIAM: Absolutely, Padma. Tamizh or Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world. My hope is to make at least a minute portion of the literature reach today’s young readers. The rhythm and tone in my forthcoming picture books are inspired by works in Tamil as well as a few other Indian languages. For example, The Runaway Dosa (Little Bee Books, Fall 2023), illustrated by Parvati Pillai, is a mishmash of a popular rhyme called Dosai Amma Dosai and The Gingerbread Man. My Name is Long as a River (Penguin Workshop, Fall 2024), illustrated by Tara Anand, has poetry in the backmatter in various South Indian languages.
Padma Venkatraman: What a coincidence! I also have a picture book about names, called STRONG AS A LOTUS, forthcoming from Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin! It will be fun to see our books side by side.
Suma Subramaniam’s interests in writing for children are centered around STEM/STEAM related topics as well as India and Indian heritage. When she’s not recruiting by day or writing by night, she’s volunteering for We Need Diverse Books and SCBWI or blogging about children's books. Suma is the author of Namaste Is A Greeting, She Sang For India, and other books for children and young adults. Her poems have been published in Poetry Magazine. She lives in Seattle with her family and a dog who watches baking shows. Learn more at https://sumasubramaniam.com.
Padma Venkatraman is the award-winning author of five novels, BORN BEHIND BARS, THE BRIDGE HOME, A TIME TO DANCE, CLIMBING THE STAIRS and ISLAND’S END. Her poetry has appeared in Poetry magazine and her second novel in verse, currently entitled SAFE HARBOR FOR A SEAL is in the works. She is the founder of Diverse Verse and she loves writing, raising the voices of other authors from marginalized communities and speaking to children and adults. To arrange for a keynote, school visit or other author event, reach out to her speaking agency, The Author Village. To receive monthly resources and writing prompts, sign up for her newsletter on her website.
