Dreams that Spell the Light

A profound receptivity to the world distinguishes Shanta Acharya's new collection. Her acute eye and keen sense of form depict the outer world in vivid detail, invoking the inner world where human experience makes its reality. Here is a poet of much clarity of spirit and a wondrous gift for evoking place.

There aren't any trivial subjects in Acharya's work. What I like about her writing is the integrity, the direct struggle with language to make it speak truly about real concerns.

Her clear vision has purged her writing of extraneous sentiment... She cuts to the heart of things.

Her poetry shows a rare combination of lyricism, intelligence, sagacity and a wicked sense of humour. She is not afraid to take on the abstract, metaphysical, spiritual or to use the idiom such themes demand. It is refreshing to find these qualities in such an engaging and individual voice.