Contents: Foreword. Preface. I. Introductions: 1. Challenges of survey: Medieval Indian (Oriya) Literature. 2. Traditions and new trends: an overview of Oriya Literature. 3. Perspectives on contemporary Oriya Poetry. 4. Oriya children's verse: sense and nonsense. 5. Same-sex love in Oriya literary culture: three eras, three narratives. II. Interventions: 6. Representing the other: Gopinath Mohanty's "Tadpa". 7. Reinventing Siddhartha: Chandrasekhar Rath's Astride the Wheel. 8. Original translations: Sitakant Mahapatra's A Screen from Sadness. 9. Lovingly yours: J.P. Das's Loveliness: Poems of Love and longing. III. Critiques: 10. Translating Chha Mana Atha Guntha. 11. From Radha to Sri Radha: Ramakantha Rath's Sri Radha. 12. Two middleclass urban voices: short stories by K.C. Das and J.P. Das. 13. Glocalization of poetry: Jayanta Mahapatra's Shadow Space. IV. Explorations: 14. People's Dramatist: Gopal Chhotray. 15. Jayanta Mahapatra in conversation. 16. Polumetis as artist: J.P. Das. Appendices. Bibliography. Index.

"A melange of surveys, introductions, essays, reviews and interviews, this unique book offers a window-view to some key cultural figures, historical moments, and issues in one of India's fascinating locations --Orissa--whose rich and ancient literary heritage remains relatively obscure to the world outside. Between them the pieces here ably illustrate, contrary to popular misconception, how traditional as well as contemporary Oriya literature has been enriched by several extraordinary voices. Going by their intrinsic worth and cultural impact, and through the perspectives offered here, works such as those of Sarala Das, Jagannath Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gopinath Mohanty, Kalindi Charan Panigrahi, Sachi Rautray, Basanta Kumari, Basanta Satpathy, Jayanta Mahapatra, Ramakanta Rath, Sitakant Mahapatra, JP, Pratibha Ray emerge as masterpieces, not only of Oriya or Indian, but world literature. This volume will be of interest to specialists as well as to a general readership." (jacket)