“Philosophy and Poetry are intertwined in Tamil” - Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma

Japanese American, Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma is an author, translator, teacher, and performer. His translation of the classical Tamil masterpiece on ethics, power, and love, The Kural: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural, was recently published by Beacon Press. Other books include The Safety of Edges (poems), Give, Eat, and Live: Poems of Avvaiyar (translated from the Tamil) and Body and Earth (with the artist C.F. John). He speaks and performs widely, teaches for the Cozy Grammar series of online video courses, and has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, 4Culture, Artist Trust, and the U. S. Fulbright Program.

Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma, and the cover of one of his books. [David Mielke] Credit: David Mielke

Kulasegaram Sanchayan talks to Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma about his childhood, his passion for Tamil language, and his work.

This is the first of the two-part interview.

Click on this link for the final part: “Ethics and Life are intertwined in Tamil Culture” - Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma

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