Shome Dasgupta’s story collection Atchafalaya Darling is rooted
Aimee Bender wrote of the book:
“There’s so much tenderness in these stories, all wrapped in vibrantly bubbling scenes and conversations. Dasgupta cares about all these characters and it shows all over the pages and pulls a reader in.”
In his own words, here is Shome Dasgupta’s Book Notes music playlist for his story collection Atchafalaya Darling:
Atchafalaya Darling is a collection of stories about Louisiana and its cultures, and more specifically, it focuses on Acadiana—an homage. Creating and thinking about playlists or soundtracks for stories, poems, novels is a passion of mine, whether it’s for my own words or those from others, and while there are so many different ways to approach this collection of stories, I created a playlist from musicians who are from Louisiana. Most of them are more local, but there are also a few that extend beyond Lafayette and its surrounding cities. I think it’s a nice blend of Cajun, Zydeco, Jazz, Indie, Country, and Rap, and it was my attempt to include a variety or range of musical styles to symbolize the eclectic nature of the Cajun South.
1. A Familiar Frottoir
“Granny Smith,” Lost Bayou Ramblers
As the main character of the story, Bisque, tries to take care of his grandmother amid the surrounding chaos and commotion, I feel like this is the song that would be playing in his head. A longtime fan of this Cajun band—I let the sounds, tones, pitches, and fluctuations settle in my head, and go by the feeling of the music as I’m not fluent in Cajun French, and this song particularly captures the overall frenzy of this story while also sounding upbeat and fast paced.
2. By the Pond Back Home
“More Than You Can Imagine,” Brass Bed
Brass Bed is a local indie band which reminds me of a band like Pavement, and they have this classic indie sound to them, one that I love. This song, more so than one by Pavement, makes me think of Elliott Smith’s XO album. It’s surreal and dizzying, oddly uplifting in contrast with the lyrics themselves, and it felt like a perfect song to match with Turnip in this story. A character struggling with addiction on various levels, and no matter how much he messes up, his love for his family is always constant, however distorted.
3. Atchafalaya Darling
“Zydeco Gris-gris,” BeauSoleil
To think about Cajun music is to think about BeauSoleil, which was one of the first Cajun bands I saw perform live at one of the local festivals. They incorporate all kinds of different styles of sounds, but they all orbit around their heritage. “Zydeco Gris-gris” is one song I imagine that Arcade and his family would listen to while they’re sitting outside on the porch, or maybe, playing on the radio while on the houseboat. The name of the band itself inspires hope while also matching with the name of Arcade’s daughter, Belle.
4. A Vermilion Sad Song
“Don’t You Just Know It?” Huey “Piano” Smith
This is another song where I’m going more by sound rather than lyrics—I first heard this song at a long time friend’s wedding. The DJ was playing it one vinyl, and I was immediately hypnotized by the tone and spirit of the song. I would love to have seen this song performed live, and I feel like this story, which is about the local music scene in Lafayette, would be a nice fit for such a song. It’s loud and fun, and I imagine it to be a very exciting song to listen to at a small performance or concert at one of our local venues such as the one mentioned in this story.
5. Frog Creek Crow
“I Called Mama,” Tim McGraw
A song about loss and family—I couldn’t help but to connect this song to “Frog Creek Crow,” and its own unexpected reunion of sorts. Aristide, the main character of this story, finds himself in difficult situations, and he’s in search of spiritual fulfillment while also wondering where his mom had gone or if she’s still alive after leaving the family. Now, by himself—without a dad, too, Aristide seeks answers and wonders how to pray, hoping for a sign from his mom. It’s a small town song, and I think it fits well with this small town story.
6. Redfish
“Ha,” Juvenile
“When you paid, you got beaucoup places to go”—so goes one of the lines from New Orleans rapper Juvenile, and I interpret this song as hustling, living on the streets and trying to make money, and doing whatever it takes to live day by day. This song reminds me of the main character in this story, Odilon, suffering from addiction and stealing to live for another day. I wanted to give this story a 90s feel, and I don’t think it can get anymore 90s than Juvenile, and the line, “You gotta lot of Girbaud jeans.”
7. Galileo’s World
“If Wishes Were Horses,” Lucinda Williams
A song which I interpret as second chances and redemption, I couldn’t help but to think about the main character in this story, Galileo, who consistently creates problems on the basketball court; however, her intentions always mean well, and there’s a loving side to her, especially when it comes to her sister and her mom. Perhaps, the ranch mentioned in the song can connect to the gym or basketball and all it encompasses. Galileo is caught between being a child and growing up fast, and this song can represent the idea of peace and freedom, of breaking away from all the struggles, which Galileo seeks to do near the end of the story.
8. The Song of the Bark
“What a Wonderful World,” Louis Armstrong
This particular story was a bit tough to write as it focuses on grieving and sanity, and I feel like this particular song provides a sense of hope that the main character, Verot, needs as he tries to overcome his obstacles. Providing a sense of peace and encouragement, I can imagine Verot listening to this song on repeat, nothing else, as he tries to navigate through life and meeting his siblings for the first time after running away from home, bringing a sense of completion to his existence.
9. The Rock and the River
“Let Loose,” Kind Cousin
Beginning with a pounding, eerily, then transitioning to instrumentation before the gentle and soothing vocals enter symbolize the path found in “The Rock and the River” as Shantanu struggles with all that he has lost in and moving on with life. Nostalgia and happiness and memories all come clashing together, creating an inexplicable emotion for the main character, and “Let Loose” captures such sentiments, as Shantanu searches for freedom from his own mind.
10. Opelousas Electric
“Strangers,” Carbon Poppies
Celestial and dreamy—the tones and lyrics of this song create a mood which relates to “Opelousas Electric.” If this story was a movie or a TV show of some sort, I’d imagine that “Strangers” would play during the opening or closing credits. The band itself feels like indie pop—electrifying and hypnotic, and this story relies on the significance of a stranger, who has momentarily escaped from prison, to give a message to a mother and son. The message, perhaps, comes from the stars.
Shome Dasgupta is the author of The Seagull and The Urn (HarperCollins India), Cirrus Stratus (Spuyten Duyvil), Tentacles Numbing (Thirty West Publishing House), The Muu-Antiques (Malarkey Books), Histories Of Memories (Belle Point Press), Anklet And Other Stories (Golden Antelope Press), Pretend I Am Someone You Like (Livingston Press), Spectacles (Word West Press), Mute (Tolsun Books), i am here And You Are Gone which won the 2010 OW Press Contest, and a poetry collection, Iron Oxide (Assure Press).
His fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction have appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, American Book Review, New Orleans Review, Arkansas Review, New Delta Review, Necessary Fiction, Louisiana Literature, Jabberwock Review, Parentheses Journal, Magma Poetry, and elsewhere. His work has been anthologized in Best Small Fictions 2019 (Sonder Press), Best Small Fictions 2021 (Sonder Press), Best Small Fictions 2023 (Alternating Current Press), The &Now Awards 2: The Best Innovative Writing (&Now Books), and Poetic Voices Without Borders 2 (Gival Press). He lives in Lafayette, LA, and can be found online at shomedome.com and @laughingyeti.