words beckon and I curl up like a ball in routine
rolling from one task to another
The world is round, they say, so is my day...
it keeps running back into the same things
again and again
who will cook dinner?
who will fold the clothes?
the story stands aside, mute
I have no time to lend a hand and mould her into shape...
the husband yells for tea
the son has lost his socks
the daughter needs a ribbon
my feet find their rhythm within the merry-go-round of life
and when sleep slips sweetly in,
I think of you...
still waiting
mutely
for another moment
another chance...
another day
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
What I want to read
Arab literature has been around for some time, I know, but we are such 'frogs-in-the-well' that we in Kerala havent celebrated these gifted people from the continent yet. Naguib Maffouz's Nobel prize gave the spotlight internationally to Arab Literature, a well-deserved and belated one I should say. But, although the literary scene in my corner of the world boasts of acquaintance with literature with all parts of the world, especially from any place with a struggle, ( with a red tinge) I haven't seen many discussions on Arab literature here,...perhaps I am just not at the right places at the right time.
I am digressing!
My bookermania took me through another blog in the guardian which spoke of the increased interest in the west over writers from Iran, Syria, Palestine, Turkey and Egypt, especially women. I now have a whole new list of must-reads which includes Elif Shafak's The Bastard of Istanbul, Yasmin Crowther's The Saffron Kitchen and Anita Amirezzvani's The Blood of Flowers. So also The Road from Damascus by Robin Yassin-Kassab.
The blog speaks of the IMPAC International literary award with a number of Arab writers adorning the short list.
I cant say that my bookermania has not been educational....I have gone on to read more widely covering more continents and cultures, and yet there is SUCH a lot left to read yet...I do wish the British Council Library hadn't packed up from here... All these books published in UK will not fall into my hands unless I travel to the nearest metro, which is a day's train journey away.
As a tail piece do read this link which was published in 1993 on Arab women writers..
http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0293/9302036.htm
I am digressing!
My bookermania took me through another blog in the guardian which spoke of the increased interest in the west over writers from Iran, Syria, Palestine, Turkey and Egypt, especially women. I now have a whole new list of must-reads which includes Elif Shafak's The Bastard of Istanbul, Yasmin Crowther's The Saffron Kitchen and Anita Amirezzvani's The Blood of Flowers. So also The Road from Damascus by Robin Yassin-Kassab.
The blog speaks of the IMPAC International literary award with a number of Arab writers adorning the short list.
I cant say that my bookermania has not been educational....I have gone on to read more widely covering more continents and cultures, and yet there is SUCH a lot left to read yet...I do wish the British Council Library hadn't packed up from here... All these books published in UK will not fall into my hands unless I travel to the nearest metro, which is a day's train journey away.
As a tail piece do read this link which was published in 1993 on Arab women writers..
http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0293/9302036.htm
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Booker Mania
I MUST blog daily from today, what Rob Parnell told me in his newsletter about a writer having a blog and being ready for the time when your book is on view to the world is true, I feel....but look, I write a lot of stuff as work, but dont want to write a blog... simply don't want to do it... why is that?
Have I mentioned that I am a Bookermaniac? I simply LOVE reading anything on that topic...and do hunt regularly for it... in fact just an analysis or a book review on a Booker longlisted title gives me a kick like nothing else does...
I am continuing my odyssey into Bookerworld with my severely enhanced Bookermania and find really interesting things to read nowadays ...
Here is a link
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/07/every_year_more_first_novels.html
The current booker list has evoked a broad discussion of the 'Indian (sub continent) presence... read this as the inclusion of Amitav Ghosh, Aravind Adiga, Mohammed Hanif and of couse the omnipresent Rushdie... no its not over, the discussion includes even Michelle de Kretser as a member of this group... now this lady is a Sri Lankan by origin settled in Australia... this link touches this topic.
The article is followed by various informed comments and I found it exciting to read about Preeta Samrasan from Malaysia as a regretted omission... now she is from south India by ancestry but a citizen of Malaysia... I haven't read her work, but will do so as soon as I can lay hands on it.
I quote from the comments
"
So the question is, in lists to come, will Indian writers be recognized by the countries they represent or by their race?
No matter which countries they choose to live in or were born in, they'll still be easily traced back to their homeland. I feel that race will always triumph over country which will eventually be seen as a symbol. I feel that because Indian writers have come into their own in a big way since the time of Rushdie and Roy, they will be around for a while yet and continue to surprise us from different parts of the world.
In the same vein, I do think that Pakistani literature has risen tremendously of late. And this issue came up recently at the South Bank festival where Mohammed Hanif read from his new novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes. It came somewhat as a shock to the audience as to the recollection of just how many Pakistani writers had published novels and short stories in the last 2 years alone.
I also do believe that there are older writers writing first novels. "
The last line is highlighted purely for ...ahem... inspirational purposes...
Anybody listening?
Have I mentioned that I am a Bookermaniac? I simply LOVE reading anything on that topic...and do hunt regularly for it... in fact just an analysis or a book review on a Booker longlisted title gives me a kick like nothing else does...
I am continuing my odyssey into Bookerworld with my severely enhanced Bookermania and find really interesting things to read nowadays ...
Here is a link
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/07/every_year_more_first_novels.html
The current booker list has evoked a broad discussion of the 'Indian (sub continent) presence... read this as the inclusion of Amitav Ghosh, Aravind Adiga, Mohammed Hanif and of couse the omnipresent Rushdie... no its not over, the discussion includes even Michelle de Kretser as a member of this group... now this lady is a Sri Lankan by origin settled in Australia... this link touches this topic.
The article is followed by various informed comments and I found it exciting to read about Preeta Samrasan from Malaysia as a regretted omission... now she is from south India by ancestry but a citizen of Malaysia... I haven't read her work, but will do so as soon as I can lay hands on it.
I quote from the comments
"
So the question is, in lists to come, will Indian writers be recognized by the countries they represent or by their race?
No matter which countries they choose to live in or were born in, they'll still be easily traced back to their homeland. I feel that race will always triumph over country which will eventually be seen as a symbol. I feel that because Indian writers have come into their own in a big way since the time of Rushdie and Roy, they will be around for a while yet and continue to surprise us from different parts of the world.
In the same vein, I do think that Pakistani literature has risen tremendously of late. And this issue came up recently at the South Bank festival where Mohammed Hanif read from his new novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes. It came somewhat as a shock to the audience as to the recollection of just how many Pakistani writers had published novels and short stories in the last 2 years alone.
I also do believe that there are older writers writing first novels. "
The last line is highlighted purely for ...ahem... inspirational purposes...
Anybody listening?
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