Ranjit Hoskote is the author of five major books of poems, including, most recently, Central Time, Vanishing Acts and eighteen works of cultural criticism. He is the editor of Dom Moraes: Selected Poems. His translations include I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded. His latest, Jonahwhale, is a sophisticated project in anamnesia, that retrieves fragments and episodes from the multiple pasts that we inherit; it makes an inquiry into the unregarded legacies of the colonial encounter at sea rather than on land.
Let’s have a look at 6 most heart touching vignettes from the book.
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1. Dunhuang
2. Kushan Dawn Song
3. Planetarium
4. Passage
5. The Refugee Pauses in Flight
6. The Swimming Pool
Category: Specials
She Who Knew How the Caged Birds Sang
With the guidance of her friend, the novelist James Baldwin, Maya Angelou began work on the book that would become I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Published in 1970, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings received international acclaim and made the bestseller list. The book was also banned in many schools during that time as Maya Angelou’s honesty about having been sexually abused opened a subject matter that had long been taboo in the culture. Later, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings would become a course adoption at college campuses around the world
On her birthday, we take a look at her famed work through the various poignant quotes by her:
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A Fools Paradise with Shakespeare
Like the real fools and jesters of the time, Shakespearean fools were common individuals that outwitted people of higher social status. They find place in many of William Shakespeare’s works:
“Shakespeare’s fools are subtle teachers, reality instructors one might say, who often come close to playing the part that Socrates, himself an inspired clown, played on the streets of Athens. They tickle, coax and cajole their supposed betters into truth, or something akin to it. They take the spirit of April Fools’ Day to an inspired zenith.” (Edmundson, 2000)
This April Fool’s day, here’s our literary take on the Shakespeare’s fools:
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Edmundson, M. (2000). Playing the Fool. New York Times, Retrieved from www.nytimes.com.
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/00/04/02/bookend/bookend.html
5 Tips on Work Life Balance From A Techie-Turned-Farmer
Disheartened by his stressful life in the city, Venkat Iyer decided to quit his job at IBM and take up organic farming at his Dahanu farm. He soon went from wielding microchips to sowing moong dal. But this transition wasn’t easy. With no experience in agriculture, his journey was wrapped around uncertainty. Iyer’s debut novel, Moong over Microchips follows his extraordinary experience battling erratic weather conditions and stubborn farm animals to stumbling upon a world of fresh air, organic food and sheer joy.
Here are five tips from Iyer’s book that will help you achieve the perfect work- life balance:
Tip one: Make use of liberal leave policy
Tip two: The 5 Cs
Tip three: You should know when gadgets need to be turned off
Tip four: True wealth is in being happy, healthy and content with what one has
Tip five: Wellness is based on these five parameters
A Dash of Poetry from Some of the Finest Indian Poets
Immensely admired for the sensitivity with which they portray human emotions and with a popularity that since decades has remained at an all-time high, this World Poetry Day we present to you a poem from some of these finest Indian poets. Their voice will tug at the heart of every poetry lover.
Let’s have a look at these fantastic voices.
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5 sure-shot mantras to attain happiness; The Dalai Lama shows the way
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan people. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. In Happiness, the Dalai Lama opens a window into the attainment of absolute happiness in day to day life.
Let’s look at these 5 poignant quotes from Happiness, where the Dalai Lama shows us the way to attain happiness.
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A Flair to Carve Ingenious Characters; Who Else but Philip Roth
Philip Roth is the author of 31 books and has won the Pulitzer Prize, the International Man Booker Prize and many other literary awards, making him arguably America’s greatest living writer. The characters carved by this stellar author, have always invited a wide audience and been a subject of interest.
In this blog piece we celebrate this genius’ birthday through 5 of his characters.
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1. Lucy Nelson, When She Was Good
2. Alexander Portnoy, Portnoy’s Complaint
3. Peter Tamopol, My Life as a Man
4. Libby Herz, Letting Go
5. David Kepesh, The Breast
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7 Astounding facts about Gandhi from this critical-edition of An Autobiography
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is among the most enigmatic, charismatic, deeply revered and equally reviled figures of the twentieth century. His Autobiography, one of the most widely read and translated Indian books of all time, is a classic that allows us to glimpse the transformation of a well-meaning lawyer into a Satyagrahi and an ashramite. In this first-ever Critical Edition, written by the eminent scholar, Tridip Suhrud shines new light on Gandhi’s life and thought. The deeply researched notes elucidate the contexts and characters of the Autobiography, while the alternative translations capture the flavour, cadence and quirkiness of the Gujarati.
Let’s have a look at some of the facts from this critical version that you may not have known:
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De-mystifying Auroville in 7 Facts
Auroville has a reputation as a cosmopolitan, spiritual township, but it remains an enigma to outside observers. This anthology of writing from the community, edited by a long-time resident, Akash Kapur, and representing forty-odd authors from around the world, seeks to shed light not only on Auroville’s ideals but also on its lived reality.
Here are seven facts about Auroville that you should know about:
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6 Times Ramnath Goenka Championed the Cause of Journalism
B.G. Verghese (1927-2014) served with the Times of India for many years before becoming the information adviser to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His book, Warrior of the Fourth Estate: Ramnath Goenka of the Express, is a roller-coaster ride through the twists and turns of Ramnath Goenka’s fortunes, including scandals and scoops, fiery public campaigns, dramatic court battles and the making and unmaking of political leaders and governments. Along the way, it tells the story, too, of a newspaper.
Let’s get to know about those 6 times when Ramnath Goenka championed the cause of journalism.
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