Even in Cambodia, where I find myself until I move on, “Independence Day,” whether India’s or America’s, always excites me … as it did the crowds at the Red Fort on the night of August 14, 1947, and the framers of the American Declaration of Independence. When I was a kid, in the boarding school,…
Why does a writer write? Sometimes for love, sometimes for money, sometimes to impress someone, sometimes for fame, sometimes for revenge and/or justice. A true writer may also desire love, justice, and security (to do the work he/she loves best), but above all, a true writer writes because he can’t help it, because NOT to…
As Japanese Prime Minister Abe continues to deny his country’s history, perhaps this piece, that I wrote some time back, comes to mind: I just saw Railway Man, the movie based on the bestselling book: the true story of Eric Lomax, a former British prisoner-of-war who decided to confront his nightmares by confronting his Japanese…
I am pleased to announce that, at present, readers may instantly download any of the following books with either a credit/debit card or with Paypal (the financial details are handled by Paypal–the Download program is a WordPress plug-in; and the buyer gets a download link after payment and does it himself/herself; I know nothing about…
In The Revised Kama Sutra (various editions show some differences), I mention that the ancestors of the Konkanis (my linguistic and cultural group, now settled in Southwestern India) were Aryan invaders. Some years back, I was championed as a “courageous” writer by an Indian-American millionaire with a large following of Indian-Americans, mostly Hindus (if you’re…
[Before you even start, this essay or edition is an afterthought; The Killing of an Author has been loved by some wonderful people–and was No. 1 on a list of books recommended by NDTV, for a couple of months. It can be judged on the basis of the book alone, not this recently added Preface.]…
This is a short impression, not a review, of two movies I saw recently. “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is yet another movie that does not live up to the promise of its trailer. Damn! Why do I let a trailer convince me to waste 2 1/2 hours? Riz Ahmed’s portrayal of a highly privileged and smart…
Two different articles on the Internet have reminded me of the humanity of writers. (I should say: other writers. I am aware of my own humanity each time I look at myself in the mirror.) Kurt Vonnegut, whose books and whose passion for social justice I admire, wrote: “We are what we pretend to be.”…
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