For once, the amount of time I’ve taken to read this says nothing about the book. I remember reading Bloom of Youth. I was faintly unhappy with it. I then somehow ended up reading Grandmother’s Footsteps and was so bored with it that I decided never to read Rachel Anderson again. Thankfully, despite what the proverb says, […]
The Pursuit of Happyness
Yes, I know I ought to have watched this long ago. Yes, I know that practically everyone has already watched this. But it moved me to tears, and I cannot not write about it. The story of a struggle against all odds is always touching, but what truly moved me was love. When is it […]
Encyclopedias
I remember a time in school when a teacher asked what we liked to read, and one child replied, “Encyclopedias.” I inwardly rolled my eyes and thought, “Oh my God! What an unimaginative sycophant!” (Well, maybe not those words, but you know . . .) Today, I apologise. In the library, I opened a volume […]
Theory of Knowledge
I teach ‘Theory of Knowledge’. That’s part of my job description now. We have many questions that count as TOK questions. Epistemological questions, ethical questions, ontological questions, the works. For once, though, I have a very strong TOK answer rather than a TOK question. The question is, “Can I explain humour?” The answer is ‘no’. […]
Toto Funds the Arts 2014
I wrote about having been long-listed for the Toto awards three years in a row, without being shortlisted even once – it’s time to try again! I know there are several young writers who read my blog, writers who don’t quite know how and where to begin. A competition is sometimes the best place. I […]
Stories on a Postcard Challenge
I found this such a charming idea that I felt compelled to share it! I have so many memories of postcards! My father used to send postcards like this to me when I was on vacation in Bangalore with my grandparents. Somehow, I remember one postcard very clearly. ‘Did you hear the one about the […]
The Diary I’m Using
I can’t stop laughing. I found an age-old diary. It’s a 1988 diary, and I seem to have started using it in the early nineties. Only a few pages are used, so I picked it up to use again. As always, one of the first few pages has space provided for personal details. Name, address, […]
Movies and Me
I don’t like horror movies. Or even thrillers, or anything remotely frightening. I don’t find them funny, the way most people seem to. They don’t make me laugh and say, “How lame! That’s not scary at all!” I get scared. It’s as simple as that. I remember a time we got together to watch Hide and […]
The Peculiar English Language
Of course we know that language is peculiar. And English? Any new speaker finds it ridiculously bewildering. I’m reading a book by Rachel Anderson called Asylum. More about that will come in a book-review soon, but it brought me to laugh aloud at the ridiculous English language. We learned similes in school. As fresh as […]
Happy Birthday, Harry Potter
How can I let this day go by without wishing one of my favourite fictional characters of all time? I don’t have the books in front of me, but phrases flash through my mind – ’emotional range of a teaspoon’ ‘Gred and Forge’ I can see Harry at school, praying not to get to into […]
The Decimal System
I was just thinking about how glad I was that the decimal system was in place. With the wonderful zero, 10 mm conveniently make a cm, 100 cm make a metre and all of that – how beautifully easy. No more thoughts of 12 inches to a foot, and complicated measurements for yards and miles. […]
Guess what I received today!
A very dear, thoughtful friend of mine sent this to me! I know it’s unclear! But aren’t telegrams supposed to be? (Clicking on the picture does open a clearer image)
The Haunting of Hiram
Yesterday, when MJ Shubhra asked me to recommend books at the ‘Book Club’ show, I was tongue-tied, somehow. I could think of nothing. On my desk lay an Eva Ibbotson, so I said ‘Eva Ibbotson’. My favourite by her remains Journey to the River Sea, but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by her. The Haunting of […]
Surprise Interview
I never have call waiting turned on. Yesterday, somehow I did. An unknown number was calling me as I spoke to a very dear friend – a landline number. At first, I ignored it. I got another call. I was puzzled. And another. So I took it. “Varsha Seshan!” said the voice at the other […]
Radio One!
Tune in to 94.3 FM Radio One – Maximum Music, Maximum Choice! Immediately! Surprise interview about The Story-Catcher and its author!
On Being Krishna
Watching the Indore video last night reminded me – For the last piece that all of us performed together, my teacher was keen that Krishna use a real flute. So a friend bought a flute for me and I diligently decorated it. I put lovely peacock feather tassels and gold ribbon around Krishna’s melodious flute. […]
Circus School
Originally, before we left for Chambéry, we were told that we would be taught a bit. We were told we would actually have a real circus lesson. Of course we were excited! Story-books and circus smells ran through my imagination as I thought about it! It was only when we got there that we realised […]
What is literature?
I asked my AS Level class, “What is literature?” One by one, students came and wrote on the board what they thought. ‘The study of a language.’ ‘The study of poetry and drama.’ ‘The study of a language, poetry, prose and drama.’ “What about a diary or travelogue?” I hinted. ‘Anything that is written.’ “What […]
Hyperbole and a Half
LOOK AT MY BOOK. LOOK AT IT. IT IS VERY NICE. I AM VERY IMPORTANT. 15 July 2013 at 07:30 I have been told that I need to promote my book so that people will know it exists and maybe some of them will pre-order it. My first inclination was to accomplish this by sitting […]
I can’t quite believe this . . .
The Story-Catcher has been long listed for the Crossword Book Awards! So what if the long list is loooong? If it needs votes, I’m banking on lots of people!