tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66818702011-04-21T13:13:25.204-07:00musings & mutterings of an MTB (modern-turned-behenji) on literature & lifebbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comBlogger651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-10924762917263581902008-01-07T23:09:00.000-08:002008-01-07T23:19:07.009-08:00

by popular demand and itchy fingers, the behenji has returned. she has now taken up residence in a barsaati and welcomes visitors. her address is: http://barsaati.blogspot.com/ tell her the dakwallah sent you!

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1122501934732014842005-07-27T14:45:00.000-07:002005-07-27T15:05:34.736-07:00

behenji has just ordered some books, courtesy of bohemian bhai's generous birthday gift certificate. what did behenji order:"White Teeth: A Novel" by Zadie Smith"Snow (Vintage International)" by Orhan Pamuk"The Cinnamon Peeler : Selected Poems (Vintage International)" by Michael Ondaatje"The Apple's Bruise : Stories" by Lisa Glattand "How to Breathe Underwater (Vintage Contemporaries)" by Julie

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1121533082807467282005-07-16T09:40:00.000-07:002005-07-16T09:58:02.813-07:00

from willy wonka, of course. as behenji waits for hari puttar to come flying through her door (the ups owl seems quite busy today), she is taking delight in those authors who cater to little bohemians. just read a wonderful piece on roald dahl, of charlie and the chocolate factory fame, in the new yorker (click on title). the author of the article went to visit dahl's house in england and

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1121402942091977172005-07-14T21:34:00.000-07:002005-07-14T21:49:02.096-07:00

like millions of others, behenji has ordered the latest harry potter book, harry potter and the half-blood prince, to be delivered at her doorstep on saturday. if you call before monday, behenji will tell you who died, who didn't. yes, behenji can be a spoiler.it is so fascinating to see how children's authors like j.k. rowling and lemony snicket (aka daniel handler) manage to sweep both children

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1121370340219406462005-07-14T12:43:00.000-07:002005-07-14T12:57:21.380-07:00

behenji took this quiz, courtesy of about.com :You are Adrienne Rich, feminist poet who exploresthe depths of the lesbian female soul. Youbelieve real poetry delves into the real self. Which 20th Century Poet Are You? brought to you by Quizillathis quiz is so dead on...not. although i do admire rich. behenji, however, lives in a different closet;)

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1120876637231548682005-07-08T19:23:00.000-07:002005-07-08T19:37:17.236-07:00

ted kooser, poet laureate of the United States, wrote this wonderful poem which i think really captures the contradiction in art: the pursuit of it, the hope that it will touch someone, the meaning and unmeaning of it in the greater scheme of things. it came in my mailbox as part of the writer's almanac for July 8th. behenji likes small surprises;)Poem: "Selecting a Reader" by Ted Kooser, from

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1120160049288977172005-06-30T12:28:00.000-07:002005-06-30T12:34:09.290-07:00

behenji has written way more posts than 13, but sadly, her profile wishes to show that number, and only that number. behenji is not superstitious, but...? i must ask peer syed saheb, of zee tv fame. maybe he can help me?

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1120159029370326162005-06-30T12:08:00.000-07:002005-06-30T12:17:09.376-07:00

you are sadly mistaken. now here is something behenji would love to read. it's called 'Mozart in the Jungle 'by Blair Tindall, who played the oboe with the New York Philharmonic. she writes about how her oboe got her into playing the instruments of other musicians, if you know what behenji means a snippet from the article (which you can read by...clicking on the title):"she describes leaping

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1120150017676306092005-06-30T09:42:00.000-07:002005-06-30T09:47:36.306-07:00

this interesting article in the guardian (click on title) on ten overseas writers (not from britain, at least) to be read. three cheers for ismail kadare who won the Man Booker prize, joining Rushdie, Roy and many other fine, fine writers.

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1119381913988029932005-06-21T12:20:00.000-07:002005-06-21T12:27:11.803-07:00

is this for real? the 2005 Western Literature Association Conference in Los Angeles is asking for proposals for a panel on the film icon, Brad Pitt. Why 'the Pitt?' here is their reasoning:As one of this generation's most popular actors, Pitt has explored many of the cultural tensions of our emerging postmodern era.after taking the earwax out of her ear with her pencil, behenji is getting ready

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1119123145899775692005-06-18T12:16:00.000-07:002005-06-18T12:37:07.136-07:00

behenji's jaithji (husband's older brother for those unfamiliar with northern india familial titles) brought up paul theroux yesterday, i.e., how his latest book, blinding light, is about writer's block, etc. now theroux is one of those authors behenji has wanted to to read...but like all bibliophiles who read more and then feel so infinitely puny on realization that books are multiplying faster

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1118988276609427482005-06-16T22:53:00.000-07:002005-06-16T23:04:36.613-07:00

my brother, only 18 months younger (how did my mother handle 2 little bohemians at once...), whom i will refer to as bohemian bhaiji, just got back from india. along with an upset stomach and massive jetlag, he also brought home shantaram. an enthused bookworm bhai, he told me how he came across shantaram in a bookstore in bombay and couldn't put it down, and that as long as it is, it really

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1118760247636976392005-06-14T00:06:00.000-07:002005-06-14T10:13:05.903-07:00

for the past three days, daniel alarcon has popped out of various pages, as if almost saying, go read my book. first i came across someone's list in amazon, where they have listed his book as a must read, then i saw his book review in an old issue of O magazine and then i chanced upon him on moorishgirl.com. his set of short stories is called 'war by candlelight.' what a haunting name. apparently

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1118155999514101702005-06-07T07:43:00.000-07:002005-06-07T09:22:57.026-07:00

ok, so behenji is still giddy from her trip to disneyland but not giddy enough to not type. word of caution: do not climb tarzan's tree house on a full bladder;) no, but seriously, folks, why is jonathan safran (want to write saffron) foer getting such a beating for his latest book. have not read it yet, but amitava kumar, in an op piece in the hindu, uses it as a springboard to dive into the

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1117241308719523052005-05-27T15:14:00.000-07:002005-05-27T17:55:04.683-07:00

Mummee is seriously displeased. She spent four hours on Alicia Erian’s Towelhead. She wasn’t planning to read it and only did so because she wanted to see what sort of a novel was called Towelhead, a racial slur for our Mid-East bhais and behens as well as for others who wear turbans in these days of baseball caps.Towelhead is about thirteen year old Jasira and her parents, who may as well be

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1117232066619355862005-05-27T15:10:00.000-07:002005-05-27T15:14:26.623-07:00

behenji is honored to have a guest reviewer grace her blog. she's a bookworm, a mother of two rambunctious yet adorable kids, and a versatile wife who knows more than two uses for a frying pan. and she weilds a pen mightier than a sword...she is modern mummee, and boy does she have opinions. mummeeji will hopefully be paying us a weekly visit and share her wit and wisdom on books she's read. let

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1117167744666250912005-05-26T21:11:00.000-07:002005-05-26T23:31:46.973-07:00

okay, so i want to write about so many things, hence the strange title. if you can figure out 'what' from the title, i will give you an autographed copy of my debut novel...what's that you say? i have to write it first? behenji promises to write so much her hand develops inkitus. until then, you will have to be satisfied with 'it was a dark, moonless night. shyam was peeling the sugar cane stick

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1116895643089038062005-05-23T17:42:00.000-07:002005-05-23T17:49:24.850-07:00

Was everyone obliged to write a novel? Could I write a novel? Did I want to write a novel? What the hell was a novel, anyway, when you came right down to it? A really, really, really long short story? I hoped so, because that was the only thing I knew for certain that I could manage, sort of, to write. a handsome, pulitzer-winning writer wrote this in an introspective, honest, self-indulgent

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1116600824926006242005-05-20T07:51:00.000-07:002005-05-20T07:54:46.076-07:00

and no, its not by me. am not 'that' self-indulgent. picked this up from an old newspaper article.'she looked so domesticated that she would have given the worst behenji a run for her money. '

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1116566608781189532005-05-19T22:12:00.000-07:002005-05-19T22:29:57.406-07:00

talk about idenity theft and the world becoming flat-a very fascinating article about a vicar in england, who wrote under a pseudonym 'rahila khan' and published stories about south asian identity in england. once the publishers caught on, they canned the book. the irony is that the stories, apparently, are quite authentic. again, click on the title folks.a snippet-The vicar’s understanding of

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1116484962590949142005-05-18T23:38:00.000-07:002005-05-18T23:54:56.250-07:00

a fun article that behenji stumbled across about the so-called 'prolific' writer. here's a glimpse-then along comes a chap like Alexander McCall Smith, who seems to regard book writing not as some rarefied art but as a form of daily exercise, like sit-ups or squats. Where most authors sweat to produce 1,000 words a day without self-mutilation, McCall Smith has been known to bang out three times

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1116376212373633012005-05-18T19:18:00.000-07:002005-05-18T19:28:10.886-07:00

is it me, or are there others who read multiple books at a time. sometimes i really do feel that ADD-attention deficit disorder-is not codswallop. but i do know quite a few bookworms, who have multiple books going and somehow they get finished...if they are good. despite the books gathering dust on my shelf, couldn't help but go to the local library and pick up some more to read. currently

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1116298990278802942005-05-16T19:54:00.000-07:002005-05-16T20:04:26.263-07:00

a few sundays ago, rushdie had an essay in the NYT, which sadly, i only got a hold of today. a quote that leapt out at me:In many parts of the world -- in, for example, China, Iran and much of Africa -- the free imagination is still considered dangerous. something to think about, bhaiyo and beheno...

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1116212596131234012005-05-15T19:58:00.000-07:002005-05-16T13:49:39.733-07:00

behenji, in the hopes of trying to write a novel--much like tarun tejpal's 'secretly maligned by the media' protagonist--has been sputtering, starting then fizzling as far as anything remotely close to a plot goes. for inspiration i have called on mj rose's blog backstory. i really enjoyed reading about the genesis of a novel by various writers and can see that it takes a few, before you hit the

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1115832202143699272005-05-11T09:13:00.000-07:002005-05-11T10:42:29.506-07:00

came across this review from the folks at http://www.about.com/ i've always loved gay paris and love reading about ex-pats, from hemingway to...well, to this guy, whoever he is. the book is called 'a year in the merde.' and for those of you, not literate in french, merde means shit, crap, doodoo, poopoo...you get my point. its written by stephen clarke, an english businessman, who while working

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1115778666523632292005-05-10T19:08:00.000-07:002005-05-11T09:02:28.523-07:00

has it come to this--the hobo-ization of writing? read an article in the nyt today, from yesterday--yes behenji reads day old news-- in which the private and public spaces of writing are tested by 3 authors, who are under deadline to write a novel by june 4, within the creepy confines of white plastic panels-resembling shoji screens- all of 140 sq. feet. the goal, you ask-'to constantly consider

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1111204509877433632005-05-10T18:25:00.000-07:002005-05-11T08:58:54.736-07:00

ok, so the last thing you want to do is kiss behenji...especially since she has gone into hibernation. but behenji's ego was recently stroked by a friend, as she reprimanded behenji for not updating this blog. 'you have fans,' she said. 'yes,' i said. 'one, over my dining table. hahaha.' behenji's friend was not amused.anyway, behenji is slightly shame-faced but ever obliging. so here goes...

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1105644556317762942005-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:002005-01-16T10:57:55.033-08:00

a topic which soniah and i have discussed : the various obits of susan sontag and how many praised her or booed her. i found this article very interesting because it talks about how the media can manufacture a life after death.

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1105551978108881562005-01-12T09:43:00.000-08:002005-01-12T09:48:35.793-08:00

a wonderful article in the washington post about writing at night, in one shot, or atleast trying to ride the wave of inspiration till one is knocked down. God of Small Inspirations, are you reading this? behenji needs something fast and furious;) (cosmic chuckles then the sound of a pin dropping)

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1105123667233408682005-01-07T10:34:00.000-08:002005-01-07T14:08:08.333-08:00

its raining and behenji has some time to ruminate as she listens to water slip, slide and gurgle. so what is it about men and words? i mean men in terms of emotion and writing down their feelings. while men can be emotional in person and promise you different parts of the universe (the stars, the moon, one of saturn's rings) try getting something in print (electronic or otherwise). and if you

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1105121795042949332005-01-07T10:14:00.000-08:002005-01-07T10:28:25.386-08:00

happy happy, joy joy. 2005 is here. a little older, a little bolder, may the new year bring us a little kick in our coffee, a little more whiskey in our bailey's;) its raining here in the bay and i feel like belting out 'barkha ritu aaiee.' anyway, behenji has had it up to here (hand right under my nose), with 'easy exotic' south asian literature. they either roll out the magical realism carpet,

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1104467095125916632004-12-30T20:00:00.000-08:002004-12-30T20:24:55.126-08:00

behenji's posts have petered off into lalaland. a barrage of bad weather and good people prevent me from writing. would it help if i said i was ruminating all this time? where did this year go? and what a way for it to end--mother nature decides to show us her stuff...and now tsunami is a household word for most of us. limbs of wood and flesh floating in water, coasts slapped across the face by

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1102480486681826892004-12-07T19:26:00.000-08:002004-12-07T21:55:54.893-08:00

a few weeks back, i was doing some research on my favorite Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. I stumbled upon his brilliant lecture 'theory and play of the duende' and was giddy with excitement after reading it. Here is an excerpt from the lecture: The duende…Where is the duende? Through the empty archway a wind of the spirit enters, blowing insistently over the heads of the dead, in search of

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1102387574089634572004-12-06T18:44:00.000-08:002004-12-06T18:47:16.386-08:00

today my son, who is almost 3 and a half, wanted to eat kidney beans (rajma) and rice. since he couldn't remember the name, he told me he wanted the beans that looked like a football. isn't that so cute?

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1101250467950082772004-11-23T14:45:00.000-08:002004-11-23T19:33:58.236-08:00

its been awhile and i have so many excuses...so let's not go there. but i so miss blogging. lots to write. so much flurry and activity in matters literary and otherwise. for starters behenji is acting in a play. after many years of her costumes and various persona gathering dust, behenji is brushing off her wigs and boots and coming out of the closet straight into the spotlight. shakespeare, eat

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1098295737196364712004-10-20T11:07:00.000-07:002004-10-20T11:10:04.906-07:00

cough. sputter. haaaaachooo! the little bohemians are down too. cough cough.

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1097869831971082762004-10-15T13:25:00.000-07:002004-10-15T12:50:31.970-07:00

little cultural amazements, nostalgic twangs of home in this sultry suburb of california. the other day after dropping the kids at school, i was walking home and chanced upon two old indian men waiting at the bus stop. as they were chatting, i heard strains of Omkarnath Thakur and looked around to see where it was coming from. There in one man's hand was a tape recorder. both gentlemen were

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1097639579518957852004-10-12T20:46:00.000-07:002004-10-15T12:25:18.026-07:00

yes, i am actually going to post a poem. proof that behenji churns out poems, gets hand cramps from spinning the wheel. poetry poachers beware: you can call the words yours, but you can't steal the mind they came from! enjoy! FEAR OF FLOWERS In one hand angry violets And in the other a Kukri knife glowing green of fresh floral kill the flowers are for myself my pleasure, my eyes you say,

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1097534097751749532004-10-11T15:25:00.000-07:002004-10-11T15:37:40.326-07:00

walking home this afternoon after picking up my son from pre-school, i came upon two chinese men perched on the sidewalk. i could tell they were gardeners from their wide brim hats and the pickup parked at the curb with garden tools jutting out. they had a bucket of some sort and i thought they were pulling weeds with their hands. as i came closer i saw it was a plastic cooler. on top of the

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1097180539690639522004-10-07T13:17:00.000-07:002004-10-07T13:23:39.436-07:00

a woman!!!!! yay!!! women rock!!! and because women aren't recognized enough in awards. no, i am not a thong burning feminist. but there is a certain amount of inequality that goes unacknowledged. anyway, cheers to this very worthy Austrian author.

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1097167487344260582004-10-07T08:19:00.000-07:002004-10-07T13:28:26.093-07:00

rattapallax made me do a doubletake: for the word itself, which is is Wallace Steven’s onomatopoeia for “thunder” and for the magazine/website/press published by Ram Devineni, which is doing/has done some wonderful work, especially in honor of Pablo Neruda's 1ooth birthday-a book, a documentary, and a pilgrimage of sorts to isla negra. Behenji was inspired to pen a few words after reading about

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1096782259430595482004-10-02T22:36:00.000-07:002004-10-02T22:46:36.900-07:00

i do. i do. full of music, rebellion and realization. from the cold frost of the midwest to the edge of the ganges. behenji has been ruminating big time. in the process i have also decided to arm myself with the write oops right tools: pencils-for chewing on scratched laptop (made to resemble old tattered notebook) loud ticking alarm clock-to throw when experiencing writer's block two noisy

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1096781519089613952004-10-02T22:26:00.000-07:002004-10-02T22:33:34.383-07:00

national novel writing month is november...or atleast it is for the folks at http://www.nanowrimo.org/ every year they ask pen wielding, plotting, peoples like myself to experience the joys of actually finishing a novel. behenji is so tempted...

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1096131870663481462004-09-25T09:53:00.000-07:002004-09-25T10:06:25.463-07:00

i saw this postcard advertising an online workshop: WRITE NAKEDcomputer required, clothing optional yeah, like that's really going to happen.but it got behenji thinking...do writers really have writing habits that are that varied?i know vikram seth writes in bed and i believe hemingway only wrote standing up. i write sitting at my kitchen table, which i believe many others do too. but before i

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1096076096431309072004-09-24T18:22:00.000-07:002004-09-24T18:34:56.430-07:00

googled behenji and found the following (which i have paraphrased for more pleasure): wah behenji! (the title of a new comedy on zee tv?) behenji: the bane of brahmins (i love this, especially since i am one! behenji as caste rebel?) the last behenji standing (behenji joins the wwf) the behenji and the bitch (a twisted tale of behenji and lassie) to behenji with love (behenji retires as a

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1096044238519234992004-09-24T09:28:00.000-07:002004-09-24T09:43:58.520-07:00

how blogs are changing the way we read. me thinks we need new glasses and a more back-friendly chair after all the cyber-voyeurism! an excerpt: It's way premature to say that literary blogs have supplanted the established media (just as it would be to say Drudge is a better news source than the networks' websites). But it's reasonable to call them old media's stealth competitors, because they

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1095980494881937382004-09-23T15:49:00.000-07:002004-09-23T16:15:55.710-07:00

the pull of domesticity has kept behenji away from blogging--but not from ruminating. aww hell, the dishes can wait a bit. there have been some very interesting discussions on another subcontinent on the luminousity of poets and the need to innovate more in Indian poetry in English. To me the Asian subcontinent is so lush in its day to day life, yet I feel our poetry doesn't aptly reflect this. I

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1095816574071988362004-09-21T18:06:00.000-07:002004-09-21T19:59:42.970-07:00

yes friends, the list has arrived. behenji has never heard of these writers but is willing to bet they are all good. drum roll please: Bitter Fruit by Achmat Dangor The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell The Master by Colm Toibin I'll Go to Bed at Noon by Gerard Woodward behenji is reading michael ondaatje right now, the

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1095613807313060672004-09-18T14:45:00.000-07:002004-09-20T21:59:52.970-07:00

my daugher and i were watching the world music awards when maroon5 came on. behenji was suddenly transported back into the 80s longing to be a teenager again. a little billy joel, a little stevie wonder and jamiroqoi rolled into one. a funky backstreet boys? maybe. but i like them.

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1095293216527046392004-09-15T16:52:00.000-07:002004-09-17T13:51:26.790-07:00

yesterday, mr.sochvichar (www.sochvichar.blogspot.com) said i should use my writing skills for the greatest good of the greatest number. this can also be read as :'i don't understand your poetry' and 'you use very big words.' the poem in question : i'm sir vidia's teacup! 'but i enjoy writing about literature.' i told him. 'and then what about your blog?' i counteracted. 'i mean what in the name

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1095205535575501292004-09-14T16:29:00.000-07:002004-09-14T17:45:46.050-07:00

the title of this post is inspired by the image of sir vidia at home in the wiltshires, drinking darjeeling as nadira goads him lovingly with her wit and wisdom. i think they make a wonderful couple. at least that's what comes across in this article (click on post title behenjis & bhaisahibs!). for your reading pleasure, an exercise in excruciatingly bad rhyme (read with a whince and grimace at

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094867500835715412004-09-10T14:49:00.000-07:002004-09-10T19:40:56.653-07:00

i recieved Divakaruni's latest novel in the mail last week and decided to bite the bullet and read it. While i think Chitra is a wonderful person and a very conscientious writer, I just can't seem to like her novels. In fact, what pleased me most after reading Queen of Dreams was the hope that I too have a shot as a novelist. the seed of the story: rakhi, a divorced artist living in Berkeley

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094773913880869722004-09-09T16:48:00.000-07:002004-09-10T19:18:56.363-07:00

was googling west indian poet derek walcott when my eagle eye spotted this from an article in the guardian: Even the poet Derek Walcott, who took the Nobel Prize in 1992 and who expressed a widespread West Indian hostility towards his fellow-writer in the character of 'VS Nightfall', has conceded that he is 'our finest writer of the English sentence.

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094741942416010772004-09-09T07:52:00.000-07:002004-09-09T10:58:47.586-07:00

while panditji snored softly in Minnesota, behenji was rudely awakened in california at 3:32 am by a loud thud. our house is old and since it's a rental, it's not exactly updated, if you know what i mean. i hear sqeaks from doors and windows, the floor groans on ocassion, tiles do crack under behenji's heavy feet but that's not all...when we flush the toilet, it sounds as if a jet is about to

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094693522430684922004-09-08T18:17:00.000-07:002004-09-08T18:32:02.430-07:00

from an article on c/net: When coloring in 800,000 pixels on a map of India, Microsoft colored eight of them a different shade of green to represent the disputed Kashmiri territory. The difference in greens meant Kashmir was shown as non-Indian, and the product was promptly banned in India. Microsoft was left to recall all 200,000 copies of the offending Windows 95 operating system software to

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094672449509920812004-09-08T13:30:00.000-07:002004-09-08T13:27:01.000-07:00

two big south asian american writers have new books out with names that sound so bland it makes me want to puke. Bharti Mukherjee's latest book is called The Tree Bride and Chitra Divakaruni's new book is called Queen of Dreams. i understand that there are limitations to titles in regards to length, marketability, etc. but if you want to convince me to read your book with the promise of something

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094507389231921272004-09-06T14:32:00.000-07:002004-09-08T14:06:51.506-07:00

yesterday, as we made our way to half moon bay, with nary a cloud in the sky, panditji slipped in the best of billy joel. and as the california sun scorched us through our car windows, we were transported to NY via joel's soulful words and voice. lately NYC has crept into our vocabulary and psyche. while PJ's love affair with NYC sparked from work, my relationship with NYC has been a largely

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094296048047095532004-09-04T04:01:00.000-07:002004-09-04T04:16:27.823-07:00

someone out there is writing better poetry than me and offering it up as junk mail. all you language poets out there move over. your competition has arrived via spam defectors. You can order your prescription half price and read a poem that rivals Hannah Weiner. Hannah who you say? For your reading pleasure: diatomic gingham amulet bangladesh reach bowman mercury st stronghold weierstrass

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1094295555216669712004-09-04T03:15:00.000-07:002004-09-04T03:59:15.216-07:00

an interesting article, but not more interesting than our after midnite special verbal buffet: 3@night and we are playing find the states on my son's LeapPad, making up names of law firms such as mishra, pandey and tiwari and talking about the dirty work of swamis. does life get any better? i hope so! fact: did you know that before mata amritanandamayi http://www.indiatraveltimes.com/religion/

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1093302104193959042004-08-23T15:51:00.000-07:002004-08-23T16:04:01.103-07:00

when i want to relax i usually watch tv. the food network makes me forget the zillions of things i have to do. some of the shows i like are barefoot contessa, 30 minute meals, and that show hosted by alton brown in which he adds zaniness to the science of food. he reminds me of thomas dolby, both in looks and 'he blinded me with science.' i also like nigella lawson and wonder what happened to her

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1092782590219775922004-08-17T15:40:00.000-07:002004-08-17T15:45:54.593-07:00

got a kick out of the review of this book. here's an excerpt (someone should do a dictionary like this for India): More off-kilter, if no less needed and well-imagined, are entries like Sarah Vowell's "garden for disappointed politicians," which, named after Alexander Hamilton's belief that a garden is a helpful refuge for a disappointed politician, would see the creation of a farmable plot "'

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1092685857364859202004-08-16T12:29:00.003-07:002004-08-22T17:58:59.520-07:00

yes, in the hindu pantheon, we worship many gods, all with different qualities. but what about the living ones? here are the members of my personal 21rst century altar, from which i draw inspiration: Ravi Shankar, sitar player extraordinaire-George Harrison called him 'the godfather of world music.' and rightly so. "God has been kind to me. The spiritual journey through music is the only thing I

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1092431289133819522004-08-13T14:07:00.000-07:002004-08-13T15:16:09.710-07:00

yesterday i visited this site, which features video of meena alexander reading her poems and must say that i felt very strange after seeing/hearing alexander read. there was a caricature-like quality to things-from facial expressions to accent. alexander comes across very different on the page than in person. her accent was reminiscent of my english teachers in India, who i imagined, imagining

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-1092273888716919492004-08-11T18:19:00.000-07:002004-08-11T19:19:08.986-07:00

excerpted from a discussion at another subcontinent (www.anothersubcontinent.com): my experience in regards to alexander's work has been a very strange one, to say the least. i wonder whether anyone else has had a similar one. if so, i would love to hear from you. i first came across alexander's work as an undergraduate majoring in creative writing but only started to seriously read her as a

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6681870.post-109226893140301922004-08-11T16:53:00.000-07:002004-08-11T17:02:11.403-07:00

yes i am really enjoying this alter ego thing. there is strength in anonymity and (cackling loudly like a maniacal mad scientist) ...power. its like dancing naked in the wind. just check to make sure there isn't a swarm of bees behind;) no matter how hard i try, i always seem to weigh my words carefully, if my given/real life name is attached, even if i know no one is reading what i'm writing.

bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08473736767981171188noreply@blogger.com