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 than india's population, behenji has added theroux to her longer than santa clause's list of books to read before the final chapter...behenji's final chapter. ok, bad joke.i apologize.
anyway, on visiting theroux's website (cannot provide links folks. alas, apple and blogger have not decided to be friends yet. hence, no hyperlinks. behenji will have to defect to another browser soon), and reading an interview in salon.com (http://www.salon.com/weekly/interview960902.html) behenji became very intrigued with how theroux weaves autobiography with fiction, even keeping the names of people the same. i think it's like dali or escher, where the real meets the unreal, to create some sort of hyperreality. behenji thinks the concept is beautiful and has, out of the kindness of her heart and curiousity of her mind, moved up theroux on the must read list to summer 2005.
although theroux has been doing this for awhile, behenji wonders if this might push magical realism into the corner. is this the literary wave that south asian writers could/should/would/ride? or is this another form of magical realism? and while we are at it, where does the magic come in? come from?
let it be known the behenji has spoken-under the influence of ginger tea.
6.16.2005
shantarm bowls over bohemian bhaiji
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 holds the reader. now apparently johhny depp is making the film, except bohemian bhai says shantaram could be six films, behenji is about to start reading it, as her alchemy of desire wanes...sorry mr. tejpal. to learn more about shantaram and its author, click on the title. now shhhh! behenji is reading.
6.14.2005
alarcon stalks behenji
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 he lives a few suburbs away. behenji must pay him a visit, at least through the page. his website, should you like to visit, dear reader, is www.danielalarcon.com
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