Writer. Editor
People. How many there are and just how different from one another! Their sheer variety gives rise to a fascinating world of characters jostling for space, waiting to stand out. Inspired by a face or a silhouette, a character is born in the mind of the writer and she or he grows to be a personality sculpted by words and they dwell, sometimes as the writer wants them to, and at others, just the way they wish. Welcome to the world of people. We, the people. The real ones, the imagined ones that are shadows of the real.
What does it mean to be old? This is a question that I have constantly asked myself. In this reflective piece, I draw upon my observations of old people, specifically those aged above 75 years and wonder what it means to go through old age. I share what I have seen of their behavior and the thoughts that dominate their minds.
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One of the biggest developments that the internet unleashed was the arrival of blogs a few years back, which grew to become great forums for showcasing talent, having discussions, exchanging ideas, making new friends and most importantly, finding an audience in a world where becoming a published author for an aspiring writer was still a formidable task. I speak to Parul Sharma, author of ‘Bringing up Vasu : That First Year’ and ‘By the Water Cooler’, Judy Balan, author of ‘Two Fates : The Story of My Divorce’ and Sagarika Chakraborty, author of ‘A Calendar Too Crowded’ – all of whom began as bloggers a few years back before they became published authors. Parul, Judy and Sagarika talk about their days as bloggers, the roles that their blogs played in their writerly journey and of course their books, among a host of other blog-related things.
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It’s February – the month when “Romance” is the word in the air. Here’s a typical Romance @ Work story. Gautam is head over heels in love with Radhika who although within her heart, reciprocates the same, is not ready to admit it as yet. But it all ends well. There’s a happy ending and a happy beginning waiting to be unwrapped in this tale of two hearts.
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Mridula Koshy is the author of ‘If It Is Sweet’, a collection of short stories released in May 2009 by Tranquebar Press. The book won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for 2009 and was shortlisted for the 2009 Vodafone Crossword Book Prize. In an interesting interview, she gets talking about writing, her book, and exploring relationships through writing.
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All the world’s a stage, said Shakespeare! How true that is! It’s just that we are so caught up in our fast-paced lives, that we hardly realize the simple truth behind that profound line! Quite ironically, it’s these guys on stage, the theatre folks, who more often than not, remind us of our absurdities and foibles, making us laugh at our own gaps and sometimes tell us what we could have been. Entertainment, Enlightenment and much more. My interview with Srikrishna Sridhar Murthy, Director of Version One Dot Oh, a Bangalore-based theatre group, as part of a special cover feature that I did for the first anniversary issue of my magazine, Spark.
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Bhojan! The name itself is so inviting. When I close my eyes and think of it, all I can imagine is a sumptuous meal, very Indian and tastefully and cleanly prepared! And if you are an Indian living in the U.S., close your eyes and think of this name, doesn’t it sound all the more mouth-watering? My interview with Sweta Parthasarathy and Tarandeep Narula on their love for food and cooking as well as their venture Bhojan, as part of a special cover feature that I did for the first anniversary issue of my magazine, Spark.
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If you thought creativity was all about music, dance, writing, theatre and painting, then think again! Here’s a woman who has gone an extra mile to pursue her passion for designing jewelry. My interview with Benaazir Muhammdunni, an entrepreneur into jewelry design, as part of a special cover feature that I did for the first anniversary issue of my magazine, Spark.
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