The Straits Times, Singapore, asked several people what their favourite book from 2008 was. Ng Yi-Sheng, whom I hugely admire as a poet and performer, picked Witchcraft. Here’s what he said…
(The italics are mine — that’s a line that will sit under my tongue all day as I savour it slowly, grateful for once that [...]
Entries from December 2008
December 29, 2008
Witchcraft Is A Pick Of The Year!
December 27, 2008
The Venus Flytrap: A Time For Inventory-ing
On the fringe of Auroville is a village named Edayanchavadi, and 3 km of unlit forest roads from there is a property owned and inhabited by a small, acclaimed repertory theatre company.
At night and at dawn, the sounds of prayers from temples in the vicinity can be heard, blared from microphones. By day, if the [...]
December 25, 2008
Pondicherry Reading + Books In KL
One reading I’m doing tomorrow and one reading where my book will be sold.
Sangam House reading in Pondicherry
6pm at Hotel De L’Orient (17, Rue Romain Rolland). Sangam House presents five Indian and international writers — Kishore Singh, Joshua Furst, D. W. Gibson, Sharanya Manivannan and special guest Auroville-based writer Anuradha Majumdar. Entrance is free.
Buy Witchcraft [...]
December 24, 2008
Chip On The Shoulder Much, Lonely Planet: South India?
“Chennai has neither the cosmopolitan, prosperous air of Mumbai (Bombay), the optimistic buzz of Bengaluru (Bangalore) or the historical drama of Delhi. It’s muggy, polluted, hot as hell and difficult to get around. Traditional tourist attractions are few. Even the movie stars are, as one Chennaiker put it, “not that hot”.
The opening paragraph of the [...]
December 14, 2008
First Evening At The Residency
“Oh! Is that why knights wore armour?”
“No, that was only so they could be in Monty Python films.”
December 13, 2008
The Venus Flytrap: Dentally Retarded
I want to be a dental dunce. I really, really do. The first of my wisdom teeth has declared a very conspicuous appearance, and it’s making me believe that the person who christened these mofo molars as such was probably the same one who came up with that adage, “ignorance is bliss”. I’d rather be [...]
December 11, 2008
Cute Puppy, How To Draw A Puppy, Cute Puppy Pictures!
Hi! It’s difficult not to notice when three dozen searches for those terms wind up on my blog in one week.
So here you go, people.
Cute puppy/Cute puppy pictures — In abundance (I recommend the second link).
How to draw a puppy –Tada!
Hope that helps! :)
And a little sweetie in case you insist that my blog’s the [...]
December 7, 2008
On Cancellations And The Importance of the RSVP
At 10pm last night I was beginning to worry about whether or not I would be able to make it to the reading scheduled for this morning. I was feeling unwell, on top of which it looked like there would be only a couple of readers, and with a handful more attending. I opened up [...]
December 4, 2008
Open Mic! On Wheels!
When: Sunday December 7th, 8.30am
Where: Meeting point at Mylapore train station.
Who: You and your poems/short prose on the theme below.
What: It’s difficult to organise open mics in a city that doesn’t have venues very kind toward poetry, a point I have beaten to death often in this blog. Which is why we’ve done the outdoors [...]
