JustBooks Connect - July 2011 newsletter

1. Volume 2 Issue 5
www.justbooksclc.com
blog.justbooksclc.com CONNECT July 2011
For limited circulation
A JustBooks Publication
Tagore: The Timeless Song Pg 10
and cultural identification and the
It is Rabindranath Tagore's 150th lengths people go to for its sake. What lies Quiz
birth centenary and Anindita at the heart of Gora is as relevant today as
Sengupta discovers why many of his it was a century back. Rising fundamen-
works are still relevant and affect- talisms, liberal angst and the general
impossibility of choices plague us, much
ing.
the same as they did our ancestors.
A similar timelessness is evident in
Anindita Sengupta Tagore's 1916 novel Ghare-Baire (trans-
lated as The Home and The World), Pg 14
R
which was also made into an acclaimed
abindranath Tagore's epic novel
film by Satyajit Ray. The quiet stand-off
Just
Gora (1910) tackled what were
some of the most burning issues of
between the rational, westernised Nikhil Kids
and the patriotic revolutionary Sandeep
the early 20th century-the perils of
resonates even in modern times despite
Orthodox Hinduism, the
viability of a liberal alter-
native like the Brahmo
Samaj, colonialism and the
onslaught of westernisa-
Pg 15
tion. It has now been
adapted into a Kannada
play which recently played
in the city, a reminder of Author
Tagore's lasting appeal
and relevance. It was Profile
timed to celebrate Tagore's
150th birth centenary. The
year is likely to be dotted
with many such
reminders. cle and play out their disagreements.
Born in 1861 in Calcutta, Nikhil encourages Bimala to venture out
Tagore went on to be of the inner chambers and take an active
known as many things- interest in the world. Such a move cannot
poet, translator, writer, be without its repercussions and these
singer, painter, recipient of form the narrative and thematic pivot of
the Nobel Prize, refuser of the book. Bimala's awakening, her tenta-
knighthood, opposer of tive forays into matters she does not
nationalism, founder of understand and her struggles to cope
Santiniketan and the man with the heady rush of new things have
who inspired countless special relevance in a time when the BPO
artists, writers and film-makers. boom, call centre culture and inter-city
the fact that the overwhelming back- migration are changing the way women
Partly, this is because Tagore's concerns
ground of the book-imperialist rule-is not access the world. The argument between
seem timeless, or at least, endlessly open
there. Also relevant is Tagore's attitudes rational objectivity and passionate
to interpretation and appropriation in
towards and depiction of women. In nationalism are also going strong given
present-day contexts. Gora is a case in
Ghare-Baire, Nikhil's wife Bimala is the the context of Irom Sharmila, Maoists and
point. Overtly, the story of inter-commu-
central figure around which the two cir-
nity love, it probes the nature of spiritual contd on pg 2...

2. 2 JustBooks Connect - July 2011
contd from pg 1...
From the Editor’s the Kashmir issue.
Desk Tagore's Chokher Bali,
which garnered much
praised when it was made
into a movie by Rituparno
H
e was a famous poet, writer, Ghosh in 2003, is perhaps
playwright, musician, painter less easy to relate to mod-
and a spiritual guru. He did ern contexts. Dealing with
not go to a conventional school nor widowhood in the late 19th
did he get a college degree but he century, it traces the story
went on to win the Nobel Prize in of young widow Binodini
Literature. He spent most of his life whose life of self-denial
towards establishing and growing and dissatisfaction has
Vishwa-Bharati, an institution where destructive effects on her
his aim was to find the truth and life and on those around
blend the learning methods of East her. While in urban house-
and the West. holds, that vision of wid-
And that was just one Tagore, owhood may seem like a
Rabindranath Tagore, from Jorasanko far cry, the book's theme of
Thakur Bari. Other Tagores from moral strictures strangling
Jorasanko were similarly multi-talent- humane urges is still signif-
ed. icant.
From grandfather Dwarkanath, In the glowing foreword
father Debendranath to Rabindranath to Tagore's most celebrated
Tagore; they all contributed immense- work, Gitanjali, WB Yeats
ly to Bengal renaissance. One brother says: "I have carried the man-
was a well known scholar, musician uscript of these translations
and playwright; another brother was about with me for days, read-
the first Indian to join the ICS while ing it in railway trains, or on the top of that the poems in Gitanjali affect me less
another was a poet, translator and a omnibuses and in restaurants, and I have than his novels. I don't believe that the
philosopher. often had to close it lest some stranger would translations convey the musicality of the
The women of this family were not see how much it moved me. These lyrics--- originals at all substantially. I also find
far behind either. One of the sisters, which are in the original, my Indians tell me, the continual preoccupation with God a
Swarnakumari was the first Bengali full of subtlety of rhythm, of untranslatable bit tiresome. Saying this reminds me of
woman novelist; her daughter Sarala delicacies of colour, of metrical invention--- another Tagore 150th birth anniversary
Devi Chaudhurani was a prominent display in their thought a world I have celebration held earlier in the year. The
freedom fighter, who started the first dreamed of all my live long. The work of a occasion was the inauguration of the
NGO for women. supreme culture, they yet appear as much the newly established Tagore Centre in
Extended family members like, growth of the common soil as the grass and Bangalore.
Abanindranath and Gaganendranath the rushes. A tradition, where poetry and reli- Professor U.R. Ananthamurthy, who
Tagore, who grew up in Jorasanko gion are the same thing, has passed through heads the centre, had organised for poets
were principal artist who established the centuries, gathering from learned and in numerous languages to read or per-
Bengal school of art. unlearned metaphor and emotion, and carried form their work on stage. Afterwards,
A supportive and encouraging eco- back again to the multitude the thought of the there were speeches by scholars and writ-
system where individuals have free- scholar and of the noble." ers. Ashish Nandy pointed out —and I
dom and ample opportunities is the At the risk of being blasphemous, I say am summarising roughly—that what
sort of place where talent grows and Tagore's legacy needed was less deifica-
from where successful people come tion, more astute and
from. This family is a case in point. honest exploration.
We at JustBooks believe that provid- I can only echo this.
ing the eco-system of our libraries will We are used to worship-
encourage the literary minds-young ping our greats, to rais-
or old-of our country. ing them to the status of
In this edition we pay tribute to gods. In literature, this
Rabindranath Tagore on his 150th sort of one-dimensional
birth centenary. We have tried to find applause yields nothing
out what makes him and his work still very useful.
relevant in this 21st century. Doing honour to
We also look into the Tagore family Tagore's memory
tree to know about all the successful demands that we contin-
people and learn from them and their ue to look at his work
eco-system. with fresh eyes, continue
Do tell us what you think of this edi- to praise but also cri-
tion and send us your feedback to edi- tique, continue to reap
tor@justbooksclc.com  new meanings of his
songs. 

3. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 3
On Beauty The Story That Must Not be Told
Zadie Smith Kavery Nambisan
Penguin Penguin
Anindita Sengupta Pushpa Achanta
A T
man hit by mid-life crisis sleeps around a his book is about realities that must be
lot and manages to infuriate his wife and seen. And people who should be heard.
kids. While it is a work of fiction, a consider-
Meanwhile his professional rival takes potshots able part of The Story That Must Not be Told
at him and his kids stray in various ways. seems to be based on facts.
Howard Belsey, the man in question, is British- And though it's set in Madras (now known
white and his wife Kiki is African-American. His as Chennai), many facets of the underlying
main affair Carol is also American, but white. story are true of other cities in India. As one
What ensues are complications that have as much reads this absorbing book, one may need to
to do with race as with simple man-woman binaries. Add a gen- remind oneself that the many tales and char-
erous mix of America academia to this. Where Smith really acters in it are actually fictitious. For, a lot of what is written is
excels is in her ability to tell a story well, even the little story. about daily occurrences in most 'slums' in India. It is not sur-
The book is made up of moments piling up on each other, con- prising that this novel was shortlisted for the Man Asian
sistently vibrant, alive, and delightful.  Literature Prize in 2008. 
The Discovery of Ancient India Wild Swans
Early Archaeologists and the Beginnings of Archaeology Jung Chang
Upinder Singh Touchstone
Permanent Black
Dr. Rajagopalan
Dr. Rajeshwari Ghose
W
e are all in awe of today's China.
T
his book is a history of Indian However, China was in continuous
Archaeology, which ends with the dawn turmoil for about five decades, till the
of the 20th century. But for the work of late 1970s. The communist dictatorship of Mao
the early 19th century archaeologists, and their isolated it. The few external accounts of this
supporting team of epigraphists, numismatists period border on either extreme admiration or
and others, much of India's past would still total skepticism.
remain buried in the graveyard of history. Wild Swans is a uniquely credible story of
Hence, the author calls her book The three generations of Chinese women. Jung
Discovery of Ancient India. Chang represents the third generation, both the fodder and
The decipherment of the Brahmi script and the identification product of the tyranny of the 'Cultural Revolution'. She left
of the Piyadasi of the Asokan inscriptions opened up a dramat- China in 1978 on a scholarship to U.K. This book reflects on her
ic vista into India's past. The excavations undertaken in experiences of growing up in a turbulent China and her mother's
Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati and other places enlightened us on unburdening on the earlier two generations. The real wonder
early Buddhist art and practice. The author sets out to capture seems to be not what China is today- but what it could have
this drama of recovery.  been- for the better or worse- for mankind. 
Women and Money The Soul of Leadership
Suze Orman Deepak Chopra
Spiegel & Grau Random House
Aradhana Janga Manjula Sundharam
A
uthor Deepak Chopra shows how to
A
hard hitting in-your-face analysis of discover the skills we need in order to
why women shirk from dealing with realize our potential, create new
money and why they should manage opportunities and lead people through
their own finances. enlightenment. He defines what leading from
Complete with a "save yourself plan" and a the soul means and gives examples of leaders
step-by-step monthly guide to help you get on who succeeded by evolving.
your feet and plan your finances for your fami- With an easy to remember formula to lead,
ly and your retiremenent. the author guides us to evolve as leaders. The
In Women and Money, Orman helps with her book is a great inspiration for not just leaders but for anyone
knock-on-the-head kind of attitude when it comes to women who wants to evolve spiritually and lead a fulfilling life. By
and their reluctance to deal ('save and grow' and not 'earn and showing us how to apply the secrets of leadership in everyday
spend') with money. The book does serve to provide a skeletal life, The Soul of Leadership guides us to thrive in the midst of
detail that can be followed by all.  chaos. 
For detailed reviews check out justbooksclc.com

4. 4 JustBooks Connect - July 2011
Belonging
When she became an exile at home...
The Convert: A Tale of Exile
and Extremism
Deborah Baker
Penguin
Geetanjali Singh Chanda
T
he image of peeling away layers of
onion skin most aptly describes the
wonder of reading Deborah Baker's
The Convert. As one peels away layer
after layer the straightforward tale gives
way to a philosophic and religious explo-
ration, and from there it reads like a
detective story and then with a shock of and Extremism though raises interesting married an older Pashtun, whom
realization we are plunged into the world questions. Maryam's "exile" at one level is Mawdudi had assigned as her guardian.
of psychological disorders, schizophrenia fairly literal and straightforward. But is Despite her trials she wrote over 30 books
and Freudian analysis. Pakistan the real exile or was she an exile critiquing the liberal, secular and licen-
But at the core of the onion is just more in her birthplace, America? She often tious West.
onion. The discovery of the living and describes herself as a misfit, and is mar- The real Margaret or Maryam remains a
breathing Jameelah when the author ginalized in and by the society. And as complex mysterious figure. Some one
meets her face to face feels hollow. The for "extremism" there are extremists aplen- who had written and illustrated her first
feisty, disturbed, articulate, gutsy, and ty, foremost among whom is Maryam novel at the age of 12. Margaret was a col-
maybe mad, young woman who cleaned herself. The word "tale" and the writing lege dropout and had done time in a
out her bank balance and set forth for an style might confuse some readers into series of mental health facilities. Was she
unknown land in 1961 is now a faded, wondering if this is a piece of fiction. It is a disturbed and mentally unstable person
arthritic old woman in a post 9/11 world. not. Indian born Mawdudi is an iconic —diagnosed as a schizophrenic —whose
Although the world has changed some figure of Islamic revivalism in the subcon- future in the United States of the early six-
issues persist - especially of an instinctive tinent. A journalist, theologian and politi- ties would have been a life-time of con-
hostility to Islam. cal ideologue he was the leader of the finement in some asylum?
Maryam's world though has shrunk to conservative Islamic political party the Misunderstood and unable to adjust to
the four walls of her room. At this point Jama'at-I-Islami in Pakistan. "normal" life in America, consigned to
she seems so unreal and ephemeral that it Having corresponded with Margaret sanitariums by parents who had given up
is hard to feel much sympathy or sense of and been impressed by her learning he on her, her future looked bleak.
connection with her. invited her to Pakistan to join his house- Margaret's conversion and move to
The structure of the book with its bril- hold. After her arrival and conversion Pakistan enabled a life within the strict
liantly interwoven narratives of Jameelah though there was a falling out between code of conduct of Islam that seemed to
and Baker makes the narrative layered the two. Jameelah was first sent off to the provide an anchor.
and deep. The reader gets to hear both Mawlana's friends in the tiny provincial The discipline and strict rules were
voices distinctly. Baker's quest to enter town of Pattoki and then ended up in a probably a necessary structure within
the soul of her subject is beautifully artic- psychiatric ward. which normal life became possible for
ulated: "Anonymity is my vocation. … When she was released from there she her. It was a safe haven that allowed
Haunting archives, reading letters com- escape to a cerebral space from where
posed in agony and journals thick with “Misunderstood and unable to she could write with feeling about
unspeakable thoughts, I sound the inner- issues of purdah, gender segregation
most chambers of unquiet souls, unearth adjust to "normal" life in America, and the like. The routine of domesticity
dramas no one would ever think to make consigned to sanitariums by par- where her co-wife even took care of her
up." Deborah Baker's two previous ents who had given up on her, her children probably also created a sense
biographies - In Extremis: the Life of of normalcy and belonging.
Laura Riding which was a finalist for a future looked bleak. Margaret's At the end the reader is not clearer
Pulitzer Prize for Biography and more conversion and move to Pakistan about what could have been the moti-
recently A Blue Hand: The Beats In enabled a life within the strict vations for this exile and conversion but
India demonstrate the same keen sym- it certainly raises some interesting
pathy for her subject. code of conduct of Islam that
issues and is a pleasure to read both for
The subtitle of the book A Tale of Exile seemed to provide an anchor.” its artistry and its subtle content. 

5. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 5
Mapping it!
Cartographing her own map
A Map of the World
the reader as the long suffering “Alice would design her own
silent type and also a not very
honest or competent husband or maps to find her place in the
Jane Hamilton even a practical father.
He frequently doubts Alice's
world, as a child, hence the
Anchor Books
parenting skills, while Alice her- title. Now she has to navigate
self comes across as a character,
who is quick to judge and in
her way through a complicat-
Reshmi Chakraborty Howard's own words, always sees ed case, complex emotions and
the worst in people.
She also has a rather unsteady relationships and a mind full
W
hen cornered by the investigat- and volatile temperament and is a of guilt.”
ing officers in her school, Alice bit unbelievably lost in her own
Goodwin in an unguarded, head.
volatile moment says, “I hurt every-
despite the tragic events that occur
body". As it often happens in sensa-
there. In fact, there are parts that
tional cases, that one utterance pins
will make you laugh, parts where
her down and gets her marked
you will identify with Alice's
guilty in the eyes of the townspeo-
parental dilemma as she struggles
ple.
to make her stubborn older daugh-
Alice: mother of two, school
ter eat her breakfast. The story may
nurse and a dairy farmer's wife and
take time to hook you but once it
helper is accused of the dirtiest
does, A Map of the World turns
crime possible-abusing a student
out to be quite a page turner.
sexually. It doesn't help that she is
guilt ridden and suffering her own
silent torture.
Y ou find yourself rooting for the
Goodwin family who are vic-
tims of terrible circumstances and
Her best friend Theresa's
far from harming anybody. It is
youngest daughter has died while
also a very honest account of
under Alice's care —drowning in
human nature and the inner battle
the family pond —and Alice thinks
many of them go through.
it was her fault.
There are cracks in Alice and
This forms the premise of the
Howard's marriage that they are
trouble —emotional, physical and
trying very hard to stretch and
social— that befalls the Goodwin
cover. Theresa and her husband
family. Alice is a volatile character,
Dan deal with the loss of their
a loner with a tendency to get lost
daughter Lizzy in their own sepa-
in her own vivid imagination and
rate ways, he going into a shell at
someone who speaks her mind. She
work and she still trying to do
lost her mother at a very early age
good and stay positive.
and was left with a father busy in
The book is also a critique of the
his own world. Alice would design
legal system and an insensitive
her own maps to find her place in
media which sometimes declares a
the world, as a child, hence the title.
It does come across as a surprise that in person guilty even before the trial
Now she has to navigate her way through
a school where she is the nurse, no one has begun.
a complicated case, complex emotions
comes forward to support her. Overall, A Map of the World is a bitter
and relationships and a mind full of guilt.
T heresa, with her homemade sand- sweet tale of several lives, each of them
The story is narrated through the voic-
wiches and her willingness to see the etched deeply and accurately by
es of the protagonists, beginning with
goodness in everyone even in the face of Hamilton. She lends the novel a comfort-
Alice, then her husband Howard, then
tremendous personal loss does come able pace so that it moves from the scene
back to Alice again. The method works
across as a little too perfect though she of everyday domesticity to a courtroom
for the story as it reveals the complexities,
too is hiding her own feet of clay. drama with considerable ease.
insecurities and doubts of the different
Hamilton's writing is powerful enough The book was later made into a movie
characters in the book, from Alice and
to make the reader empathize with the starring Sigourney Weaver and Juliane
Howard to Theresa and even her largely
characters who are very human and try- Moore and you can see that the plot lends
absent husband Dan.
ing very hard to keep their heads above itself easily to dramatization.
No character is perfect in this book,
the water. Perhaps reading the book will pique
with each one having fallible traits and
A Map of the World is not a sad read your interest in watching the film, like it
their own incompetency. Howard strikes
did for me. 

6. 6 JustBooks Connect - July 2011
Musings
Buy, Borrow and Enjoy:
the book-lovers strategies
to a wholesome reading
experience
the book once, it makes sense to borrow
the books instead of buying them.
While many would think twice before
Ram Mohan Susarla buying books given the escalating costs of
the hardcover versions, borrowing books
does not need much thought as the lend-
ing costs are far lower than what one
A
s any book lover would tell you, might spend when buying a book even at
getting your hands on a book by a bargain store.
your favourite author is well There are some like me who buy and
worth the effort involved. borrow books as well. This is because
There are many ways in which one can buying books for reference and collection
get the books that one wants. We can purposes can go hand in hand with bor-
either buy the book or borrow it from our rowing books of the popular fiction cate-
acquaintances and friends. gories that can be read and returned.
Of course, with the proliferation of Though I have detailed the various
libraries like JustBooks, the process of ways in which one can get the books that
reading books that we want has been one wants, it needs to be remembered
made a lot simpler. When I was growing that it is the actual reading experience
up, there were not that many avenues for that counts more than anything else.
buying or even borrowing books. It does not matter how one acquires the
One of the ways by which I used to read books. What matters is the pleasure or the
the books that I wanted was to enrol enjoyment that one derives from reading
myself in the British Council or the USIS these books.
(United States Information Service)
library.
But, things have changed now. Ever
T he process of acquiring books must be
seen as a means to an end and not an
end in itself.
since India opened up its economy and Hence, buying, borrowing and circulat-
liberalised the country, it is easier to buy ing books among friends are all steps
and borrow books. towards making the actual reading expe-
Gone are the days when one had to wait rience enjoyable and worthwhile.
patiently for the book to arrive in the While buying and borrowing may be
aforementioned places. All one has to do seen as two different activities, the
now is to enrol in any of the lending process involved in both is essentially the
libraries and enjoy a wholesome reading same as they entail getting to know about
experience. the book and then getting one's hands on
Further, with many paperbacks being the book after evaluating the book by become easier and simpler. The irony is
available at throwaway prices, even own- reading reviews and the blurbs. that one can use what is essentially a vir-
ership of books is not that much of a drag No matter whether we borrow the book tual medium to enhance the experience of
on one's pocket. or buy the book, the process of acquisition a physical process. This convergence is
One might very well ask, is it better to and the reading experience are common. something that was not available when I
buy a book or borrow one? The answer to For those who are pressed for time, the started reading books and I truly believe
this question depends on whether one convenience of online ordering means that the youth who are coming of age
wants to reread the book and read parts that they can get the books that they want now are indeed lucky to have so many
of it at different times or whether one is without having to go through the hassle avenues for reading.
content with reading the book and return-
ing it to the library.
When we want to build a book collec-
of visiting the bookstore or the library.
In this age when the internet has
opened up new vistas for just about any-
O f course, it is never too late and hence
reading books in these times is easier
for those who are older as well.
tion, it makes sense to buy books from the thing that we do, the reading experience Finally, we have to remember that
popular bookstores, order them from has similarly been transformed as well. though we might do whatever it takes to
online bookstores or pick up the used Without getting into the debate of the e- get the books that we want, it is also
books from any of the various bargain books versus the printed ones, it would important not to let the book gather dust.
bookstores. suffice to say that with so much of acces- So buy or borrow but do read and enjoy
However, when the intention is to read sibility at the click of a mouse, things have the book. 

7. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 7
Tagore’s world
The Tagore Household
Patrika, The journal of the Samaj. age when very few girls went to school.
Puspa Achanta discovers Debendranath's oldest son She developed the Balak Sakhi Samiti for
that achivement runs deep Dwijendranath (1840-1926) was a great the upliftment of women and was the
scholar, poet and music composer. He author of several books.
within Tagore family and wrote extensively in the newspapers and
it’s roots magazines of the day, on literature, phi- The Next Generation
T
losophy and religion. He was the editor he youngsters of this illustrious
of Bharati (a periodical of the Samaj) and Thakur dynasty also contributed sub-
Tattwabodhini Patrika. He was also a stantially to society, the arts and litera-
Pushpa Achanta
pioneer in Bengali shorthand. ture. Dwijendranath's second son
Satyendranath (1842-1923), Sudhindranath (1869-1929) was a
Debendranath's next son, was the first
H
renowned author. Satyendranath's
e was a poet, painter, playwright, Indian to join the Indian Civil Service in daughter Indira Devi (1873-1960) distin-
novelist and musician whose 1864. A prolific writer, poet and song guished herself in literature, music and
work in the arts and society has composer, he too edited the the women's movement. She married
had a lasting impact on India before and Tattwabodhini Patrika. Pramatha Chowdhury, a renowned
after its political inde- scholar, essayist and poet whose
pendence. But what were work influenced Bengali litera-
the family members of ture considerably.
Rabindranath Tagore Obviously, most descendants
(anglicized version of of the Jorasanko Thakur family
Thakur) like? Who or were very talented. Further,
what were their early they were raised in an environ-
influences? Did the writ- ment filled with literary debates
ing of Rabindranath affect and discussions, musical com-
others in his household or positions, painting and theatri-
was it the other way cal performances.
around or both? Initially, the women were
Jorasanko Thakur bari tutored at home. Discovering
(Bengali for "Jorasanko that a governess used a rote
Thakur household") was learning method, Debendranath
the ancestral home of introduced a better teacher,
Gurudev and his clan. Ajodhyanath Pakrashi, a male
Located in Jorasanko, a outsider in the women's quar-
neighbourhood in north ters. Such incidents strength-
Kolkata, it is now a muse- ened the prevalent progressive
um on the Rabindra outlook in the people of the
Bharati University cam- household.
pus. While his ancestors Even Rabindranath had stud-
were probably well known even earlier Debendranath's third son ied very little, formally. Apparently, his
for their wealth and business acumen, the Hemendranath (1844-1884) was a strict wife Mrinalini Debi and sister-in-law
Tagore family became prominent from disciplinarian responsible for looking Kadambari deeply impacted his writings.
the time of Rabindranath's paternal after the education of his younger broth- Pratima-daughter of Rabindranath's
grandfather Dwarakanath Thakur (1794- ers as well as administrating the large grand niece Binayini Devi and who later
1846). family estates. He composed a lot of married Tagore's oldest son
An ambitious and educated man who "Brahmo Sangeet" and also wrote articles Ratindranath, the first vice chancellor of
loved good life, Dwarakanath descended on physical science. Visva Bharati University, was a painter
from the Jorasanko branch of a zamindari Jyotirindranath (1848-1925) , and writer who assisted Rabindranath in
family with its roots in Bangladesh's Debendranath's fifth son, was a scholar, producing some of his dance dramas and
Jessore district. Dwarakanath was active- artist, music composer and theatre per- plays. Swarnakumari Debi's daughter
ly involved in social reform along with sonality. Proficient in Bengali, Sanskrit, Sarala Debi Chaudurani was a renowned
his friend Raja Ram Mohan Roy and oth- English, Bengali, Marathi and Persian, he writer, musician and freedom fighter.
ers. He also sowed the seeds for later gen- rendered Bal Gangadhar Tilak's Gita Other descendants like Pragya wrote
erations of his family to pursue literature Rahasya into Bengali in 1924. He also cookery books, which are popular even
and fine arts and society. translated other books and wrote, direct- now. Sushama Tagore chose to empower
ed and acted in plays and was a song- women instead of being engaged in art or
Tagore and his Siblings writer. writing.
Among Debendranath's daughters,
D warakanath's sons Debendranath The Jorasanko Thakur bari contributed
Swarnakumari Devi (1855-1932) was a to the Bengal Renaissance and other
(1817-1905) and Girindranath were
gifted writer, editor, lyricist and social spheres of life and culture, immensely.
associated with the Brahmo Samaj.
worker. She also edited Bharati and a Therefore, summarizing their achieve-
Debendranath, father of Rabindranath
children's magazine; an exception in an ments is challenging, yet illuminating. 
Tagore, launched Tattwabodhini

8. 8 JustBooks Connect - July 2011
Reader’s Reader’s contribution
The 39 clues challenge
Voice
Toyotomi Hideyoshi are
N
some of the powerful
erul is described as the "Queen Cahills who have made
city of Navi Mumbai", it has the positive contributions dur-
distinction of being a purely res- ing their lifetime.
idential and educational township. But The Cahill family tree
the book lovers of this place were comprises of four main
always waiting for a library. So it was a branches. They are: the
great feeling when JustBooks, Nerul power-hungry Lucians
opened last May. founded by Luke Cahill,
What differentiates JustBooks from the strong and sporty
any other library is its unique style of Tomas founded by
functioning, kiosk and the wonderful Thomas Cahill, the inven-
collection of books. tive Ekaterinas founded
I have opted for the Avid Reader by Katherine Cahill, and
membership, where I get to take four the creative Janus founded
books and two magazines at one time. by Jane Cahill.
With different types of book lovers at The major theme of the
home, this plan suits us perfectly. Tamil novel is talent and power.
books for my father-in-law, fiction nov- Soumya Satyajit The historical members of the Cahill
els for my daughters, magazines for me, family are all talented. Each branch has
all at the same time in one go. And being specific talents in a certain area; for
T
on Avid Reader plan I get the privilege example the branch Janus has artistic
he first book of the 39 Clues series
of door delivery! abilities.
has started off with a bang, as it
Yes, JustBooks caters to the needs of Though the members of each team in
was meant to be. Rick Riordan (of
all ages, likes and more importantly has the family have special talents, Amy and
the Percy Jackson series; which won the
a collection of regional language books. Dan are viewed as the main threats;
Red House Children's Book Award) has
The members' suggestions or requests because of their proximity to their
put his vivid imagination and his profi-
are noted down and implemented to a grandmother. Therefore they continu-
ciency at writing into good use.
great extent. ously have to be on the run while
The story begins with Dan and Amy
All this is possible because of searching for the clues.
Cahill proceeding to attend their grand-
Mrs.Bhanumathi Ganesh, who not only
mother's funeral.
owns the library, but is present there
They are
most of the time and is actively
orphans and
involved. A special mention to the help-
their grandmoth-
ful staff who are enthusiastic in assisting
er was their only
the members, including the security
beloved close
guard who guides the new members in
relative.
operating the kiosk.
At the funeral
they find out
Girija Ramasubu
that she, instead
Nerul, Navi Mumbai 
of leaving them
her mansion,
had given them
and the other
Cahills two
options. To either take one million dol-
lars each or put their lives at risk and What happens to Dan and Amy? Does
search for the 39 clues scattered across any of the other Cahills manage to slow
the world that would make them the them down? Do they safely get to the
most powerful people on the planet. first clue? Go on and flip through the
Amy and Dan decide to take the chal- book. You will find that it will prove to
lenge but they are only one of the many. be an exciting read!
They have to battle other power greedy
Cahills to beat them to the clues. Soumya is a 9th grade student of
Like in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson, Sishu Griha, New Tippasandra. An
many of the well-known names in histo- avid reader of books, she loves read-
ry are said to be part of the Cahill fami- ing mystery and fantasy. While her
ly. To name a few, Benjamin Franklin, favorite author is Agatha Christie.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and She also likes to play chess and bas-
ketball. 

9. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 9
Readers’s Contribution
“Doing what it takes”
The Nordstrom Way to tude toward cus-
tomer service, those
Customer Service Excellence
who are willing to
go the extra mile,
Robert Spector willing to take ini-
tiative and to work
Wiley
hard.
It's also interest-
Deepa Bhat ing that most cus-
tomer oriented
organizations such
as Southwest
N
ordstrom has been legendary in Airlines also place
customer service, so much so emphasis during
that it almost seems mythical. hiring.
Any program on customer service can- It would be inter-
not go without a mention of Nordstrom's esting to hear from
customer service. When I chanced upon readers about the
the book The Nordstrom Way to Indian organiza-
Customer Service Excellence, at my tions that they
JustBooks branch, I was quite excited to know of are out-
find out more and see if the stories about standing in their customer service. Sadly, are possibly "fun" places to work in.
Nordstrom's customer service were in my experience, barring a few organi- A key insight from the book for me
myths or a reality? zations in the hospitality sector, cus- was that either employees fit into the
A word of caution though, after read- tomer service in the Indian industry Nordstrom culture or when they don't,
ing this book you may just expect similar seems to be very dismal. they leave.
service from stores that you visit, so 2) Empowering the frontline: to serve While there is respect for employees
keep your expectations at bay. the customer a great deal of emphasis is and time for fun, the focus on hard
The book is divided into sections, each placed on "doing what it takes" to serve work is the central, integral part of the
explaining the Nordstrom way of the customer. Employees go out of the Nordstrom culture.
how the spirit of customer service is way to meet the customers' needs such The belief of the founders in providing
ingrained into the culture of the organi- as getting them an item from another unparalleled customer service is empha-
zation. store, home delivery, dropping a pur- sized throughout the book. The passion
Some interesting take-aways for me chase to the airport and so on. and commitment of the top leaders, con-
from the book are: This takes away precious work hours sistency in practicing the values, continu-
1) Hire right: Pay attention at the hir- which could cost them a commission, ous communication and a congruent
ing stage, hire people who have the atti- but in the long term this wins reward and recognition system are the
Nordstrom a loyal customer and fur- cornerstones for building a culture of
ther purchases. customer service.
3) Mistakes are fine: as long as Last but not the least, the leader's role
you learn from the mistakes. in defining the purpose of the organiza-
4) Recognition of efforts seems to tion and communicating it to the
be the key in motivating and retain- employees is very critical in developing
ing employees: Recognition in form the culture of the organization , be it that
of appreciation letters or public of customer service, quality or opera-
announcements inspires the employ- tional excellence.
ees to focus their efforts on the cus- Having read this book, my expecta-
tomer. I believe that each of us could tions as a customer are now viewed
apply this in recognizing and prais- through "Nordstrom" glasses. When my
ing our family & showing our appre- billing took over 45 minutes at a restau-
ciation to them. rant, I began to hear little voices in my
5) Incentives also play a huge role head,"Maybe they going to make it up to me
in driving employees towards cus- : maybe a discount on my meal, maybe a
tomer service and sales: The com- complimentary dessert " and I was so dis-
mission structure is very interesting, appointed as all I got was a huge bill.
being linked to the value of sales as
well as the hourly pay of the Deepa is a member of JustBooks,
employee. Indiranagar. She juggles the hats of
I had an impression that organiza- being a mom and a HR consultant,
tions that excel in customer service and is interested in reading a varied
range of books. 

10. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 10
1. Rabindranath Tagore was 4. Tagore returned his knighthood:
born in: In protest of massacre at Jallianwala
Shantiniketan Bagh
Dhaka In support of Swadeshi movement
Kolkata All the above.
5. In his later years, Tagore worked
towards:
Growing Visva-Bharati University
Translating Gitanjali
2. This sister of Tagore was a renowned novelist: Studying for law
Swarnakumari
Soudamini
Saratkumari
3. Name the famous family magazine of Tagore household:
Ghare-Baire
Bharati
Tattwabodhini Patrika
Kolkata, Swarnakumari, Bharati, In protest of massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Growing Visva-Bharati University
JUSTBOOKS J u s t B o o k s r e c o g n i z e d
TOP 5
F
orbes
Magazine
recently fea-
N EW A RRIVALS tured JustBooks
1. Those In Peril by Wilbur and its founder
Smith R.Sunda Rajan, in
2. Pure Sequence by Paro Anand an article titled
3. Idea Man by Paul Allen 'Reading made
4. Adapt by Tim Harford Easy - Why
5. Siachen Glacier by Harish JustBooks
Kapadia Libraries Work' .
The article cap-
tured a sense of
what JustBooks
R ECOMMENDED libraries offer
1. Beijing Coma by Jian Ma members in this
2. The Everest Hotel by Allan one comment from
Sealy a member of ours:
3. Apradhini by Shivani Trans. by ‘"The clichéd
Ira Pande image of a library -
4. The Prophet by Khalil dusty, books
Gibran untouched, no one
5. Into Thin Air by Jon knows what is where
Krakauer - is done away
with," says
Ramesh Prabhu, a Image Courtesy: Girish GV, Forbes India
book lover and a
R ENTALS member of Just Books.’
1. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffery Archer It also describes what could await JustBooks in the future. Here is
2. 2 States: The Story Of My an excerpt from the article “He also sees an opportunity to convert
Marriage by Chetan Bhagat his libraries into community centres and grow other businesses
3. And Thereby Hangs A Tale by through that, such as holiday planning and developing a music
Jeffery Archer hub.”
4. The 39 Clues:Vespers Rising Check out the article at this URL: http://business.in.com/article/work-
by Rick Riordan in-progress/reading-made-easy-why-just-books-libraries-work/25832/2
5. The Lost Symbol by Dan
Brown From JustBooks blog - http://blog.justbooksclc.com 

11. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 11
Meet the other Tagores
in a hope that this would pave way
Women of the Tagore for other Bengali girls.
Household Jnanadanandini, Rabindranath's
sister-in-law was ably supported by
Chitra Deb her husband and was the first one
to step into the wider world over-
Translated from Bengali by Smita
coming all opposition and restric-
Chowdhry and Sona Roy tions.
She made a trip to England to be
Penguin with her husband, and later on to
Bombay; both a first since women
Aradhana Janga seldom went outside the house
unaccompanied.
She brought back simple yet
delightful ideas from her trips
like celebrating birthdays, get-
ting a photographer to take pic-
tures of the entire household
and modernizing the tradition-
al way of dressing.
In 1876, Swarnakumari,
Rabindranath's sister authored
Deep Nirban, which amazed
readers with its erudite lan-
guage and command over the one voluminous research paper with
plot without any feminine inhibi- absolutely no chapter breaks.
tions. Unfortunately, Chitra Deb's style of
Incidentally, she also empathized writing leaves much to be desired as she
with the status of widows in the leaps from one incident or one person to
society and attempted to make them talking about multiple people, most of
financially independent by educat- the time without any proper reference.
ing them. The reader is left groping in the dark
Chitra Deb covers several genera- and the only way out seems to be to
tions of the Tagore family spanning bookmark the family tree and refer to it
more than a century. Few know that multiple times for every couple of pages;
Vande Mataram was first set to not really the best way to read a book.
music by one of Rabindranath's No doubt that Chitra Deb's research
T
agore might be a well-known nieces, Sarala, whose interest in was probably painstaking in order to get
name, but not much is known music was exemplary in addition to her her facts right, but having gone to such
about the women of the Tagore literary pursuits. lengths (the book spans 500 pages), the
household. This lengthy treatise by Her contribution to India's freedom book could have been arranged better.
Chitra Deb covers generations of women movement notably included opening a Important groundbreaking milestones
of the Tagore household, some very store to advertise and popularize the use like Swarnakumari's concern for the wid-
well-known, some relatively known and of Swadeshi goods, exhorting Indian ows, and Chandramukhi and Kadambini
most unknown. youth to enlist in the army in large num- being India's first two female graduates,
The role of women in Indian society is bers, and publishing nationalistic articles is lost in the milieu of other lesser
a highly-discussed topic even in the 21st in her magazine. accomplishments.
century. Then what it might have been Devika Rani, a well-known actress, One ends up feeling that Chitra Deb
back in the 19th century? Couldn't have married into the Tagore family and had found it necessary to comment on every
been much, given the customs of child a successful stint under her production woman in the Tagore household irre-
marriage, Sati, denial of education and company. Sharmila Tagore is another spective of their achievements and con-
literacy, restrictions on going outdoors, name well known in the Indian film tribution, resulting in a confusing con-
singing, riding in a coach or talking to industry. The list of women of the coction that does not make this a pleas-
men outside the family. Tagore household that Chitra Deb covers urable read. The translation from Bengali
Women's liberation then was more seems endless. to English by Smita Chowdhry and Sona
related to women's education, women's For someone who isn't familiar with Roy is however faultless.
rights and emancipation. Some women the Tagore family, the family tree at the This is a book that no doubt could
managed to fight it out on their own, end of the book that takes up just over a have been more interesting had it kept
while others were supported by their hundred pages would prove monumen- its expectations a bit more clear, but read
families to forge ahead. tal. Of course, a scholar on the other it if you are curious about the Tagore
In 1851, Saudamini, Rabindranath's sis- hand would salivate over the same for surname or the women of the Tagore
ter was admitted to school by her father his thesis on the subject. The book is like household. 

12. 12 JustBooks Connect - July 2011
Survival instinct
Against all odds
Subhash Bhushan This conclusion served as a strong
basis for Frankl's logotherapy.
Logotherapy, from Greek word logos
W
hat would you do if you have- 'meaning', is a type of existentialist
been whisked from a success- analysis that focuses on a will to mean-
ful life in the middle of the ing. Rather than power or pleasure,
night to a torture camp and your entire logotherapy is founded upon the belief
family has been tortured and wiped out? that it is the striving to find a meaning
Everything that you have known as civi- in one's life that is the primary, most
lized and human has been blown away powerful motivating and driving force
to pieces. in humans.
Most would lose hope, fritter away
whatever is left of their life
and contemplate suicide. Not
so with our subject of this
article, Victor Frankl.
The Austrian born psychia-
trist developed a brand new
Third Viennese school of
down, a friend, family
Psychotherapy, to be able to
member, or even God,
battle his own demons, and
who would expect not to
to spread this knowledge
be disappointed. Frankl
amongst all who struggled to
concluded from his expe-
live another day of no hope.
rience that a prisoner's
On September 25, 1942 he,
psychological reactions
along with his wife, and his
are not solely the result
parents were deported to the
of the conditions of his
Theresienstadt concentration
life, but also from the
camp. There Frankl worked
freedom of choice he
as a doctor in a clinic until
always has even in
his skill in psychiatry was
severe suffering. The
noticed.
inner hold a prisoner has
He was then asked to estab-
on his spiritual self relies
lish a unit to help newcomers
on having a faith in the
F
to the camp overcome shock and grief. rankl's concept is based on the prem- future, and that once a prisoner loses
He later set up a suicide watch unit, ise that the primary motivational that faith, he is doomed.
where all intimations of suicide were force of an individual is to find a mean- Viktor Frankl's 1946 book Man's
reported to him. ing in life. The basic principles of Search for Meaning chronicles his expe-
To maintain his own sanity and self logotherapy are: First, Life has meaning riences as a concentration camp inmate
worth in the dismal conditions, he under all circumstances, even the most and describes his psychotherapeutic
would frequently go outside and give miserable ones. method of finding a reason to live.
lecture to an imaginary audience about Second, our main motivation for living According to Frankl, the book intends to
"Psychotherapeutic Experiences in a is our will to find meaning in life. answer the question "How was everyday
Concentration Camp". He believed that by And third, that we have freedom to life in a concentration camp reflected in the
fully experiencing the suffering objec- find meaning in what we do, and what mind of the average prisoner?" Part One
tively, he would thereby end it. we experience, or at least in the stand constitutes Frankl's analysis of his expe-
In later part of 1944, he was transport- we take when faced with a situation of riences in the concentration camps,
ed to Auschwitz and then to Turkheim. unchangeable suffering. while Part Two introduces his ideas of
Whereas, his wife and mother were Frankl also concludes that there are meaning and his theory of logotherapy.
murdered in other concentration camps
H
only two races of men, decent men and is story and this book have inspired
and he father died in Theresienstadt. On indecent. No society is free of either of many, including Steven Covey, of
April 27, 1945, Frankl was liberated by them. He concluded that the meaning of Seven Habits fame.
the Americans. The only other survivor life is found in every moment of living; In the post-war years, Frankl pub-
in his family was his sister, who had life never ceases to have meaning, even lished more than 32 books, lectured and
escaped by emigrating to Australia. in suffering and death. In a group thera- taught seminars all over the world and
It was due to his and others' suffering py session during a mass fast inflicted received 29 honorary doctorate degrees.
in these camps that he came to his hall- on the camp's inmates trying to protect He died on September 2, 1997, of heart
mark conclusion that even in the most an anonymous fellow inmate from fatal failure. He is survived by his second
absurd, painful and dehumanized situa- retribution by authorities, Frankl offered wife, children and grand-children.
tion, life has potential meaning and that the thought that for everyone in a dire
therefore even suffering is meaningful. condition there is someone looking Source Credits: Wikipedia. 

13. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 13
In Focus
Friends and allies of JustBooks
Sapana Rawat
This month we met and talked to Mr.
D. Ravi Kumar and his wife Chitra,
the franchise owner of JustBooks,
Frazer Town. Ravi is well-known in
the JustBooks' community as he
blogs for JustBooks and now he
heads the Franchise Development at
Strata Retail. So if you are interest-
ed in becoming a franchise owner of a
JustBooks branch in your area, he is
the person you should be talking to.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and
your family.
You could say I am a typical 'namma ben-
galuru huduga'- born, brought up and
continuing to be 'educated' in Bangalore.
Our roots are in Trichy, I'm told, though I
haven't traced them yet!. Chitra, my wife
& co-owner of our Frazer Town library, is
also from Bangalore but has plenty of rel- bit hard and I realised that while running this and we will roll them out shortly.
atives in Tamil Nadu. We have three a JustBooks franchise can provide the
school going kids who love to lend a butter-jam, one still has to earn the bread. How much of time do you spend at the
hand running the library. Two of them JustBooks outlet personally? How
are pretty avid readers running through Why and how did this franchise option rewarding is the experience of interacting
the children's section in like, 30 seconds, happen? with your members?
which is an exaggeration, of course. But I am very familiar with Frazer Town and Whatever time we spend at the library,
then, three kids are an exaggeration, its surroundings. I enquired about the we feel it's inadequate. We wish for more
thanks to soft population control meas- possibility of a franchise in this area and time there but we have to balance work,
ures in India! when given the go ahead, we spared not family, kids and library. That said, we get
efforts. Still there were hurdles which, a lot of pleasure interacting with our
What were you doing before joining through a combination of zeal, pig head- members and every suggestion, feedback
JustBooks as an employee? edness, limited resources, amazing sup- and complaint is taken seriously.
Ah ah! I was, in the given order, a mem- port from a well wisher (you know who
ber of JustBooks, Indiranagar, then blog- you are!) and perhaps destiny; JustBooks, What kind of books do you read person-
ger for JustBooks (eager beaver at best, Frazer Town was born. ally? Who are your favourite authors?
inconsistent at worst!), a franchise owner I love India and am drawn to books about
next and now I head the Franchise How has been the customer response to its diversity, its history and its mytholo-
Development at Strata Retail -brand own- JustBooks as a concept & your library, in gy. My favourite authors are Gurcharan
ers of JustBooks. It can't get better than particular? Das, Shashi Tharoor, Devdatt Pattnaik,
this. Overriding all this, of course, is the People have been amazed that we pro- Ashok Banker and gosh, this list could go
fact that we are huge fans of JustBooks as vide an excellent ambience, pocket on and on.
a concept, its founders, our library & friendly membership schemes, attentive
staff, my fellow franchisees, my team & customer service, wide variety of books What is your advice to book lovers who
colleagues with whom I enjoy working. with new titles every week, magazines would like to turn entrepreneurs through
option, home delivery etc at a reasonable JustBooks?
How has been your experience on work- reading fee. If you like books, reading and meeting
ing full time and taking care of the people, this is one business that you
Franchise? What do you think will be a great addi- should consider seriously. However, like
Before I joined JustBooks as a franchisee, tion in terms of value to your existing all businesses, you will still have to take
it appeared that I had plenty of time. I'd members? initiative, think on your feet and devise
fantasize about actually wanting to leave A combination of events, promotions and strategies to get members. It is fun and
my job and run the library full time. Then activities within the library will be good rewarding once you get past the critical
on becoming an employee here, reality value, I think. We are working towards mass of memberships. 

14. 14 JustBooks Connect - July 2011
Just Kids
Silly Dilly The author, Kuntie Ramdat
Balkaran is an experienced
writer of children's books.
Kuntie Ramdat Balkaran She has written several other
Illustrator: Anitha Balachandran books, similar to Silly Dilly
Age group: 2-8 yrs for children, such as Little
Pages: 28 Monkey Gets Lost: Where
Scholastic Animals Live, A Cat Called
Trouble Maker and Mouse
Sees the World!.
The illustrator, Anitha
Balachandran has worked in
the field of designing books
Jayanthi Harsha and animations for young
children for quite a while,
now. Her other projects
D
illy is a young duckling, who is includes Song Of The
clearly different from his sib- Bookworm, and more
lings. Not only does he have a notably, Mister Jeejeebhoy
wholly different appearance, but also And The Birds, which she
has a different perception of the world has written and illustrated
round him. Every creature he comes herself.
across appears to be a dangerous wild Most of the book's meaning
animal to him. is conveyed through the pic-
One fine day Dilly goes on a tour of tures, which according to the
the farmhouse with his family and they main theme of the story is
end up meeting quite a number of ordi- largely, of animals. much difficulty. There is even more
nary farm animals, this sets silly Dilly First, the animals are portrayed in scope for them to expand on the story
running for his life, as he believes that a such a way that the reader sees them as and add more facts about the animals
bunch of dangerous creatures were out Dilly sees them and finally as how silly along the way.
to get him. Dilly's mother sees them. After reading the story, the young
But every time his mother informs him All along the way, facts are given, for reader will feel a certain sense of satis-
that he is over-reacting and reveals the both wild and farm animals. This will faction of a story well-told with a fitting
creature to be relatively harmless. help children get information about ani- end. The facts about the animals intro-
Things go along these lines throughout mals, what's special about them, their duced in the story will arouse interest
the story, until Dilly finally meets a crea- features and habitats etc. and curiosity in young children and
ture which his mother is unable to label The repetition of some sentences like might encourage them to learn more
as harmless. "Run for your lives", or "Oh silly Dilly, about animals, not just through the
Read on to find out the creatures silly How can that be?" will amuse and stay in story, but through other sources in gen-
Dilly meets on his tour of the farm and the memories for toddlers and parents eral.
the identity of the final creature. alike. The story is a very effective way Young children will certainty find
This book was written and published for parents to introduce young children pleasure in revisiting this story again
in 2009 by Scholastic. to animals and their habitats without
from time to time! 
JustBooks Picks for Young Readers
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Brown Moin And The Monster by Anushka The Children Of Hurin by JRR
Ravishankar Tolkien
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
The Karate Mouse by Geronimo Stilton Terror On The Titanic by Samit Basu
A Blessing from Above by Patti
Henderson Aditi And Her Friends In Search of Taranauts 5:The Mystery Of The
Shemeek by Suniti Namjoshi Silver Syntillas by Roopa Pai

15. JustBooks Connect - July 2011 15
Eunice De Souza
class Hindus had parties
Anindita Sengupta
in their sixties, much less
talked about sex at
them?).
W
hen I first read Eunice De But De Souza was not
Souza's poems, I was a nine- merely cataloguing a time.
teen-year-old with heroes like She was not an observer
Sylvia Plath and Alanis Morisette. De peering in through doors.
Souza's gritty, ironic voice in 'Advice to At least not yet. She was
Women' the girl living in this rau-
"Keep cats cous, celebratory, con-
if you want to learn to cope with the oth- fused place. In 'One Man's
erness of lovers" Poetry', she says
"As I grew up
appealed to me. The poem belongs to I longed only
her second collection Women in Dutch to laugh easily."
Painting (1988) but it spurred me to read But the poet's limbs
her first book Fix (1979) as well. Almost begin to scatter, her face
twenty years later, De Souza's collected dissolves. This question of
poems Necklace of Skulls was recently personal identity as locat-
published by Penguin. And I realised ed in the larger universe—
that I've outgrown much of Alanis. how does one affect the
While Plath clings to my consciousness other?—is something that
not because of her narcissism but cropped up in De Souza’s
because of her virtuosity with words. work again and again.
What about De Souza? In Women in Dutch
Perhaps the reason so many of De Painting, the poetic voice
Souza's early poems attracted the had matured. It was
teenage self is because adolescence, espe- wiser, less harassed, more resigned. work too. What was manifest in early
cially repressed, curious and confused "Don't flail poems is now a philosophy of minimal-
Indian girlhood was their subject. One of Don't let the hurt show ism. "Even this poem has forty-eight words
her more quoted poems 'Sweet Sixteen' Not even this afternoon can last too many", she says in 'It's Time to Find a
goes: forever" Place', voicing her reluctance to "prattle
“Mama never mentioned menses. she says in 'Songs of Survival'. And: on". Her readers, however, hope she con-
A nun screamed: you vulgar girl “Survive to know you can. tinues.
don't say brassieres There is little to be said
say bracelets.” for suffering." IN A NUTSHELL
It conjures up all the frantic attitudes of She had also discovered love and this Born in: Pune in 1940
middle class morality that so thrived in gave these poems a sweeter edge, mel-
the pre-globalisation, pre-MTV world. lowing the characteristic irony, the "cut- Raised in: Pune in a Goan Catholic family.
But De Souza's concern was also more ting edge". De Souza's earlier collection
specific than that. She was not just talk- had contained portraits of people she Studied: English Literature (PhD from
ing life through any teenage girl's lenses. found interesting, snatches of life becom- Univ of Mumbai).
She was talking life through the lens of ing a window into something larger.
Goan Catholic teenage girls, specifically This was visible here too. Here they are, Day jobs: Taught English Literature at St
in the then-acceptable, now-incredibly- she seemed to say, while presenting the Xavier's College, Mumbai. Was Head of
cool suburb of Bandra. 'Bandra nitty-gritty details of living. And what Department until she retired.
Christian Party' talks about how else is there to learn from?
"gathered Goans giggle. There was a long gap between her first First book: Fix (1979).
Dirty jokes: two books, nearly ten years. In contrast,
hot stuff and sex Ways of Belonging (1990) came soon Major Works: Fix (1979), Women in
While Fred who is the life of the party is after her second book, an indication that Dutch Painting (1988), Ways of
asked for a song. “ she may have been working on them at Belonging (1990), Selected and New
As language goes, the style in this and the same time. As the title suggests, Poems (1994).
many other poems is simple, banal even. place, home and travel featured more
There are no flourishes, no pyrotechnics, obviously. In many of these poems, the Also writes: Novels, essays, children's fic-
not much magic flair. Those who like poet was more absent —or invisible— tion and newspaper columns. Has edited
their poetry fancier may find it plain than she had been before. Nature had various anthologies. Writes a weekly col-
fare. taken over. The landscape had taken umn for Mumbai Mirror.
But what it does do is capture an entire over. The self, in comparison, seemed
cosmos in about twenty short lines, a small, either an extra or a silent observer. Lives in: Mumbai.
cosmos very different from its more This tendency toward silence is mani-
mainstream parallel (how many middle fest in De Souza's later, more recent Other Interests: Theatre. 