Innocent and Irinjalakuda

Innocent and Irinjalakuda- they seem to go so well together. Whenever I mention to anyone from Kerala that my native place is near Irinjalakuda the immediately response is “Isn’t that where Innocent is from? And If I ever see anyone blinking I volunteer “I am from Innocents place”. Mention Innocent and I am always awarded with an innocent smile, a huge grin and entry into the inner circle. After all Innocent’s nattukar should be innocent .Right?

How come nobody ask me about Jayachandran? Or Edavela Babu (I heard of him first while he was a student of Irinjalakuda Boys High School, judging from the mallu movies I watch it seems like he never outgrew college-Lucky him..) If you would like to know more about Innocent and Irinjalakuda do visit his at Parpidam in Cyber space.

Kunjunni Master -The little big man of Malayalam literature

I was fortunate to meet Kunjunni master thrice-in middle school, during my pre-university and later while doing my masters.He read his poems with us, talked to us about reading habits and wrote "pokkamillayama aanenthe pookam" in my autograph. His book "Namboothiri Phalithangal" if I remember correctly was a prescribed reading for Calicut University students although this was before I entered college. My brother and I managed to get the book and we memorized all the verses.I still remember

" Oru theepatti kolli tharu,
Oru beedi tharu,
Oru chundu tharu,
Nan orru beedi valichu rasikattey"

His kavithas were short, full of humor and memorable.He will be missed by all malayalis young and old.

Shashi Tharoor

Stumbled up on the official website of Shashi Tharoor today. Riots is his only book that I have read ..It is a sensitive story and a brave one- a topic many writers many not want to broach.

Sad loss for the Malayalam Literary world

Prof. Guptan Nair


M Krishnan Nair

One of the best literary critics and who opened the doors of world literature to Malayalees M.Krishnan Nair passed away. His sharp and sometimes acerbic tongue that used to enliven the malayalam literary world would be greatly missed. This comes just around a week after another eminent Malayalam literary critic and educationist Prof. Guptan Nair's death. As I remember their writings in Bashaposhini and Kalakaumudhi and host of other Malayalam Magazines, Prof.Guptan Nair was through, sensitive and infused depth into his work while M Krishnan Nair was more popular with his pungent comments and used precision and brevity in his almost addictive colums. Indeed a great loss to the Malayalam Literary world.

Oru Desattinte Katha (Story of a Village)

Some books stay with you for a very long time . Oru desanttinte Katha which was written by S.K Pottekatt for which he was honored with Jnanapith Award is one such book. I can still recall the feelings that I experienced when I read his book in my middle school years. I went on to read his travelogues and short stories.It opened me up to the malayalam literary world and its other great writers. Intrestingly Eighteen years before he won India's highest literary award, Shankaran Kutty Pottekkatt won the Cannanore seat in Kerala in 1962.

Arundathi Roys Writing

Last two days I have been reading Roys book " An Ordinary person's guide to empire" .
Quite compelling read- although there are lots of overlaps in the topics . This is her second book that I am reading, the first one ofcourse being " The God of small things" I feel connected to Roys writing more so because I hail from the same state as she does and understands her anguish and reasoning. I wonder if she would ever get her true place in the literary world. Her strong words on a range of topics is sure to irritate and alienate a lot of people. Would she ever write another fiction? I wish she would - she got that rare gift for writing ( rather the words seems to just flow ..) which eludes most.

Onam Greetings

Try these links to send your loved ones Onam Greetings

• http://www.123greetings.com/events/onam
• http://www.greet2k.com/festivals/onam/index.shtml
• http://www.dgreetings.com/onam/

Happy Onam

Onam is the festival all malayalis celebrate in the month of Chingam as per malayalam calendar. Onam generates nostalgia and happiness in the minds of all malayalis. Let me wish all malayalis all over the world a Happy Onam