Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Broken toothpicks + update

Each time I find a splinter from a long-forgotten toothpick in one of my trouser pockets, my eyes glaze over and I realise it’s been many weeks since I last went to a Big Book Launch (aka Cocktail-and-Kabab Destination). There are two happening this weekend, on successive nights (Kiran Desai’s on Friday, Upamanyu Chatterjee’s on Saturday), but I probably won’t be able to make it for those either. What I will be doing is backpacking (okay, bussing) it to Jaipur for the last two days of the Heritage Festival; they have a literary fest scheduled this year as part of the event and it sounds promising. (Of course, there’ll be plenty else happening - music and dance shows, a video art workshop and so on. Full schedule here.)

Chandrahas (who didn’t make it to Pakistan after all) and Nikhil will probably come along too. All in all it should be a lot more fun than watching a Test match where 1100 runs are scored for only eight wickets *sniffs and casts resentful gaze at Shamya and Amit*.

11 comments:

  1. How difficult is it to write 'are' instead of 'r'? Or, adding a 't' after s in the word 'jus'? Or a 'g' in 'readin' to make it 'reading?'

    ReplyDelete
  2. "gramatically concious"

    Its not grammar dear, its spelling ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Julien: so long as we're playing these silly games, might I point out that it's "it's" (with the apostrophe) twice in your last sentence.

    (I'd also venture to suggest it's "Julian", not "Julien" - but well, guess that's the prerogative of whoever named you...)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Grammar nerds are okay but spellomaniacs are well maniacs and nothing more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Jai,

    Pliss to enlighten on the titles of the new books by Kiran Desai and Upamanyu Chatterjee, as mentioned in your post? Thanking you berry much... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. You put used toothpicks in your pocket?

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Book Lover (since Jai is too busy to respond)...

    1. Kiran Desai's new novel is called 'The Inheritence of Loss' (out now).

    2. Upamanyu Chatterjee's upcoming novel is called 'Weight Loss'.

    3. Watch out also for the most awaited new novel of 2006 - the much talked-about 'Sacred Games' by Vikram Chandra.

    ReplyDelete
  8. London Ladki: thanks. Was away for a couple of days. It can be nightmarish to come back after that much time away from the Net, and have to deal with dozens of mails (incl. various YahooGroups) - plus Bloglines and other reading material.

    4wd: thank you! Was waiting for someone to comment on that!

    ReplyDelete
  9. @Jabberwock: No probs and I totally understand :) Perhaps what you need is a Blog PA, to handle your comments backlog while you're away...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just came back to add that I'd happily offer my services (of the PA variety) in return for a pic of your unshaven, lecherous mug ;) It would no doubt simulaneously please your growing list of lustees, who have also been baying for the same of late. Naqab hataa de, aur chehera dekha de!

    ReplyDelete
  11. London ladki: no pics currently available of unshaven, lecherous mug. but growing tribe of lustees can feast themselves on this post if they want a photo-darshan. I'm not that camera-shy :)

    ReplyDelete