Love, my friend, is not Easy!: 01.11

Love, my friend, is not Easy!
Random thoughts on my book, my reading and my writing and then some…

Was there ever a doubt about the quality of the book? Never. But, the workings of the publishing world, the discussions about the travails of getting work published, the aspirations of many who want to be writers…all these at some point or the other made me wary…wary because I wanted to be able to relate and yet I couldn’t fully do so.
I write sometimes to collect my thoughts and sometimes to entertain others. I enjoy reading. Just like I enjoy many things be it music, movies or food.
Am I indiscriminate? Yes.
Am I non-discerning? no.
As I child, I was a voracious reader, I can easily say more than your average book-worm. I have read many many books, many of which are books of great weight (quite literally too) and importance and many little known. Among the many, Dostoevsky, Pearl Buck, Steinbeck, Sheldon, Maugham, Eric Von Deniken, Moravia, Tolstoy, Jane Austen, Bronte Sisters, Ayn Rand, Charles Dickens were a few I can recall off hand. If I was such a voracious reader, why do I have to recall? just because..
Because- Graduate studies, Marriage & Kids happened to an adult-me just like books happened to a child-me. Those of you who have been reading much or more after growing up, fantastic and good for you. Speaking for myself, I barely managed 10-20 books in an year during the past decade-plus and even that has trickled down to less than a dozen of late(mostly technical to be honest).
No real reason, except that movies are more a family thing and the need to spend time with kids, watch their growing up years, extreme domestication, busy work schedules all contributed to this.
Coming to reading Indian Authors,
In all this shrinking reading repertoire of mine, scribes and such will kindly have to excuse me for telling the truth and confessing that I haven’t read too many authors, Indian authors to be specific..of late or otherwise..I hope I will be excused for telling a good story despite not currently reading many books by others!
The one work by an Indian author I really enjoyed, sadly I am not able to recall the name of the book nor author although I remember much of the story. I tried to google in an attempt to reacquaint myself with both the work and author with little success. Sad but true. [In case anyone can recall, there is a sister called Radha who falls in love with the street smart Sardarji who helps them reclaim their ancestral property, there is a father who is a sincere IAS officer punished into pitiful postings..& also the very (im)possible politician ‘Balakram’..etc etc..all in all it was extremely fun and made a good read about good dozen years ago.]
More recently, The Men Within by Hari is a work I enjoyed reading. It takes you back to your school days(gender notwithstanding) and grips you in the euphoric fever of ‘win for the school’.
Else, the very versy Vikram Seth with his unforgettable

'All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love
No hand to left or right and
Emptiness above
Know that you aren’t alone
The whole world shares your tears'

Makes you suddenly wish you could one day be counted in the same league..

Coming back,
Despite such heavy moorings in the reading world, when the tiny novel I wrote, a by-product of blogdom, was first accepted almost 7 years ago when the book was first written by the extremely erudite Prof. P. Lal who ran the Kolkota based Writer’s Workshop, I have not understood the importance of it all! Instead my focus was on the impending extended trip to xxx and winding up my work here, getting my son prepared et al.
Write it all off to singular density of non-operational brain engulfed by existential realities!
Nevertheless..
My book is published. I would like to think that I am a woman with depth of understanding and clarity of thought re many aspects but I am a newbie to this world of publishing and of self-promotion, and I am looking for a direction..I get a lot of suggestions.. Am I willing to forsake something so preciously built for something that is so transient? So will this push my work into the ignominy of disgrace and condemn it to dusty warehouses? I can’t let that be either. If a happy middle ground opens up for me, I’ll jump right on. Someone who’s been there and done that, help!!
So what makes me think that my work is good?
How can I take you there, where my brain has been nurtured and nourished through travel, education, exposure, training and last but not the least thoughtfulness and introspection? I cannot. Like I mentioned I am open to all genres but I know when I like something. When my work was accepted for publication 'again' last year, it was not a polished work. It remained a story that was put together through blogs and interested quite a few online many years ago. So the past year has been a path of rediscovery for me in terms of writing. I realized that I can string together a fine yarn and weave a spell of magic..Especially so because..In my novel, the story plot is not thick not is it laden with anything remotely blasphemous, titillating or provocative. Yet it captivates an average reader. It captivated me! After all these years! Since I had to read, re-read umpteen times and edit the work till it is polished and I could do so without getting bored.
I beleive that work can speak for itself given the chance, but until its time comes the comments from the many friends from different walks of life and their positive feel of the work breathes a fresh confidence.
If Sekhar Kammula(film director)admits to have enjoyed it and complemented that the story has energy that sustains interest and that it is told in a consistent voice and in style! it does make one swell with a little pride. When Harimohan Paruvu(writer) quite flatteringly stated that it has a fresh & young voice and that he can still recollect afer all this time(he read it almost an year ago), the story and found it very interesting and especially the end..that a mature story has been told in a fresh and young voice, & he has not read anthin comparable in Indian ficion, it gives a thrill.
When Krishna Sagar(management consultant) mentioned that he has not seen many adult authors who have both the passion and the craft, surely it is a nice compliment to share
Today, when I pick up the book and start to read from any page, I still continue to read without getting bored..I can say that of very few books. For me ‘To kill a Mocking Bird’ is one such and I can do so with many of Jane Austen’s books. While my book belongs to the current era and a different sensibility, it still does that to me.
Well then, I look forward to “Love, my friend, is not Easy!” doing that to someone- for someone to be able to pick it up whenever they are alone, bored or when they want to do something interesting, when they need a friend, on a rainy day, with a cup of tea..any day and any which way..to just be able to pick it up and start to read just from anywhere after they once read it fully first!
Should I undermine my work just because it happens to be mine? Why? So, Let me wish my work also the very best then and May it light up a billion minds!

Cheers:)

I have let it out, my version of the A-lom and V-lom(anulom, vilom) and this should end my despair at not babying my newborn book. It is a birth of the book to the world without, not to the world within. It is a mature work and it will find its own way. Much as I would like to caress and take pride and ownership it’s out there and it is time I let go of the baby!

Love, my friend, is not Easy!

Love, my friend, is not Easy!

31.1.11

Nailed it!

28.1.11

Letting go of the Baby!

25.1.11

FEEDBACK

20.1.11

Be there, all you beautiful People!

6.1.11

Buying the book!

5.1.11

The feel of this book in my hands- it rocks :)