Write away

It’s Author’s Day. Mastii-kustii turns the spotlight on three Indian new-age writers

Advaita Kala, author of Almost Single

Chick-lit:
When I wrote the book, there wasn’t much talk about this genre. Now it’s seen as a popular one. I didn’t know I’d written chick-lit till someone told me so.

On men reading chick-lit:
I don’t know how many men would admit to reading it since it’s not considered macho, but I know many did.

The chick-lit formula:
I’ve not read Bridget Jones’s Diary, but have seen the film. In this genre, what really works are the characters. That’s the power of the genre. Yes, the issues discussed in all chick-lit may overlap since they all talk about what women face.

Being a best-seller:
The definition of a best-seller has changed. Earlier, it was 5,000 copies, now it’s much more. My book’s sold 30,000 copies.

The reading habit:
If you ask young people for the top three things they love doing, reading might not be among them. Tastes are changing. People are looking for books that are part of their own experience.

Amruta Patil, author of Kari, India’s first graphic novel by a woman

On graphic novels:
It’s a seductive medium. There’s a tightly wrought tale, there are pictures and the stories are getting more layered and diverse. Interest is bound to grow. Some days ago, I heard graphic novels being discussed at a Diwali party of well-heeled agriculturists in rural Punjab.

Graphic novels she likes:
I’ve enjoyed some of Neil Gaiman’s collaborative work with Dave McKean such as Mister Punch or the intriguing Signal to Noise and the spare prose of Paul Hornschemeier’s Mother Come Home, the drama of Frank Miller’s 300, the colour palette and quirkiness of The Rabbi’s Cat, the windy beauty of Melancholia.

Her next work:
Stories decide how they want to be told; some need just words, others want pictures. As an author, the best I can do is listen. My next book, 1999, promises to be relatively picture-free. ‘Relatively’ because the stray picture always seems to weave its way into the work! I wish there weren’t such a distinction between literary fiction and graphic fiction. No medium is inherently smart or inherently dumb.

Is pulp fiction the only thing that sells today?
It’s like a literary snack. And how bad can that be, so long as you aren’t snacking every day of the year!

The printed word in the eage:
There’s something a real bookshelf brings to your room that a thousand PDFs or saved bookmarks in your computer cannot. The intimacy and happiness that comes with holding a good book is unmatched. Unless we’re unscrupulous about replacing cut trees, or something else goes horribly wrong, the medium will linger awhile.

Chetan Bhagat, best-selling author of Five Point Someone, One Night @ The Call Center and Three Mistakes Of My Life

On his brand of books:
When you’re targetting a big readership, remember that people like simple books. One man’s pulp is another man’s great literature. My books are in the middle. I like to read books that are simply written. That’s why I like Hemingway and George Orwell.

Being an author in India:
Books are becoming more mainstream, but authors don’t get their due in India. Money and awareness about books are low. In India, one should write only if there’s a mad urge to do so. I don’t want to write in the west since the writing gets diluted. They may not want to read about the India I write about.

His success mantra:
I’m already a best-seller. Now it’s about making an impact. My books have been successful because the youth has connected with them. Critics who review these books are 60-year-olds. They get frustrated that my books are doing well. The critics have been so harsh on my books that my fans get defensive. Writing a Bollywood script:
I’m doing a script for a production house. But I haven’t started writing it. It’s going to be a full-on commercial film. I write for the masses and no apologies for that.

On Hello, the celluloid adaptation of One Night...:
I liked the movie and the BO collections have also been fairly good. But people say the book was better. It was my first attempt at Bollywood. Now I’ll try to have more control over the films that are adapted from my books.

Interesting FAQ's

What does precycling mean?
Precycling is a form of waste minimisation. It involves reducing the use of outer packaging and instead opting directly for what’s inside. This would involve buying things loose instead of opting for a prepackaged product, bringing your own container to the store and shopping for locally-produced things. The rationale is to accumulate less waste.

What is Strepulsion Physics?
In the 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton discovered the universal gravitational force. In the 21st century, Navinchandra K Shah, Prof. P N Jain and Prof. P P Jain of Hubli discovered a universal repulsion force (URF). It’s an astronomical force exerted by the sun and stars and therefore called stellar repulsion force (SRF). The science which deals with repulsive phenomena of stellar universe and the strepulsion force of stars is Strepulsion Physics.

Why is an august gathering called so?
The word ‘august’ in itself means magnificent or majestic. The term ‘august gathering’ refers to a gathering marked by dignity or grandeur. August originates from Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. The month of August, earlier known as Sextilis, was also named so in his honour.

What is anthropophagy?
Anthropophagy means cannibalism — the practice of human beings eating other human beings. The word is a combination of Greek words: anthropos meaning human being, and phagein meaning to eat. Cannibalism might involve eating other humans after killing them intentionally or eating body parts of those whose death has occurred due to other causes. The practice of eating humans of one’s own community is called endocannibalism and eating humans of other communities is called exocannibalism. According to anthropologists, cannibalism might have been more common in the early human evolution than in modern societies. Today, it is rumoured to be practised by tribals in different parts of the world as part of their rites. Due to the extreme stigma associated with such things, evidence and claims related to cannibalism are highly unreliable.
If it has existed, the causes must be the following:
1. Situations of extreme food scarcity, such as famine;
2. Insanity;
3. Superstitions such as the belief that eating of another’s brain would serve to increase one’s own powers and
4. In wars, to show one’s power over the enemy. The universal symbol of cannibalism is a lolling tongue.

What are Codd’s Rules?
Codd’s Rules that are 12 in number specify what a database must support in order to be relational. The rules were defined by Edgar F Codd in a paper published in 1985. Hence, they are known as Codd’s Rules. For example, data are represented only one way; as values within columns and rows. Every value can be assessed by providing table name, column name and key, and all data are unique.

Who is a troglodyte?
Originally, troglodyte referred to a prehistoric cave dweller. The name was also used to denote an anthropoid ape such as a gorilla. Now, it often refers to an old-fashioned person or to one who is a wilfully brutal obscurantist.

What is the origin of the name Belarus?
The word Belarus means white Russians. The Scandinavians who moved in the east were called Rus and from them came the word Russia. During the Mongol era, the Russians were classified into three different groups: Belarussians (white Russians), little Russians, and great Russians. The name Belarus and the country evolved from Belarussians.

Belarus was known as Belorussia or Byelorussia in the days of Russian monarchy headed by tsars to underscore the extent of their empire. Russians occupied this country in 1919 and then it came to be known as Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR). Later, BSSR was a founding member of the USSR in 1922. This status continued till July 27, 1990 when BSSR issued a declaration of state sovereignty. In 1991, the Supreme Soviet of BSSR decreed by law that the independent country be called Belarus, henceforth, in Russian and all other languages and its language be known as Belarussian. The country’s name was changed to Republic of Belarus on August 25, 1991. The heads of state of Belarus along with those from Russia and Ukraine jointly announced the dissolution of the USSR and formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991.

What is a Pipestone Pipe?
A Pipestone Pipe, also called a peace pipe, calumet or medicine pipe is a ceremonial smoking pipe used by many native American tribes, traditionally as a token of peace. The most common and sacred thing smoked was tobacco. A prayer would be said to each of the four directions as well as `Mother Earth’ and `Father Sky’ as they filled the pipe. Also, some tobacco would be sprinkled on the ground. To show respect, smoke would be blown into one’s face. Captives would, at times, take this the wrong way, but it was actually a sign of kindness or respect.


ANY ANSWERS?
Why are the people of Japan also known as Nipponese?
What is a go-go fund?
What is VIX?
What is green fluorescent protein?
If noble gases are supposed to be inert and unreactive, how is krypton difluoride formed?
What is the meaning of ‘kemo sabe’?