ആതിര ജി മൂന്നാം സെമെസ്റെര്‍ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ്

ആകാശത്തിനു കീഴെയുള്ള കാര്യങ്ങള്‍

"ആകാശത്തിനു കീഴിലുള്ള
ഏതു കാര്യത്തെകുരിച്ചും
എന്നോട് ചോദിക്കണം
(മറുപടി തീര്‍ച്ച)"
അപ്പോള്‍
ആകാശത്തിനു മുകളിലുള്ള കാര്യങ്ങള്‍?
"............."
ആകാശം, അതെന്താണ്?
നീലിച്ചു കാണുന്ന ശുന്യത?
മാറും നിറങ്ങളില്‍ മറഞ്ഞ പൊള്ളത്തരം?
എന്തുമാകട്ടെ, പക്ഷെ
പറയരുതാകാശമില്ലെന്ന്
ഉണ്ട്. ഓരോരുത്തര്‍ക്കും
അവരവരുടെ തലയ്ക്കു മുകളില്‍
മാത്രം...
ശരി,
ഇനി നീ പറഞ്ഞോളു
നിന്റെ തലയ്ക്കു മുകളിലെ
ആകാശത്തിനു കീഴിലുള്ള
കാര്യങ്ങള്‍...
പക്ഷെ, പെട്ടെന്ന് വേണം.
കിണര്‍ വട്ടത്തിലുള്ള ആകാശങ്ങല്‍ക്കപ്പുറത്ത്
ഒളിപ്പിച്ചുവെച്ച ഇടിവെട്ടും പേമാരിയുമായി
കാര്‍മേഘങ്ങള്‍ ഇരുണ്ടുകൂടുന്നുണ്ട്.

റഷീദിന്റെ വര്‍ത്തമാനം

ഭൂതവുമില്ല...

ഭാവിയുമില്ല..,

വെറും വര്‍ത്തമാനം,

വര്‍ത്തമാനം മാത്രം!!

ഒന്നാം സെമെസ്റെര്‍ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് സാഹിത്യ വിദ്യാര്‍ത്ഥിനി ജസ്ന ശശിധരന്റെ കവിത വായിക്കു

Interview: Shashi Deshpande

My new book is about adult love: Shashi Deshpande (Interview)

Saturday, January 17, 2009 10:43:41 AM

TIPS FOR AUTHOR INTERVIEW

How to Conduct an Author Interview

By an eHow Contributor

I want to do this! What's This?

Authors are some of the most accessible public figures around. While readers generally think of authors as celebrities, the rest of the world doesn't always feel the same way. As a result, authors are often easy to contact and willing to talk to their readers and publications. Interviewing an author can be as simple as asking permission.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare a short pitch. Authors are more likely to sit up, take notice and consent to an interview if the interviewer is convincing. Write no more than two or three paragraphs of introduction, expressing interest in the author's work and spell out intentions for the interview. Mention any publication or professional affiliations that might pique the author's interest.

2. 2

   Suggest an email interview. While every interviewer would like to sit down over coffee with her literary hero, it is often more feasible for authors to conduct interviews through email at their leisure. If a phone or face-to-face interview is preferable, the author will likely suggest it.

3. 3

   Research the author's body of work and past interviews. Knowledge of an author's work gives an interviewer added credibility. Similarly, a working knowledge of the author's attitudes and experiences found in previous interviews can give an interviewer an advantage when preparing questions.

4. 4

   Prepare thoughtful questions. Authors do a multitude of interviews, especially if they have been writing successfully for a significant period of time or if they have a new book coming out. By preparing thoughtful questions which reflect research into their lives and work, an interviewer adds credibility to his name and any publication he might represent.

5. 5

   Be patient. Authors have full lives just like everyone else. Whether they hold down a day job or keep busy with new projects, it will take some time to for them to prepare and return interview answers. It is perfectly appropriate to suggest a deadline for the author, but be sure to work far enough ahead to allow two to four weeks for the return of the interview answers.

6. 6

   Resist the urge to edit beyond minor spelling errors. Authors are typically careful and thoughtful in their written answers to interview questions. Editing answers could change the author's meaning and ultimately damage the credibility of an interviewer or publication.

7. 7

   Send a thank you note and a copy of the interview. When an author takes time out of a busy schedule to answer interview questions, it is preferable to send along a link to the interview if it is published in an online forum. If the interview appears in print, send along a copy of the publication with your sincerest thanks. Thoughtful gestures heighten the possibility of interacting with the author in the future.

TIPS FOR BOOK REVIEW

How to Write a Book Review

by Bill Asenjo

A book review describes, analyzes and evaluates. The review conveys an opinion, supporting it with evidence from the book

Do you know how to write a book review? I didn't. And even though I knew I didn't, that didn't stop me from firmly inserting my foot in my mouth by agreeing to conduct a book review writing workshop for my local Barnes & Noble. I blithely assured myself it would simply be a matter of picking up Book Reviews for Dummies, or something to that effect. Au contraire. It's easier to find information on bomb-making than book review writing.

So I did what any other resourceful writer on deadline would do; I panicked. Well, for a moment. Quickly composing myself I scrounged the library and internet for every conceivable source that even hinted at the term "book review." What follows is the result of my gleaning

Before reading, consider:

• Title - What does it suggest?
  
  
• Preface or Introduction - Provides important information about the author's intentions or the scope of the book. Can you identify any limitations? Has the author ignored important aspects of the subject?
  
  
• Table of Contents - Shows how the book's organized -- main ideas, how they're developed (chronologically, topically, etc.)

Points to ponder as you read the entire book:

• What's the general field or genre? Does the book fit?
  
  
• From what point of view is the book written?
  
  
• Do you agree or disagree with the author's point of view?
  
  
• Make notes as you read, passages to quote in your review.
  
  
• Can you follow the author's thesis, "common thread"?
  
  
• What is the author's style? Formal? Informal? Suitable for the intended audience?
  
  
• Are concepts well defined? Is the language clear and convincing? Are the ideas developed? What areas are covered, not covered?How accurate is the information?
  
  
• Is the author's concluding chapter, the summary, convincing?
  
  
• If there are footnotes, do they provide important information? Do they clarify or extend points made in the text?
  
  
• If relevant, make note of the book's format - layout, binding, etc. Are there maps, illustrations? Are they helpful?
  
  
• Is the index accurate? What sources did the author use -- primary, secondary? Make note of important omissions.
  
  
• What did the book accomplish? Is more work needed? Compare the book to others by this author, or books in this field by other authors. (Use the books listed in the bibliography.)

Writing the Review:

• Include title, author, place, publisher, publication date, edition, pages, special features (maps, etc.), price, ISBN.
  
  
• Hook the reader with your opening sentence. Set the tone of the review. Be familiar with the guidelines -- some editors want plot summaries; others don't. Some want you to say outright if you recommend a book, but not others.
  
  
• Review the book you read -- not the book you wish the author had written.
  
  
• If this is the best book you have ever read, say so -- and why. If it's merely another nice book, say so.
  
  
• Include information about the author-- reputation, qualifications, etc. -- anything relevant to the book and the author's authority.
  
  
• Think about the person reading your review. Is this a librarian buying books for a collection? A parent who wants a good read-aloud? Is the review for readers looking for information about a particular topic, or for readers searching for a good read?
  
  
• Your conclusion should summarize, perhaps include a final assessment. Do not introduce new material at this point.
  
  
• To gain perspective, allow time before revising.

Writing a Fiction Book Review

Note: You don't have to answer every question -- they're suggestions!

Points to Ponder:

• What was the story about?
  
  
• Who were the main characters?
  
  
• Were the characters credible?
  
  
• What did the main characters do in the story?
  
  
• Did the main characters run into any problems? Adventures?
  
  
• Who was your favorite character? Why?

Your personal experiences

• Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?
  
  
• Have you ever done or felt some of the things, the characters did?

Your opinion

• Did you like the book?
  
  
• What was your favorite part of the book?
  
  
• Do you have a least favorite part of the book?
  
  
• If you could change something, what would it be? (If you wish you could change the ending, don't reveal it!)

Your recommendation

• Would you recommend this book to another person?
  
  
• What type of person would like this book?

Things to Bear in Mind:

Don't be intimidated by famous authors -- many have written mediocre books.

Don't review books by people you know, love, or hate.

Do you want to be a book reviewer? Start by doing. Write book reviews for local newspapers. If they don't have a book review section, start one.

If you have a specialty -- romance, mystery, dark fantasy -- cultivate it, become an expert.