We are living in a glass bubble Constantly looking for germs Washing hands with lotion Brushing teeth Wearing socks and shoes Also, worrying about athlete’s foot Washing all the fruits and vegetables With special anti-bacterial waters Swallowing follow up pills. A…
Month: October 2014
Yalla Achuta Ramayya. Freedom in the Cage
(Translated by Sharada, Australia) “Parvati! You are hardly twenty years old. Your beauty is totally wasted, like the moonlight on a forest. Come with me. I will show you, what it is like to be alive. to be happy. I…
Narayanarao by Adivi Bapiraju – a recollection by S. Narayanaswamy
This is neither a literary criticism nor a learned analysis of this classic novel. It is a reader’s fond recollection of his life-long association with this wonderful work of fiction. It is a personal attempt to define my fascination with…
Sripathi. The Enemy.
(Translated by B. Indira) Cinnodu stood with the empty bucket after pouring the cane extract into the container. Jagganna sat close to the fire, which had been cooking the sugarcane extract, to warm himself. His eyelids were dropping under heavy…
Nori Narasimha Sastry’s views on History and Historical Novel
Nori Narasimha Sastry discussed history and historical fiction at length n a couple of essays. He put forth enormous amount of information in support of his theory that our way of studying our history if faulty. In the process he…
DWIVEDULA VISALAKSHI: A STORYTELLER WITH FLAIR by Nidadavolu Malathi
In the nineteen sixties, women writers dominated the field of fiction in Andhra Pradesh. Visalakshi is one of those writers, who have captured large readership because of their ability to tell stories with charismatic elegance. Historically, as a part of…
Andallu and the Onions by I. V. S. Atchyutavalli
Andallu stood before the mirror, tucked a huge bunch of roses in her long braid, and finished the braid with the gold bells tying tightly at the end. Rolling her big beautiful eyes all over the image in the mirror,…
All this, Just For You! by Nidadavolu Malathi
Snowstorm is blasting away! Trees and cars on the street are barely visible. Dharani is sitting by the window and watching the blast. “Thank goodness it is Sunday,” she told herself for the fourth time. Or else, it would have…
LIFE AS A RITUAL By Nidadavolu Malathi
Sitapati took his wife Sita to the restaurant on their sixteenth anniversary per local custom. Sita is watching the people around. There are about 2 or 3 at each table- a young couple, an old man and his wife, a…
SHORTCHANGING FEMINISM by Nidadavolu Malathi
“You held me tight in your strong arms.” Sita was sitting in the living room holding the 8-page letter Gayatri wrote to Sita’s husband Sitapati. The letter left a bad taste in her mouth. Her face turned pale. Sitapati has…