Manisha Gupta's Blog, page 2
February 13, 2018
Beauty of literature
“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald
Joe's Republic - the legacy of an idler
― F. Scott Fitzgerald
Joe's Republic - the legacy of an idler
January 20, 2018
DOING NOTHING CAN BE DECEPTIVE !
DOING NOTHING or nurturing an overwhelming dislike to all kinds of profitable labour, as Washington Irving wrote of his indolent hero Rip Van Winkle – can be deceptive.....
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the last prince of an ancient Sicilian line, appeared to do nothing for most of his life, an impression supported by his reserve and profound melancholy. But he was one of the most knowledgeable scholars of European literature, which he read in five or six languages, and in the last three years of his life he wrote one of the great works of the 20th century, The Leopard.
Lampedusa's biographer, David Gilmour, describes how no one who was attending a literary festival in northern Italy in his last years, had the slightest hint that this rather sluggish, taciturn man was working on a novel that would put them all in the shade by "the sensibility and experience distilled in his writing" and the rendering of "the central problems of the human experience." His life's work over, Lampedusa expired before he saw the book published to huge acclaim.
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the last prince of an ancient Sicilian line, appeared to do nothing for most of his life, an impression supported by his reserve and profound melancholy. But he was one of the most knowledgeable scholars of European literature, which he read in five or six languages, and in the last three years of his life he wrote one of the great works of the 20th century, The Leopard.
Lampedusa's biographer, David Gilmour, describes how no one who was attending a literary festival in northern Italy in his last years, had the slightest hint that this rather sluggish, taciturn man was working on a novel that would put them all in the shade by "the sensibility and experience distilled in his writing" and the rendering of "the central problems of the human experience." His life's work over, Lampedusa expired before he saw the book published to huge acclaim.
January 12, 2018
That vague feeling..
When I started writing, I was working full time, so I had to fit my writing into late nights and weekends. The whole time I had this sense of achievement. I dreamt that someday my writing will change the world. I laboured over my laptop till the wee hours of night typing away frantically 5000 words…20000….40000 …60000…100,000 …and every time I completed my book, I felt empty. Everyone congratulated me on my accomplishment, but I could never quite get past that feeling of vagueness. There is a difference….writing a book and waiting for its success….I guess there might have to be a few more novels first!
“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have
or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what
you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about
who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s
about what you’ve given back.” – Denzel Washington
“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have
or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what
you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about
who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s
about what you’ve given back.” – Denzel Washington
January 8, 2018
'Joe's Republic' launched !
Dear Friends
I am pleased to share with you, the heartening news of the release of my next novel – JOE’S REPUBLIC – the legacy of an idler.
After having written and edited more than two hundred pages and six drafts, I find myself stuck on this one! When it comes to writing acknowledgements, it is impossible to identify every single person who has helped me reach this point; nevertheless, all of you unequivocally played vital roles along the way.
It was around this time, three years back when Joe’s Republic was born jn the English Department of SFS, just like my previous ones. However, this one is the closest to my heart, and shall always remain so, since it is my last one that I penned as a teacher, before I switched profession.
When I started writing Joe’s Republic in the Autumn of 2014, I already had its protagonist in mind – an intriguingly eccentric male character. As a lady teacher, getting into the psyche of a man was a challenge that was daunting no doubt, but extremely stimulating. The mannerisms and gestures of the protagonist have been adapted from those of some of my ex-students. :)
If you wish to read, please visit the link below:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B078ST9CTQ
Here is a short prelude
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3oKN...
Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved penning it down :)
Thank you and love you all!
I am pleased to share with you, the heartening news of the release of my next novel – JOE’S REPUBLIC – the legacy of an idler.
After having written and edited more than two hundred pages and six drafts, I find myself stuck on this one! When it comes to writing acknowledgements, it is impossible to identify every single person who has helped me reach this point; nevertheless, all of you unequivocally played vital roles along the way.
It was around this time, three years back when Joe’s Republic was born jn the English Department of SFS, just like my previous ones. However, this one is the closest to my heart, and shall always remain so, since it is my last one that I penned as a teacher, before I switched profession.
When I started writing Joe’s Republic in the Autumn of 2014, I already had its protagonist in mind – an intriguingly eccentric male character. As a lady teacher, getting into the psyche of a man was a challenge that was daunting no doubt, but extremely stimulating. The mannerisms and gestures of the protagonist have been adapted from those of some of my ex-students. :)
If you wish to read, please visit the link below:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B078ST9CTQ
Here is a short prelude
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3oKN...
Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved penning it down :)
Thank you and love you all!
January 5, 2018
In the wee hours of early dawn
A crazy question crossed my mind while I was sitting
at my writing desk in the wee hours of early dawn
– “Why do you write?”
“Well, what kind of a question is that?”
But then this question did impel me to come up with
a justifiable answer, which is….
If I conk off tomorrow, people will at least know
about me by reading my books.
What would they know?
Basically that I was capable of being amusing and
entertaining…. I think the novel is an incredibly
intimate portrait of the writer - more intimate than
almost anything else in the world! I mean you do
enter the company of a writer for several hours
while you are reading a book…it
seldom happens in real life … so although I am not an
autobiographical writer I would say I am all over my
books!
at my writing desk in the wee hours of early dawn
– “Why do you write?”
“Well, what kind of a question is that?”
But then this question did impel me to come up with
a justifiable answer, which is….
If I conk off tomorrow, people will at least know
about me by reading my books.
What would they know?
Basically that I was capable of being amusing and
entertaining…. I think the novel is an incredibly
intimate portrait of the writer - more intimate than
almost anything else in the world! I mean you do
enter the company of a writer for several hours
while you are reading a book…it
seldom happens in real life … so although I am not an
autobiographical writer I would say I am all over my
books!
January 4, 2018
New Year Offer!
Greetings to all!
I am pleased to announce the New Year's Discount offer on the kindle version of my books -
Those who wish to read may visit -
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/bookshel...
Prodigy of Errors
For Dog’sssake!!!
The Highschool Backbenchers
Thank you! :)
I am pleased to announce the New Year's Discount offer on the kindle version of my books -
Those who wish to read may visit -
https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/bookshel...
Prodigy of Errors
For Dog’sssake!!!
The Highschool Backbenchers
Thank you! :)
December 30, 2017
HAPPY 2018 FRIENDS!
"Oh how delicious it is to roll over and go back to sleep, even if only for a moment": (Jerome K Jerome: "On being Idle")
As far as I can go down the memory lane, I cannot recall a winter like this… A winter when I had basked in the pleasures of lethargy and idleness…. primarily this blissful disengagement from duty and work…a joy which I could never achieve so magnificently throughout my working years… It may seem eccentric to my career-centric folks, but I am determined to take with me, into the year 2018, the strong conviction to do a lot more of ‘doing nothing’! Just read late in bed, dawdle in the lawns, meditate over the hung-over thoughts, stare into the sunsets, and write, write, write….
A VERY HAPPY AND A PROSPEROUS 2018, FRIENDS!
As far as I can go down the memory lane, I cannot recall a winter like this… A winter when I had basked in the pleasures of lethargy and idleness…. primarily this blissful disengagement from duty and work…a joy which I could never achieve so magnificently throughout my working years… It may seem eccentric to my career-centric folks, but I am determined to take with me, into the year 2018, the strong conviction to do a lot more of ‘doing nothing’! Just read late in bed, dawdle in the lawns, meditate over the hung-over thoughts, stare into the sunsets, and write, write, write….
A VERY HAPPY AND A PROSPEROUS 2018, FRIENDS!
December 28, 2017
Amazing philosophy!
To an author of unread books, nothing can be more inspiring than this:
“Umberto Eco is the owner of a large personal library of almost 30,000 books that he has not read. To him, ‘read books’ are far less valuable than unread ones.” -Nassim Nicholas Taleb (The Black Swan)
Taleb uses legendary Italian writer Umberto Eco’s uncommon relationship with books and reading as a parable of the most fruitful relationship with knowledge:
The writer Umberto Eco belongs to that small class of scholars who are encyclopedic, insightful, and non-dull. He is the owner of a large personal library (containing thirty thousand books), and separates visitors into two categories: those who react with “Wow! Signore professore dottore Eco, what a library you have! How many of these books have you read?” and the others — a very small minority — call it encyclopedia of imaginary lands!
“Umberto Eco is the owner of a large personal library of almost 30,000 books that he has not read. To him, ‘read books’ are far less valuable than unread ones.” -Nassim Nicholas Taleb (The Black Swan)
Taleb uses legendary Italian writer Umberto Eco’s uncommon relationship with books and reading as a parable of the most fruitful relationship with knowledge:
The writer Umberto Eco belongs to that small class of scholars who are encyclopedic, insightful, and non-dull. He is the owner of a large personal library (containing thirty thousand books), and separates visitors into two categories: those who react with “Wow! Signore professore dottore Eco, what a library you have! How many of these books have you read?” and the others — a very small minority — call it encyclopedia of imaginary lands!
