A Library of One’s Own
Imagine a weatherproofed box of books outside a house where anyone is free to stop by and pick up a book, drop off a book, or just browse. It is such a charming idea, and seems so community-minded and friendly....
Reality Bites
Rehoming books in Bangalore
‘I have all kinds of medical problems’, said the middle-aged lady. ‘Swollen foot, bad knees, stomach problems… and the doctors said there was nothing they can do!’ She was pleased to find a copy of Home Remedies by TV Sairam...
Shattering Ceilings
First woman Vice-President. First black woman Vice-President. First Indian-American Vice-President. First daughter of immigrants to be elected Vice-President. And what a fantastic speech she gave! Calm, confident, capable, tough, conscious of her roots, a special call-out to black women, a...
Quarantine Art
Limited sources Quarantine stretches forward With weekends to fill. Slices of tree trunk. A grove of bamboo nearby. Calder-esque notions.
Food Art
My mother has exactly the same breakfast every day. One boiled egg (for protein), 3 olives (for sodium and good fat), and a piece of ham (also protein), with toast on the side. Last fall while she was recovering from...
The Post Office
For decades our local Bangalore post office remained unchanged, growing more and more decrepit. By 2017 the whitewash had long since faded, there were holes in the roof, and the lighting inside was provided by a few faint bulbs. Most...
Pondicherry Bikers
Pondi is full of women on scooters and cycles. In other Indian cities too there are plenty of women drivers, but in Pondi it seemed like a quarter to a third of the two-wheelers were driven by women. There are...
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