A City of Endless Rebirths

All cities and urban spaces are works in the making.  Perhaps,  some more than others. To read the history of Delhi (or the many histories of many Delhis) is to read the history of a  nation, 

… Continue reading “Delhi Reborn: Unveiling the City Through a Historian’s Lens”

These are the kinds of questions that Hari TN wrestles with on evening walks, or late at night, when shafts of moonlight seep through curtains: Why does the velocity of light stay constant in different frames of reference?

… Continue reading “Journeying With Curiosity: The Life and Lessons of Hari TN”

From 1998 to 2008, Akshaya Bahibala was lighting up joints, swigging beer and rum, then smoking a few more joints, and so on till “[one] day you look at a calendar by mistake. You realize you have lost a lot of years smoking and rolling,

… Continue reading “Tripping Through Time and Uncommon Spaces”

In her Introduction to Heartburn, Nora Ephron, observes how women novelists are often diminished for borrowing stuff from their own lives. Often, with the aspersion that their novels are memoirs, “thinly disguised.” It’s not as if male writers do not rake through the skeletal remains of past marriages or other story-worthy life events.

… Continue reading “Nora Ephron’s Recipe for a Second Marriage (And a Second Breakup)”

Sometimes all it takes to retreat into a forgotten childhood is to pick up a children’s book. The Case of the Missing Turtles brings back the thrilling vibes once evoked by the Five Find-Outers (one of Enid Blyton’s mystery series that had many of us conjuring mysteries in our own humdrum backyards).

… Continue reading “Shelled Secrets: Unraveling Mysteries in Modern India”

Overcoming Obstacles, Charting Paths

Sandra Gail Lambert was only 10 years old when she realized that she would have to forge her own pathway through an unfriendly world. The obstacle she confronted then was a physical one,

… Continue reading “Moxie on Wheels: Voyaging with Sandra Gail Lambert”

Marwari Warmth, A Young Apprentice

Nidhi Nahata grew up in a Mumbai Marwari household, infused with the sounds and smells of rich, homemade foods: “Khaana with a lot of ghee, even the paneer,

… Continue reading “Spreading Vegan Vibes: Nidhi Nahata’s Recipe for Success”

For those who wish to pick up this book, let me start with the ritual “spoiler alert.” I’d also like to add, that to uncover “who’s done it?” is probably not the only reason to read this.

… Continue reading “Shining a Light on Crime and Caste”

Heaving Debt and Doubts

Karthika Annamalai was only two years old when her father died. Stories swirl, to date, about the cause of his death. Relatives on Amma’s side insist he was murdered.

… Continue reading “From Adversity to Advocacy: Karthika Annamalai’s Incredible Journey”

All our lives, however ordinary or otherwise, are imbued with a sense of drama. But it takes a certain kind of eye to observe the humdrum and distill it to a riveting, stage-worthy performance. Vijay Padaki,

… Continue reading “Dramatizing Bangalore’s Social Landscape: Vijay Padaki’s Theatrical Reflections”

Neema Avashia grew up in an America that wasn’t typically inhabited by folks like her. West Virginia wasn’t where most Indian Americans headed. Asians constituted a miniscule 0.5 % of the population in a state that birthed televangelists and country singers.

… Continue reading “Chemicals and Basketball: Navigating Identity in Appalachia”

Those of us who see ourselves as being lifelong learners would do well to read Michael Roth’s dive into the history and makeup of students. Roth, who is currently the President of Wesleyan University and a Professor,

… Continue reading “Dissecting Students: Insights from a Scholar”

A question is often posed of a new friend or potential life partner: are you a beach or mountain person? The answer perhaps is immaterial, but the question might be trying to uncover something else: how do you handle change?

… Continue reading “Peak Revelations: Navigating Life in Never Never Land”

In 1936, Mahatma Gandhi had been besotted by the post-monsoon greens of Sandur in Bellary. And affixed it with a touristy descriptor: “See Sandur in September.” Vasudhendra, the widely feted Kannada author of Mohanaswamy,

… Continue reading “Vasudhendra’s Chronicles: From Sandur’s Greens to Literary Triumphs”

Meraki is a Greek word. It means doing something with passion, attentiveness and care. Yosha Gupta certainly pours herself into the startup she’s created, as does her 17-member team, and the artists they support on  MeMeraki.

… Continue reading “Yosha Gupta: Founding An Enterprise With Soul”

In Notes on a Marriage, Carvalho observes that it’s not just weddings, but even marriages that are performative. Anju and Freddo have been married for (gasp!) twenty years, but she still acts out in his presence.

… Continue reading “Performing Love: The Inner Workings of a Marriage”

Uncles, Aunties and Banter on Buses

In If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai, Srinath Perur subverts the common trope of a travel writer. Instead of traveling alone, or to rarely explored,

… Continue reading “Translating Worlds: Srinath Perur’s Journey from Bytes to Books”

Reading this book by Upamanyu Chatterjee at a time when the world is rocked by wars, the ever-throbbing threats of climate change and new pandemics feels like an entry into a mindfulness retreat. A zone where small changes feel as significant,

… Continue reading “Journeying from Silence To Life’s Bustle”

What Prompted Dear Men

Prachi Gangwani had an unusual insider’s take on Indian relationships. As a “sex and relationships” columnist for an online women’s lifestyle magazine, she probably read a barrage of comments.

… Continue reading “Unmasking Men: Insights Into Indian Relationships”

Dosa Debates with Paati

Vidya Madhavan’s  Paati  (grandmom) was a fierce and opinionated woman. Growing up in a joint family in Bombay (now Mumbai), in a typically cramped household, Vidya recognizes that many of her thoughts and values were shaped by her grandparents.

… Continue reading “A Founder’s Journey to Creating Meme Magic”