Thursday, September 24, 2009

potpourri post

I'm tempted to put a picture of a spinning top or something here and leave (it at that). But I won't, because a) it doesn't do to repeat oneself and b) it's not that I don't have things to blog about; just not enough time to lay them all out post by post.

So I'm going to do what Ludwig usually does.

1. Last things first: Some people are calling this a Lit Spat. I think that's a bit of a misnomer. If Bal had a larger point to make it is so large as to be invisible.

2. This is much better. Seriously.

These days, the debate over how to write about reading is a cold affair: a de-militarized zone. I avoid the terms literature and criticism here, and perhaps even debate is too hifalutin a word to describe what has amounted to a decades-long pissing match between creative writers and critics. The current steely silence is evidence only of empty bladders; the combatants have become preoccupied with internal skirmishes.

( the editors of the Quarterly Conversation respond to the essay). [via 3qd]

3. My recent hang-outs include: The Green Light Dhaba, The Plastic Graduate, The Last Resort (what is it with the kids? Why was I not like that?). Also a German blog that I just like to read, even if I can't understand a damn thing. And Sarah Jane.

4. By now everyone knows about Steve McCurry's blog, right? I think I landed up at Tom Pietrasik's blog from there. (while we're on the subject of photographs, go see Sydney chez BM).

5. There's something I'm forgetting, but not sure what. Will return to update, maybe, but mostly this should keep everyone occupied until I return (which is likely to be mid-November or thereabouts).

6. Oh, ya - I remembered. Don't forget to check out Mint's new Free Verse page every Saturday. Can't remember the last time a newspaper published poetry. So far there's Anjum Hasan (better read the poem here, since it's terribly formatted on livemint and not fixed yet), Chandrahas Choudhury, Aseem Kaul and Vivek Narayanan. Yay for Mint and a special thanks to Chandrahas, who has pushed hard for this.

7 comments:

Hari Batti said...

Thanks for the plug!

This post is full of interesting links. I've already wasted half my lunch break on it. Oh dear...

HB

Ludwig said...

> 1. Last things first:

Oh my. I had so much fun scanning up and down that list of comments and seeing so many familiars. Thanks much for this link!

km said...

That kid-blogger is ELEVEN years old. Impressive.

Cheshire Cat said...

In mathematics, there is only one way of being wrong. Bal must relish being wrong in so many ways at once...

Phantasmagoria said...

Ooo. Thanks for all the links. Good way to spend Friday instead of moping around the house. Like I had initially planned.

And in weird coincidence. You know someone I know. In REAL life even.

Not that kid Ludwig. Another one.

Space Bar said...

HB: You're welcome. And glad to have reset your day!

Ludwig: I am going to get you a rubber stamp made with your man's words on it.

km: I know, right. I get a retrospective complex when I read these blogs.

cat: I'm sure he does. That, and the number of comments he's gathered.

Ph: I hope you're going to tell me who you're talking about! This is a bad repayment for making your Friday - I wil die of the suspense!

wordjunkie said...

Thanks for the link to the Bal post.. haven't read anything this entertaining in a while.

And articulate little Saleem is surely Mridula Koshy's son...