I've decided to close The Sideways Door.
Even up to the time I wrote the column at the end of January, I had no idea I meant to, so soon. I had said in an earlier column that the month in which I get no responses is the month in which the Sideways Door will close.
As it happened, I didn't wait for that disaster.
I don't have one reason why; just a state of mind that makes it difficult to produce words and a general fatigue will thinking up prompts. It seemed like the right time - to leave when people will miss something.
So this door's closed, but you know what they say about doors and windows. Thanks to all those who wrote, shared, read and enjoyed (I hope) the columns and the poetry.
Even up to the time I wrote the column at the end of January, I had no idea I meant to, so soon. I had said in an earlier column that the month in which I get no responses is the month in which the Sideways Door will close.
As it happened, I didn't wait for that disaster.
I don't have one reason why; just a state of mind that makes it difficult to produce words and a general fatigue will thinking up prompts. It seemed like the right time - to leave when people will miss something.
So this door's closed, but you know what they say about doors and windows. Thanks to all those who wrote, shared, read and enjoyed (I hope) the columns and the poetry.
3 comments:
That's a real bummer. Your column was kind of an oddity and an anachronism in the general Indian media landscape - and for me, that is what made it special.
Guess the Daily O is going to be more cricket and politics.
I may not have submitted poems for every prompt but followed it every month, and that's mainly because i had been unable to write or sit to write something worth-reading. But later, whenever i got time, developed them and happy enough to say that a couple of poems has been published in some good magazines. Ma'am i will always be thankful to you for giving a push to write and your honest analysis did help improving the skill. Have read your books and will always look up to you for inspiration. My best wishes!
km: A [Space Bar] Oddity, yay! Oddly enough, I never read TDO except to check if my column turned out ok for line breaks etc.
punya: Thank you so much for saying this. Part of the fatigue was wondering whether there was any point in continuing to offer a prompt when there were so few submissions. Not that I'd have been able to include everything if there were plenty of poems, but still! I'm glad you wrote regardless of deadlines and poems found homes in journals. That's the best possible outcome of a column like TSD was.
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