Friday, May 16, 2008
Talk Books
I am a latecomer to the blogosphere. A few years ago, (is that ages in this world?) somebody asked me whether I knew about blogging. "Is that some kind of bluffing?" I wondered. Now I'm trying to get a feel of it. Would love to see comments about books because I never made a very conscious choice in whatever I read so far. Now I want to develop better reading habits. Which books should we choose to read if we were given an either or option -- the classics or the new bestsellers?
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Obvisously, new books. The old ones could be a gem. Still the new books that are written well are important for our generation of people so that we can look forward to a future with more immediacy and confidence than we can by reading the classics.
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Posted Sunday, April 20, 2008 12:00 PM
Bloggers Talk Books
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by Katherine Evans // UNC-Chapel Hill
It's where new media meets old-school paper pages: the book blog. Below are some of our favorite spots to read people writing about reading. With any luck, you'll find some new picks for your Facebook profile before fall semester, because seriously, "The Kite Runner" is so 2003.
Blog of a Bookslut
A cheeky, comprehensive and very popular blog from Jessa Crispin, editor-in-chief of the Bookslut website. Tons of book-related news and reviews of current literature.
The Old Hag
Writer and editor Lizzie Skurnick provides exuberat book reviews, "Speedreader" plot summaries and book-related contests. Check out the "Miscellany" sidebar for link to highfalutin articles that will help you impress (or draw the ire of) your classmates in that lit seminar.
The Elegant Variation
Okay, so the blog name is a little fussy, but we're talking about literature, aren't we? Writer Mark Sarvas provides interviews with writers, book reviews, lists of literary events and general insights on the writing life.
Critical Mass
From the board of directors of the National Book Critics Circle, a blog that focuses on techniques of literary criticism and the ins and outs of the publishing world. Look here also for interviews with up-and-coming writers.
Backspin, Web, Books
A total of 33.22 per cent women are representated in Nepal's first constituent assembly.
For the first time, women from the grassroots level are drafting the constitution.
May be they are illiterate and have no experiences of the legal process but they understand the real need of the people of grassroots level and could raise voices for their kind, who are a suffering lot.
When we talk of books, we should not just talk about reading books. Writing books for Nepali women, for example, could be more important and useful. The debate about classics versus bestsellers may be misplaced because we need to draw on the past experiences, from the great classics that gave us theories as well as the bestsellers that help us keep things in their proper perspectives now and help us in taking a future course of action.
But my point is we have to encourage writers to produce useful books for those who have been deprived of the opportunity to read and write but are still doing great. Our duty will be to help them, the women and the backward community people of developing countries. No classic or bestseller is necessary for them at the moment. Read about them, write about them, enable them to express and build their destiny with the required and relevant knowledge for them.
Here is why. The power in Nepal has always rested with men. Even this time men will have the upper hand. But that is beside the point.
Talking about the present CA, of the total 29 female members who emerged victorious in the elections to the CA from first past the post electoral method, 23 of them are from the CPN-Maoist party. The number is the highest among the parties that fielded female candidates who won in the elections. The party had fielded 42 female candidates under the first-past-the post (FPTP) lot. Two female candidates on behalf of Nepali Congress and one on behalf of CPN-UML won the election under the direct system. They had fielded 26 and 27 female candidates under the FPTP lot respectively.
Two female candidates won on behalf of Madeshi Janadhikar Forum while one female candidate won the election on behalf of Terai Madesh Loktantrik Party under the FPTP lot. They had fielded three and four female candidates respectively under the lot.
From the proportional system, the CPN-Maoist provided the highest number of seats to women representatives. Out of 100 seats, 50 are women, among them 10 are from Terai community, 14 are from indigenous , five are from Terai indigenous group, five are from marginalised group, two are from backward group while 14 others from other groups.
Similarly, Nepali Congress nominated 36 women out of 73 total seats. Among the total 36 women representatives, 10 from indigenous community, three from Terai indigenous, four are from dalit, six from Madeshi, one from Madeshi dalit, one from backward community while 11 from other groups.
Out of 67 total seats CPN-UML nominated 35 women representatives. Among them, eight from Madeshi community, 10 from indigenous group, three from dalit, one from Madeshi Janjati, one from Madeshi Dalit, one from backward community while They are 11 from other different groups.
Madeshi Janadhikar Forum nominated 11 women representatives out of 22. Among them, six are from Madeshi, three from Madeshi Dalit while two are from Madeshi Janajati group.
Terai Madesh Loktantrik Party selected three women out of 11 seats and all the three women are from Madeshi community.
Similarly, Rastrya Prajatantra Party selected three women out of six allocated for the party. Among them, one is nominated from indigenous group, one from indigenous group from Terai while one represents other group.
A total of 55 parties took part in the election, in which 3970 candidates, including 367 women and 3,580 men were in the fray for FPTP election.
The Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007 has the provision for 33 per cent representation of women in all state agencies.
Other Half of the Society: Backward Caste and Politics of Bihar
Bihar in India is most difficult place to live in and it has a rich cultural history. Its educational brilliance, its role in freedom struggle etc are noted in a book of the above title. No doubt, it was one of the best administered State in 1950s, as the Appleby Report and other reports speak of, but it has undergone a sea change in the last fifty years, which also has its bearing on the backward castes of the State. There is a clear need to understand the on going process of social transformation of backward caste (39% of the total State population) in context of Bihar. The introductory chapter gives a bird's eyes view about the Indian caste system including the meaning of backward castes in different contexts. What is the nature of social mobility among the weaker sections of the State has been discussed in mobilization of backward castes. It also describes the role played by different castes associations in achieving higher socio-economic, educational and political status during pre-independence and post-independence. Struggle for their betterment resulted in constitution of Mungerilal Commission to suggest various measures for their upliftment including formulation of reservation policy for the State Government services as well as education (including welfare measures), so that their energy could be channelised in the right direction for diluting the aggressiveness of these caste groups for overall development of the State. In the end of the book, lists of backward castes of Bihar along with office orders have been appended for practical purpose.
Maybe books and studies of the above kind are necessary for the people of developing world generally, and Nepal, as expressed in a blog.
Why don't you guys go to www.questia.com/library/book/ competing-equalities-law-and-the-backward-classes-in-india-by-marc-galanter.jsp
Read the complete book Competing Equalities: Law and the Backward Classes in India by becoming a questia.com member. Choose a membership plan and off you go ...
What do you think about this book: Here is a review I stumbled on the net.
In his memoir Dishwasher Pete Jordan writes about the twelve years he spent pursuing his unusual goal, to wash dishes professionally in all fifty U.S. states. Pete's quest landed him in plenty of run-of-the-mill diners and restaurants, but he also sought out unusual gigs whenever possible. He writes about dishing on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, and at a commune in the Ozarks. He washed dishes for snobs at a ski resort in the Rockies, and he worked salmon season at an Alaskan cannery. He "dished kosher" at a Jewish retirement home.
[INSET TEXT: And in most restaurants dishwashers have access to a steady stream of table scraps, which is likewise perfect for a guy who'd rather save his pennies than squander them on undefiled foodstuffs.] Dishing was the perfect job for Pete, a sort of cheapskate slacker whose idea of the good life was a rootless, near possession-less existence. Dishwashing jobs are easy to get and easier to quit--perfect for a guy who can't stay put in one place for more than a few months. And in most restaurants dishwashers have access to a steady stream of table scraps, which is likewise perfect for a guy who'd rather save his pennies than squander them on undefiled foodstuffs. Pete spent his dishwashing years traveling the country, crashing on friends' couches, freeganing out of the "dish tub buffet," and quitting jobs the moment--often quite literally--the urge to do so struck.
The surprising twist in Pete's story is that he became something of a celebrity. He started a zine dedicated to dishwashing, a staple-and-Xerox affair, which grew, incredibly enough, to have some ten thousand subscribers. He eventually attracted the attention of publishers, whose advances he rebuffed once he'd gotten a free meal from them, and even the producers of the Letterman show, on which he didn't quite manage to appear. It wasn't until Pete had hung up his dishrag for good that he seriously considered writing a book about dishing.
It's always interesting to learn about the inner workings of unfamiliar subcultures. Each has its own hierarchies and jargon and rules for acceptable behavior. Prior to reading Jordan's book it hadn't even occurred to me that there was a dishwashing subculture, but I'm happy to have been introduced to it. Jordan's descriptions of the process of dishwashing are interesting--I'm always fascinated to learn how people organize their work. And the characters he encounters while hopping from restaurant to restaurant can make for good reading:
"Most of my interaction at the restaurant was limited to the patriarch, the old man who paid me every week in a bizarre ritual. I'd stop by the restaurant during the afternoon lull. The old-timer would go to the register, count out some cash and then motion me to follow him into the corner of the dining room. He'd glance over his shoulder and scan the empty restaurant to make sure we weren't being watched. Satisfied that the scene was secure, he'd grab my hand, jam a clump of fives and ones into it and then force my fingers to make a fist around the dough."
But about halfway through, the book loses steam. The dishwashing-related historical snippets with which Jordan peppers his narrative are on the whole uninteresting. And the recitation of Jordan's own doings could have been pruned to make for a tighter read.
Hey,thanks. It is so encouraging. Some of you took time to post stuff related with "books" despite the danger that the new media users just not bother to care about the talks on the old media. But no. There are sites, there are people, there are clubs, and for some, there is a business to do by giving a glimpse or two of a book to sell it for profit. I know there is no free lunch. But there is a pleasure in giving what you have to those who need it, in helping people to get a chance to know what many of their lucky brothers and sisters know, about issues, agendas, and blah blahs of the modern world. If this blogspot could be used for that less common purpose in the world of Internet, that would be great and helpful. More postings on books, reading and writing are welcome.
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