Through two poems, Anuradha Majumdar brings to life, the scenes from streets in the city of Kolkata. In both the poems, the daily tensions in a street are juxtaposed with lightness. The second poem, in particular, describes the daily anger, despair and hilarity that spread through pavements, people, traffic, animals and shops that fill a street.
Sudha Nair’s story depicts the insecurities and uncertainties of life on the street. A street vendor finds his life take an unexpected twist after a chance encounter.
In three small poems, Vinita Agrawal conjures images of poverty that rules the streets, while also gently touching upon the economic disparity that exists within the society.
THE LOUNGE | TURN OF THE PAGE Rajat Chaudhuri is unafraid to tether his narratives to the realities that slide in between the comfort zones of our everyday world….He writes like a painter, says RK Biswas, in her review of Chaudhuri’s book, ‘Hotel Calcutta’ that revolves around a century-old hotel in Kolkata.
THE LOUNGE | SLICE OF LIFE In a reflective piece, Anupama Krishnakumar draws from her observations of old people, specifically those aged above 75 years and wonders what it means to go through old age. In the process, she shares what she has seen of their behavior and the thoughts that dominate their minds.
Click here to buy the print copy of Spark’s March 2013 issue themed ‘Woman : Facets and Forms’.
As summer sets in with full force, we are delighted to bring you an issue that we are sure will make you salivate – presenting, Spark’s April issue ‘Celebrating Food’! We’re also excited because this is our 40th issue! Through a series of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and art, we explore the various sides of food: cooking, fond memories and longing for certain kinds of food, and some thought-provoking incidents that surround the most vital component to a healthy life, food. Our special feature focuses on an interesting topic – food photography. We also have The Lounge which gives you the usual fare on music, books and spirituality. Click here to access the April 2013 issue on the e-reader, ISSUU.
A picture can speak a thousand words, we have heard, and when the subject of the photograph is something that is most fundamental for life to sustain and thrive, it gets all the more interesting. For, when a photograph is that of food, it just doesn’t stop with telling the world about the dish’s existence but stirs in its audience a range of diverse emotions – from being enticed to smitten to feeling the hunger pangs. Anupama Krishnakumar attempts to demystify the charming world of food photography by speaking to food bloggers, Soma Rathore (www.ecurry.com) and Chinmayie Bhat (www.love foodeat.com) and Divya Yadava, food photographer and culinary consultant (www.divyayadava.com).
