Happy New Year and welcome to the SIXTH anniversary issue of Spark! This issue, we celebrate the year that went by and the year that awaits us by paying tribute to the “Human Spirit”, and honouring the small and big acts of courage, kindness and hope that keep humanity alive. Through art, fiction, non-fiction, poetry and photography, we capture the essence of human spirit that we hope sustains through 2016 too.
Satyam Pati’s poem is about that unwavering soul inside all of us which dares. It celebrates our ability to face great odds and still stand tall.
Be it capturing the spirit of the city, telling inspiring life stories of people or spreading positivity by aiding social causes, city-themed Facebook pages in India are becoming wonderful platforms that bring the human spirit to the fore. The people behind Humans of Bombay, Humans of Bangalore and Humans of Madras talk to Anupama Krishnakumar about what it means to be running inspiring Facebook pages that have transformed the way people look at the life of a person on the street.
December 2015 has been an unforgettable month for the people of Tamil Nadu, with the unprecedented floods wreaking havoc and the collective spirit of the state countering it heroically. But, what of the unexpungable traces it leaves? Here’s Bhargavi Chandrasekharan’s account of coping with utter low of the disaster through the artistic explorations of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sanjay Subrahmanyan.
Girija Murali paints folded hands – a gesture that captures myriad emotions of the Indian spirit.
Vani Viswanathan talks about how, after working with Spark contributors on their submissions, the editors plough through their own contributions for the month, often attempting to surmount the infamous “writer’s block”!
It takes courage to be kind. Most people fear to go all the way with their kindness, either because they feel they may be taken advantage of, or they feel the recipient won’t appreciate the gesture. Jyothi Vinod tells the story of a boy who helps his parents understand themselves and their intentions in a clearer, larger perspective.
When Chennai was hit by rains unprecedented in decades, its people swung into action, helping neighbours, cooking, cleaning and spreading the word on behalf of people who required assistance. Madanish, one of these proud Chennaiites, talks about his little contribution to helping the city find its feet. Text and pictures from Madanish.
Early settlers in Iceland, particularly those who survived the extreme environment are fine examples of indomitable human spirit. Inspired by the basalt columns and caves created by major seismic upheavals in Iceland, Bakul Banerjee writes a poem.