THE LOUNGE | MUSIC CAFÉ “Music and literature are like twins warring for attention in an artist’s mind,” says Jessu, as she traces a phase of the relationship that music and writing had with each other in her life.
A woman who has had a difficult and challenging past, chooses to relieve herself of bitterness by opting to forget and forgive, and move on. Jessu John writes a poem inspired from the single ‘Better Days’ by the Goo Goo Dolls. The poem combines fantasy and a few Biblical references including that of the story of ‘Balaam and his Donkey’, to paint the picture of a woman who doesn’t fall too hard for or entirely disbelieve traditional faith.
It’s highly likely you have, in the recent past, come across a lone person on the road running, earphones on, pushing themselves forward with determination. Running is fast picking up in India, and many are signing up to run in various categories that are being held regularly across various Indian cities – and some venture abroad too. Many runners also choose to tie their runs to a cause they are passionate about. Vani Viswanathan gets talking to three such runners: Ram Viswanathan, founder-president of Chennai Runners, Ajay Gupta of Team Asha, and Jessu John, who, within seven months of starting to run long distance, is getting ready to run her first half marathon and raise funds for a charity through it. Spark is delighted to support them in their cause – please see the end of the article for the fundraising links of the three runners.
THE LOUNGE | THE MUSIC CAFE Jessu John likes to listen to Western (English) music and her tastes aren’t restricted to one particular genre. In her piece for The Music Café, she talks about different kinds of English music that have appealed to her over the years. Music is inextricably linked to Jessu’s life, particularly her writing, as she reveals in this piece.
Kāruṇyam | What happens when two very close friends who have always been there for each other have an ‘unspoken love’ between them? They restrain confessing their love to each other worrying about a tragic heartbreak, in the process living with heartbreak every day. Jessu John writes a poem that captures the rasa, Kāruṇyam (Tragedy).