As Media announced Kamala Das-Suraiya's death and dwelt on her literary achievements, there was an upsurge in her dormant popularity. No doubt she was a poet and a novelist of some repute but her fame rested on her autobiography,"My Story," hailed as the "most sensuous life-story ever written!" This book attracted attention, written as it was by the middle-class wife of a conservative officer working for the Reserve Bank of India. She pulled off a literary scoop of the year in 1976 simply because a poetess housewife dared to talk of her romantic obsessions rather boldly. In my opinion the book was a damp squib!
Soon after her death book lovers of a certain taste rushed to book stores to buy her masterpiece but they were dispirited after being told that the "Erotic Masterpiece" was out of print.I was able to fish out of my dust-laden book trove the now so much sought-after biography and another book by her, "Alphabet of Lust" described by blurbs as a lusty celebration of the pleasures of a "complete sexual surrender !"-whatever that means!
For me the pleasant discovery awaited inside the book-covers! The former book carried a pasted slip announcing that it was awarded as a prize to my dear daughter Sumita for standing "First" in English and Psychology, and for being the "Best Speaker of the Year" -- a great book worth Rs 8 in early eighties! The second book was a gift from a friend, of course of a female species, to my dear daughter Vinita on her birthday in 1981 !
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Well put...the same is true for painters......most buy a painting and pray for the painter to join his ancestors in the kingdom of heaven soon so that the painting value apprecaites multiple times! By the way I just realised that I have a bad habit of throwing away books I have read....so I will never be able to reflect like you did....Vikas
ReplyDeleteThanks Dad for mentioning me...i remember the time I got that as a prize...rather the college allowed me to select it...i dont think anyone in my conservative college had any idea what it was all about!Sumita
ReplyDeleteI like the way you turn around the external circumstance of the death of the author to focus on a personal discovery...That's what all great writing is about. It brought back the memory of college days...but do remind me please...which "friend, of course of a female species," was that? I like the way you still strive to protect my 'virtue'! Haha!But why have you paused? Keep writing....Vinita
ReplyDeleteDear Sir, perhaps propriety demands that one mentions that your style of writing and turn of the phrase in particular is awesome. What is absolutely intriguing is that you manage this with such ease and poise both in Hindi and in English. One got to read your columns and I must admit as an avid reader and student of literature that the zest with which you write and possibly lead life is quite inspiring to say the least. Your writeup on Kamala Das was evocative. Some of her observations match yours. Please do keep writing since one doesnt get to read too much of evocative writing
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