Fighting for the soul of Rama
By Editor on July 20, 2009 4:41 pm / Permalink
The Hindu nationalist insistence on a single, authoritative version of the Ramayana contravenes the central tenet of Hinduism. In this edited extract from his new book, Offence: the Hindu Case, about vigilante censorship by Hindu nationalists, Salil Tripathi argues the historical and political case for defending the plurality of Hinduism.
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A masterpiece in miniature
By Editor on July 3, 2009 7:12 pm / Permalink
A poignant, compellingly rendered tale about a little man ajar with the world, Arzee the Dwarf is also a love letter to Bombay, to its alleys that, despite their filth, hold in them a quiet silence and beauty, to its decrepit buildings like the Noor, to its dusty suburbs. Rohit Chopra reviews Chandrahas Choudhury’s brilliant debut novel.
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Designing the digital tale
By Editor on June 9, 2009 8:26 am / Permalink
Narrative development is the key concern for readers, and should drive all design decisions, whether of visual or multimedia effects, screen layout, availability of menus, placement of links on text, or use of images as hotspots. Dr James Pope concludes his two-part series on digital storytelling.
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Twists in the digital tale
By Editor on May 25, 2009 10:06 am / Permalink
Fascinating and cutting-edge though the evolution of non-linear narratives is, digital interactive fiction has not really taken off commercially. Dr James Pope interacted with 36 readers of hypertext to find out what cut their pleasure short.
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Parsi fiction—a piece of fiction?
By Editor on April 30, 2009 12:51 am / Permalink
Is there such a thing as ‘Parsi writing’? Roshan G Shahani suggests that a less essentialist perspective might be more fruitful for critically examining the work of the writers gathered under that label.
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The sightseers
By Editor on February 19, 2009 9:49 pm / Permalink
Everywhere man has gone, a travel writer has followed. And after two millennia of travel writing, it is fair to ask: “What is left to say?” Dan Hogan wanders through the works of some backpacking heroes to understand what makes them special.
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The collective spectacle
By Editor on January 11, 2009 6:59 pm / Permalink
The media frenzy about the November 2008 Bombay attacks blurred event and spectacle. Amit Madheshiya explores the complex issues about memory, spectacle, and the iconicity of the Taj raised by the media coverage of the event.
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‘Communication is a vital element of change in any environment’
By Editor on December 8, 2008 11:20 pm / Permalink
Professor Emile McAnany is the Walter E. Schmidt, S. J., Professor of Communication at Santa Clara University. In this conversation with Rohit Chopra, he discusses his research in the area of communication for development and social change, the contested understandings of development that have shaped the history of the field, and the challenges involved in enabling social change through communication.
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