The Park51 mosque unmasks our irrationality
A majority of Americans are opposed to Park51, the proposed Islamic center at Ground Zero. Acknowledging the fears of critics of the center, writer and editor Parthiv Parekh explains why such a position goes against quintessential American ideals, widens the civilizational wedge between Islam and the U.S., and undermines our so-called fight against terrorism.
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A Murdochian gamble
Rupert Murdoch’s decision to charge users to access online news across his publications is his answer to the steep decline in advertising revenue this year. While it is appealing to try to turn millions of news surfers into paying customers, how realistic is that move? Angelica Jopson takes stock.
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An Indian under the Crown
An unfairly neglected figure, Dosebai Cowasjee Jessawalla has left a rich legacy in the form of an autobiography entitled The Story of My Life. Excavating this remarkable personal history from the Jessawalla family archives, Roshan G. Shahani illuminates the many dimensions of the text: as autobiography; as a history of the Parsi-British encounter during the Raj; as a fascinating travelogue; and as a recreation of nineteenth-century Bombay.
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What women shouldn’t read
Avoid the suggestions in most women’s magazines. Avoid books that promise to ‘empower’. Avoid writings that will help you ‘understand’ men. Mita Kapur argues a case for reading for your pleasure — not for that of the society.
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A Perfect Storm
Why is our news today a mile wide and an inch deep, on the face of it a huge offering but actually very shallow? Stephen Jukes, former global Head of News at Reuters, examines the shrinkage in traditional news in Britain and beyond.
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Fighting for the soul of Rama
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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Designing the digital tale
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
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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