A Shakespeare Celebration – Apr 12, 2019

First Folio printed posthumously  in 1623 by fellow actors John Hemming and Henry Condell – 750 copies were printed, 235 survive today

For our annual Shakespeare event in the month of his birth (and death) we had the privilege of two of our staunch members from former times attending as guests: Talitha and Indira. This year it was also marked sadly by the first anniversary of the death of Bobby Paul George, who founded the Kochi Reading Group in 2005. His intellectual curiosity and love of literature infected those who attended early meetings. We continue to remake his legacy.

Geetha, Talitha, Indira

Everyone appreciated the added learning and insights brought in by our guests, and expressed the hope they could attend oftener, perhaps gracing poetry sessions, such as our Romantic Poets celebration in August.

Coat of Arms obtained for William's father, John Shakespeare, Glover, of Stratford-upon-Avon

William Shakespeare, the Player, applied and obtained this coat of arms for his father in 1596 from the College of Heralds in London. The central shield has a spear going through it. Joe, re-imagining it as a quill pen, adopted it for use as the Favicon, or website icon, of the KRG blog, as you will see in the tab of the browser at the top.

KumKum, Devika

Meanwhile news arrives that the theatre historian, Geoffrey Marsh, has identified the address in London where William Shakespeare lived at the height of his powers in 1598: 35 Great St. Helen's Street, hard by the modern landmark called the Gherkin.

1598 St Helens tax record, listing John Robinson the Younger, Prymme/Pryn and William Shakespeare

The attendance was at its best; thirteen were present, and two remote readers who could not attend submitted voice files. It has become routine now to con-celebrate birthdays with KRG readings. We had WS and Shoba to thank for an April birthday and the following goodies were on hand for Shakespeare’s 455th birth anniversary: kinnathappam and veg cutlets (Hemjit), barfi (Talitha), cake (Shoba), and pati sapta (KumKum).

Cake, Kinnathappam, Pati Sapta, Veg Cutlets

Kavita, Priya, Hemjit, KumKum

Zakia, Priya, KumKum, Devika

Here is the group at the end of a long but exhilarating session:

(Standing) Geetha, Devika, Kavita, Shoba, Zakia, Indira, Talitha, KumKum, Thommo, Priya (Sitting) Arundhaty, Hemjit, Joe

Philip Roth – American Pastoral, Mar 29, 2019

American Pastoral - first edition cover 1997

American Pastoral is Philip Roth’s twentieth work of fiction. In this work Roth introduced Nathan Zuckerman as a narrator and it continued for two other other novels in a trilogy; previously Zuckerman was himself a character in novels, with a marked similarity to Roth.

Group with Priya at back carrying grand-daughter, Anusha

The novel intends to portray the fulfilment of the American dream of having a perfect family, a house in the suburbs, prosperity, and a feeling of patriotic pride in America. The chief character, Swede Levov, has fought in WWII, returned to work in his father's business of glove-making and prospered, treating his workers fairly. He acquired a beauty queen as wife along the way.

KumKum, Devika, Geetha, Gopa

The novel is all about the shattering of the dream. Their only daughter, Merry, becomes caught up in the protest movement of the sixties against America's murderous involvement in the Vietnam War. She takes the extreme step of bombing a peaceful neighbourhood and killing an innocent doctor, and then following up with two more bombings.

Priya & Thommo having cake and sandwiches

Zakia smiling

The father-daughter relationship is severely tested. It spans several decades but if feels as though such things could happen in today's world too, racked with violence as it is, and unjustifiable wars by the powerful against the weak. In the latter half of the novel Swede, patient and understanding as a father, finds he is out of his league in the disorder and mayhem of sixties America.

Zakia, KumKum, Devika

All this is compounded with a dash of Jainism and Sallekhana (voluntary fasting to death) as Merry lives in squalor, while suburban adultery infects Arcadian America. All of it leaves Swede Levov unmoored from the staid rules he has followed throughout his life. How to make sense and cope.

Joe, Devika, Geetha, Shoba, Gopa, KumKum, Zakia, Thommo at the end - missing are Priya, Arundhaty, guest Papri, and Pamela who had to leave early