SEASONS GREETINGS!!

May your 2015 be replete with Good Health, Good Luck, Good Friends,  Good Books, Good Plays, Good Movies & Good Times!

Have Fun, Guys!

 

Mohini & Satish

To A Bird In The Cage by Kusum Gokarn

To A Bird In The Cage

You who are born

In a cage within a cage,

Are you happy?

Can you conceive any thought,

You who are fed

On the crumbs of charity?

Can you fly into dream,

You whose feet are clogged

To reality?

And even if you could,

How far would you go?

There’s always a cage within a cage.

Balanced on the edge of void,

You have at least,

The comfort of the bars.

You cannot help surrendering

To the nature

Of your singing.

Surely, you must look

For happiness

Within.

Kusum Gokarn

From- The Desert Blossom (pub 1972)

Excellent presentation by Mukul Ahmad

I appreciated very much yesterday's presentation by Ms Mukul Ahmed  of Maya Angelou's autobiography - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It was a very well researched talk that covered the various aspects of Maya's life and writings that gave us a proper perspective of the author's anguish as she grew up amidst her  trials and turmoils.

I was reminded of a poem written by me in 1971 which co-incidentally bears a similar title - To a Bird in the Cage. It is included in my second book of poems The Desert Blossom that I got printed on my own for private circulation in 1972 in Mumbai. I was studying Vedanta for the first time then in S. Chinmaya Mission study group. I had also come across mention of a human being's life seeking freedom as that of a bird in a cage in one of J. Krishnamurthy's writings. That inspired me to write my poem as mentioned above.

I had not heard of or read any writings by Maya Angelou then. So I was surprised to see the similarity in the title of her book though written in a different milieu and context. Enclosed please find the poem To a Bird in the Cage.

You both are doing a wonderful job in promoting good literature and
conducting it all very efficiently.

Kusum Gokarn

Mukul Ahmad leading the discussion on 22nd December '14 on Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou; Discussion led by Mukul Ahmad

Monday 22^nd December evening, the US Library at the Poona Club, Pune witnessed an impressive rendition of the life and early career of Maya Angelou.

Mukul Ahmad, a Senior Faculty Member at Symbiosis ELTIS, Pune led an enthralling discussion on Maya Angelou’s first autobiography ‘I know Why a Caged Bird Sings’. She outlined the birthplace of Angelou, speaking about the choices of home that were made for her by her strict disciplinarian grandmother. Angelou grew up in the house with her brother and began to see the distinction between black and white outside home. The questions that she began asking while growing up, the atrocities she had to bear and the circumstances of her time contributed to her writing. She is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17.

Comments from among the audience about the ban on her books from some American libraries, difficult childhood and personal life tilted the discussion to Angelou as a person not spared from the ugly truths of life. Yet she has acquired international acclaim in the face of calamities.

Angelou was honored by universities, literary organizations, government agencies, and special interest groups. Her honors included a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her book of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie,^[126] a Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1973 play Look Away, and three Grammys for her spoken word albums. You can also watch  Angelou reciting her poem " On the Pulse of Morning", at President Bill Clinton's inauguration, January 1993.

Mukul Ahmad, taking a slice of Angelou's autobiographies showed us a glimpse of her life and has got the audience wanting to discuss more in the next meets. Her discussion has had a simple yet striking appeal, well appreciated by the members.

Reported by Seema Chinchore

A Gesture of Appreciation

A gesture of appreciation and congratulations  for launching “Book Club Blogspot.” 

The   presentation of  the of the world’s Bookstores is mind blowing!

What an inspiring and enriching setting for Booklovers to

browse and share their thoughts and experiences! 

Long live  Book-Club!

Shama Vijayan