Sheila Kumar - Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Humour: Confusion confounded

Confusion confounded SHEILA KUMAR lets you take a glimpse into her convoluted mental process. Like Martin Luther King, I, too, have a dream. My dream is not a lofty one; it is to walk into a soiree crowded with the finest minds around. And then, to partake of discourse on matters both profound and…

Feature: When Army Wives Start to Throw their Weight Around

When wives put on the pips Even as the Armed Forces are in urgent need of restructuring — facing a shortage of good officers, and with a corresponding mountain of grievances piling up — one more arrow in the flank of this great institution is that of ‘senior wives’ throwing their weight about. To tell…

Book review: The Disappearance of Irene dos Santos by Margaret Mascarenhas

The book is a coming-of-age tale, with all the magical mysteries that can be expected of Latin American writers. Let’s start with the positives. The book has a striking cover picture — of a young woman in red shoes disappearing into what looks like a dense forest; the vivid neon of her shoes catches and…

Humour: Chip off the old block

Chip off the old block She was all of four, pint-sized with a mind of her own, firm opinions and a definite world view. Academics were not to her liking; she saw no need, relevance or utility in study. And so, every day after her school session, she would return all perky, and announce, ‘’I…

Humour: Coffee talk

Coffee Talk Over the years, I have come to meet some interesting people in Bangalore`s coffee houses. some of these people are celebs, others quasi-celebs and still others, confirmed eccentrics. I have come away feeling quite enriched…

Humour: In the pyramid

In the Pyramid Suddenly, the Pyramid was all the rage in the organisation. That was but natural since it was the General Manager’s wife who had introduced the concept to the place. Everywhere I went, I heard raves about the Pyramid. “But what exactly is the Pyramid?” I queried, and was met with blank looks,…

Feature: Unbelief in the Time of Fanatism

Unbelief In The Times Of Fanaticism As terrorism stalks the streets cloaked in religious sentiment, SHEILA KUMAR finds comfort in her unbelief. This is not an easy piece to write; it never is easy, coming out of the closet. However, September 11 happened to NYC and the ripples were felt all over the world. After…

Travel: Sim`s Park, Coonoor

Silent Sentinels Time to shine a spotlight on a special park up in the Nilgiris, Sim`s Park in Coonoor. Sim’s Park redefines the concept of a conventional park, with as many as 1,000 species of trees contained within a sprawl of 12.14 hectares parkland. Trees as old as eternity, or almost. Trees with gnarled, split…

Humour: Writer`s dilemma

A Writer’s Dilemma A funny thing happened to me on the way to 2002. Just about every one I met, friends, kin, acquaintances, all barring complete strangers (the heavens be praised), would start conversations with mysterious references to ‘The Book.’ It took me a while to figure out they weren’t talking about the Bible,…

Feature: The Refugee

The Refugee Conditioned as I was by city mores, I tried not to stare. But she was truly beautiful, dirty pheran and dishevelled hair notwithstanding….