My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



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9 February 2005

Brown Girl In The Rain

I know it's a little late in the day for me to be realising this; but writing really is good therapy! Ever since that long, unburdening blog entry of last time, I'm feeling all ready to take on the world again. Even my music has changed from Matchbox 20's Time After Time to Aerosmith's Pink and right now as I type this We Are The World. (C'mon sing with me; *There's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives, it's true we make a better day, just you and me*). In Class 8 or Class 9, our English textbook (which was in two parts: a textbook and a workbook) was called Interact With English (I always imagined English as some guy, who would pop out of the book and interact with us. Johnny English, aarrrrrrrrrr!)(Okay, I don't know why I made the `Aaarrr' noise. The moment just seemed to call for it). Anyway, back to my original point, Interact With English had the lyrics of We Are The World for us to study and comment on. Our teacher's were ideally supposed to play this song while we read the lyrics, but most of them couldn't be arsed. (Though I do remember, when we were studying slavery in History, our incredible, inspired teacher played Buffalo Soldier. She did that kind of thing. When we did the Russian Revolution she played Rah, Rah Rasputin). Anyway, so I can never listen to these songs without thinking of being stuck in a hot classroom, the boys in the back bench invariably playing some game and us with our socks rolled down and our skirts beginning to wilt in the heat of the afternoon and the fan making whirring noises. English, no matter which school I went to, was always for some reason, the last class of the day. Actually, it probably made more sense. Imagine struggling with Maths when all you want to do is watch your watch moving slowly towards 2.30 when you could finally escape.

Even though I'm not what you would call academically brilliant (in fact, I'm not what ANYONE would call academically brilliant, which is wierd, coz I had all the makings of a nerd. I joined the Science and Nature Club, I often sat in the classroom during lunch break to read and I was part of every Elocution and Recitation club any of my schools had to offer), I loved English. I got English, and so that last period was like my ego salve after leaving my regular classmates to join the remedial maths classes. (Yes, so, I bet you sucked at something too!).

Ooh, last night watched Jerry Maguire on HBO and surprised myself by knowing most of the dialogue (Show me the moneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!) (You had me at hello) and (You complete me). I love that movie, even though I don't care that much about Tom Cruise (even though he looked absolutely edible in Magnolia) but I think Renee Zellwegger was at her prettiest in that movie. Not always, her eyes are too squinty for my liking, but she had definite moments of beauty you couldn't see in Chicago or Bridget Jones' Diary.

So you see. I am happy. Or at least, halfway there.

2 comments:

  1. Hello encee, thanks for the super long comment!
    Okay one by one:
    Yes, I know We Are The World is very phony, etc etc, but I do enjoy the harmony parts, always having been a sucker for "choir" music. And since when is Brown Girl In The Rain racist??? I was talking about myself!
    Nope, not in Rishi Valley or Woodstock, but close enough! :)
    Bachelors of Moral Science might be fun! ;)
    And yeah, LOVED As Good As It Gets!
    Come back soon!

    ReplyDelete
  2. FYI: The song is "Brown Girl in the Ring," not "Rain." Look it up.

    ReplyDelete

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