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



Sign up for my newsletter: The Internet Personified

22 June 2008

Does it still count as a midnight snack if it's one a.m?

Full speed ahead and turbo charged engines this week, totally. For one thing, ta-rah, ta-rah, the teaching has been happening in full force. It's been, well... interesting. The kids are sweet but a handful and by the time I get out, I am so dying for a cigarette that I feel like my entire body is up and rebelling against me. Also, by the time I get out and drive home, I am so, so tired, that it's been bedtime for me by twelve or one these days. Sometimes even *gasp* before midnight. Sigh. What has happened to me?

Although, y'know, I'm really kinda liking all this routine and challenge. I find it hard to walk past a group of kids without looking for traces of "my own". I think about them, how to make their learning more interesting, more fun, but also, most importantly, how to get them to sit still and listen to me. Adults are a lot easier, trust me, than a room full of excited, restless kids who want nothing more than to be far, far away from you and outside playing.

We've also been very domestic lately. Lalli cooked and Yamini made salad and things and I contributed with the most awesome rice in the world. (Okay, so it was just rice, but hey, rice can be hard too!) And we had a dinner party. It was very grown up, except we spread it out on the floor on a cloth and it felt more like a picnic than a dinner party, but considering I serve chips at most of my dos, I felt very adult and very oh-look-at-me-all-grown-up-in-my-apartment.

Ooh and along the way, I have acquired a Generous Benefactor. Well, a Benefactress in this case. JC has a friend who is very kind and also does a lot of shopping and also has some things she didn't want. Some BRAND NEW things, I might add. Some brand new DESIGNER things. We're talking Ritu Kumar, Gauri and Nayanika and Mango here. One night we were at her house and no kidding, I came home with a shopping bag full of stuff. And then more on another trip. Not to mention the most delectable Aldo shoes--faux crocodile skin, fuck-off heels, which make my legs--my skinny little matchstick legs--look beautiful and long. I'm so happy. May she go to a heaven with medium rare steak, cosmopolitans and Jimmy Choos.

Also, we have tentative news on the book. It looks like mid-August so far, for all the launches. Most likely, the Bombay launch will be first, but I'm also going to be doing Delhi and a third city which hasn't been confirmed yet. I'm SUPER excited, I practically cannot wait. If I could go to sleep for like two months and only wake up in August I'd be very happy.

It's also nice that everyone I know has been busy the same time so there are no long lingering complaints about not enough time being spent with anyone. I caught up with Deepti the other day after FOREVER which was great, BB and I do din-din sometime this week, Ira has been mostly around, Sameer I've been seeing a lot more of than I had in the recent past which is very nice. The people I have not mentioned are the people who have VANISHED. You know who you are, call me!

Also a major development, those three little words, which feel like three BIG MOTHERFUCKING WORDS were whispered shyly the other day at the Amitav Ghosh book launch. The last two times I used them, I was met with a) "Oh." and b) a vaguely sympathetic smile. So it took quite some amount of balls on my part. And even now I feel apprehensive. Is it too early? Have I said too much? What is love anyway? Aargh. Sometimes I think I was just made to be single forever. (This is why I blog. No one else will listen to me obsess.)

But, I feel again the need to flee the city. Maybe not alone, but a fleeing must happen soon, nonetheless. This is the problem with many things (travelling, sex, smoking) once you've done it recently, you can't go without it for very long.

Anyhoo. Off I go to put toothpaste on my face. (Best. Zit. Cure. Ever.) I did Vie Lounge tonight (tried to get tickets to Persepolis but it was house full, something which shocked me. Since when does Bombay go watch Cannes award winning, non Pixar animated movies? Hmph.) and then Lalli, a friend of hers and I walked down the beach with just the hints of a storm in the air. And it is 12.43 and with all the contentment of a day well spent I will toddle off to bed. One wonders though, now that one is all lalalalala pretty fairies whether one's blog will become totally boring? Hmmmmm.

26 comments:

  1. All the best with the book. Bit sceptical about the "Benefactress" bit though. Why would you want to come off looking like some needy child out of a Jane Austen novel, while JC gives you a benevolent Darcy smile.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Persepolis was poignant. Don't miss it! Best of luck for the book launch. Will it be available on Amazon anytime soon?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Em
    "Generous Benefactor"...I liked these emphasis conjoin words...and u expected from from "Benefactress"...why?...

    ReplyDelete
  4. How can you leave us hanging! What did he say when you said those 3 WORDS? Tell!

    And toothpaste? Leaves. You. With. No. Zits. But Scars.

    Been there. Done that. Unfortunately.

    Try Clearasil Spot Corrector. Not sure if you get it in India. Takes a couple of days. But works. minus scars!

    ReplyDelete
  5. sometimes i wonder whether you are really honest with 'all' of your feelings here.. some of it, i am able to imagine as true.. but 'all' of it, i really doubt it.. Anyway they really do make a good reading!

    ReplyDelete
  6. my opinion: i'm ok with kids...
    mostly because i dont treat them like 'i know whats better and they dont'...treat them like smart people and they will behave a lot better than most grown ups ever will.

    ...somebody's post is getting a little mature, so shall your audience who like how well you put your words together.

    ReplyDelete
  7. had to go from juhu to goregaon to watch persepolis but was totally worth it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Now that post provided better reading material. Is EM getting back to form?

    About the teaching stuff, kids learn better with things, actual models and stuff, rather than books and a blackboard.
    KEEP IT UP!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good to hear that the teaching is going well.

    I quite like Guari & Nainika stuff (very bollywood LOL), what's Ritu Kumar like? and mango is not designer! it's just higher priced mid range stuff.

    Now if you had been donated some Chanel, that would have been very cool!

    Oh by the way, what's your book about and will it see an international release?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mango's desiner in India? no really, i am just curious

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ok, all, agreed Mango is NOT designer, but in India 'Designer' equals 'High priced', and since Mango is High priced, most of us Very Low Net Worth Individuals, use some convuluted logic and consider it Designer.

    Em, nice blog! A first timer here.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ok, all, agreed Mango is NOT designer, but in India 'Designer' equals 'High priced', and since Mango is High priced, most of us Very Low Net Worth Individuals, use some convuluted logic and consider it Designer.

    eM (and that's why I post the comment twice....it took me two times to get the name right), nice blog! A first timer here.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi!

    I spotted your blog through some recommendations (I have been looking to connect with fellow writers from different parts of the world), and I like it a lot. This is my first comment but I have been following it for a couple of weeks.

    I just wanted to say that. :)

    Pekky

    ReplyDelete
  14. how come all you people liked persepolis? it was so lame - no fire, no real angst,total feel-good. Visually stunning though. I guess I expected so much more after the hype and the graphic novel.

    ReplyDelete
  15. "Generous Benefactress", that sounds interesting.. why would someone, whom it sounds like you have known for a short time, give you stuff... btw best of luck with the kids.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Blog becoming boring? Hm. Well. You could do with a few new trolls :D

    ReplyDelete
  17. Quite nice! :) And wishing you all the very best for your book.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Nothing related but I just saw this picture here... not the main pic on th page, but the one on the comment below (you'll know which one I am talking about once you get there) and it reminded me of you. I thought, well, "I (of) know someone who does."

    /flickr.com/photos/szczapa/392295941/

    ReplyDelete
  19. hey,
    just reading through your blog. interesting (:
    have been wanting to ask this since i started to. er, read the blog, that is.
    wtf is Abbawibba?
    peace out
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  20. "Sometimes I think I was just made to be single forever. "

    i wonder what's with most of the most amazing women I know.. they've got a funny obsession with this statement!

    god save the men meant for these women... who'll drive you crazy and if you say something.. they'll look oh-so-unloved, so you'll hate yourself for having said anything at all!

    anyway. why am i obsessing!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I liked reading your blog....very chatty and reader-friendly :)

    Added you

    ReplyDelete
  22. presepolis is fucking awesome, and looking forward to your book!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Those three words


    Cause you're my fella, my guy
    Hand me your stella and fly
    By the time I'm out the door
    You're tear men down like Roger Moore

    ReplyDelete
  24. hey...make your 3rd city chennai. Chennai has an amazing 'reading culture'. And of course, we have the original landmark which wipes the floor with all other bookstores.
    and congrats on the louuuu

    ReplyDelete
  25. book? what book? wow!
    ps. READ persepolis first. i read half of it in a bookstore but then i had to leave. darn tragedy.

    ReplyDelete
  26. wow!..was just surfing..n bumped into dis blog..n i must say it's amazing!! hey eM..keep up d gud work :)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your feedback! It'll be published once I approve it. Inflammatory/abusive comments will not be posted. Please play nice.