Shriram | Week 16 | In Just Five Pages
My writing isn’t good enough for me to not have a purpose. And I want to write. I want something original to say.
A way of describing the world around me without calling my eyes “pupils,” our planet a “spinning rock,” our phones “glass boxes,” or my window a “glass pane.”
Innovation isn’t always about creating extraordinary, new ideas; sometimes it’s about putting the ordinary under new light. But if your genius only exists in trite, minimalist, absurdist classifications, it’s time to hit the books.
It’s time to hit the books.
I haven’t read enough writing in Indian English, I’m discovering. Recently, I started reading R. K. Narayan’s Malgudi Days, a collection of short stories that take place in the fictional town of Malgudi.
We read a terrible article on our AP test about science fiction. However, in its premise there is truth. Not all writing is the same, and science fiction typically employs a style that is much more intentional and concrete. While it may not always conform to perfect conventions, it is this contrast and intentionality that makes it so engaging. The worlds of these novels are alive and often absurd.
Malgudi Days takes place in India, and Narayan’s writing is very concrete. His simple language makes the town he builds feel more magical than space or a school of magic could be. When he describes the “bewildering crisscross of light rays and moving shadows” or “sacred ash and vermillion,” these small details not only flesh out the characters but the world itself as well. In stories as short as these, every sentence is intentional and contributes to the story—not necessarily towards a moral, but towards a greater goal: to immerse.
“The Astrologer’s Day” tells the five-page story of an unknown man who reads the fortune of someone he tried to kill. At the same time, it describes a desert town where food can be used to barter along with currency; a sweltering desert marketplace where food vendors, fabric auctioneers, doctors, travellers, and children, all with their own unique stories, come together; where astrologers dress up and use their skills to earn a living by captivating and reassuring unsure passers-by; and where individual paise coins were used alongside the now falling rupee.
The town is shown through its people, whether that be through the eyes of an astrologer in a market or the letters a postman reads as he delivers them. Narayan’s writing is unbelievably clear yet descriptive, which is a trend I’ve noticed in my favorite writing: it fills the imagination with minimal detail and refreshingly sacrifices conventionality. Sentences can be long and have many different clauses, dialogue litters the pages often without reply, and characters speak with a pristine, unlimited vocabulary.
The way that “bees are attracted to cosmos” or a “tamarind tree…flank[s] a path” through the town is what a “spinning rock” or “glass box” hopes to be. It is a clear, elegant description of a simple concept that Narayan executes with such originality and consistency that you are lost in the world because you are lost in his words.
What makes a world truly real isn’t its complexity, or the idea that every single aspect of our real world has a specific parallel in the fictional one. On the contrary, Malgudi is not reliant on the real world. It is a small, isolated town in rural India.
I close my eyes after reading the first story. I put my phone away and close the window.
“‘We drank, gambled and quarreled badly one day—why think of it now? Time to sleep,’ he said.”
Shriram, I’d like to start and say your blog truly made me pause and think—multiple times.
ReplyDeleteYour second paragraph really stands out to me. It makes me think about how there is almost a lack of creativity in the overuse of these phrases. It also makes me think about how important it is to find your voice in expression.
I also sort of interpret the “hit the books” part of your blog as the action that one must take when they are struggling to find their voice, or if they’re struggling to find their creative “genius,” as you say.
I, too, have not really indulged in Indian English, nor have I really dabbled. I would say it’s completely Greek besides Amar Chitra Kathas, which is a series of comic books about Indian folklore and culture.
It is kind of nice to think about the concept of reading to immerse rather than to learn. I remember in elementary school when they taught us the 3 Purposes of a book: to Inform, to Persuade, or to Entertain. I feel like most of the reading I have consumed as of recently fall into one of the first two categories, so it is nice to hear more about the latter. I also am happy to hear that you are taking time for yourself to read for pleasure. Genuinely, I have found it difficult to find time to read; I guess this means I need to make time rather than find it. Over the last week, I continued my Harry Potter reread, and can wholeheartedly say I missed this time.
Overall, I enjoyed your blog, and like usual, I was left in deep thought. Unfortunately, I cannot end this comment with the routine “looking forward to your next blog” but I will say that I deeply enjoyed reading your blogs this semester. Thank you. Great blog as always.
Hi Shriram! I was captivated by your blog this week. In fact, I just reread it for the fifth time. I have thought about the articles we were given on our AP test surprisingly often since the day of the exam. I thought about it a lot during the exam, too, which probably cut down my time significantly. But, hey, as long as my mind has been expanded, that’s all that matters.
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand the desire to want “something original to say” since I want whatever I’m sharing to be of some importance. However, at times, that places an unbearable pressure on me, causing me to feel insecure about my writing. I do agree that reading different kinds of literature can be extremely beneficial and expose us to novel ways of expressing our ideas and changing the way in which we think. I’m glad I have been able to do more of that this school year. Since I wanted to improve my Spanish, I took on a little side quest and I read a couple books written in Spanglish. One novel that I recommend is Homeland. Although it was a very difficult read for me, it opened my eyes to the technique of subtly introducing political discussions into writing, while keeping it cohesive. I found it relevant since techniques like that can expose the audience to urgent political matters but keep it digestable. I do feel guilty that I don’t prioritize finding ways to expand my perspective more often, though. I’ll add this to my summer bucket list right next to cutting out sugar for a week (which I don’t think is happening).
Thank you for all your insightful blogs this semester, Shriram. Regardless of whether or not we have English together next year, I can’t wait to see what else you’ll write. I also want to see more of your photography works, because the pictures you attach to your blogs each week are stunning.
Shriram, after the beautiful performance you gave today during your True Story presentation, your first sentence made me do a 180. But, of course, after reading the whole thing I can definitely say that this is another blog of yours that has absolutely amazed me (I say that like there’s a few of them that don’t, I like all the blogs in this cohort). Your introduction in particular reminded me of a conversation I recently had with a beloved mentor of mine. In short we were talking about our writing process for poetry and we were both respectively shocked at how much time the other spends on poems (my mentor lovingly labors over the poem for a day or more and I hazardously scribble something down in thirty minutes). When I used to write strictly fictional prose, I always struggled with describing the world. But after getting into the habit of just throwing something on the page in a limited amount of time (and also the general brevity that comes with poetry), I think it’s helped me so much. That, and of course, “hit[ing] the books.” I’ve actually heard of Malgudi Days before from a book recommendations video somewhere, and safe to say that you’ve absolutely convinced me to read it! It was lovely reading about the revelations you had from that book, and it reminded me of the fondness I have for my own biggest prose inspirations (cough Fahrenheit 451 cough Harlan Ellison). Also, a small additional thing I wanted to mention, as I was reading your blog I could hear your voice very clearly, your writing voice is very distinct!
ReplyDeleteShriram, the way you yourself have described “The Astrologer’s Day” seems to execute what you admired about this story. I find that clear in much of your writing, really. I have envied your succinct style and your direct way of writing ever since your first blog in this cohort!
ReplyDeleteI often catch myself writing trite phrases and descriptions in trying to create something meaningful—a trap which I fought as hard as I could when I wrote my True Story. The overused, meaningless extension of description that plagues the writer really just bores me, and it brings up the notion of originality that you’ve talked about here. I think your writing IS original. It’s all free thought, and of course, I’d love to see more of it. In reading this last post, I immediately had to disagree with your first line! You convey this sense of sensitivity throughout your blogs that I seriously appreciate. There’s this mental image when I read: a Shriram thinking thoughtful thoughts as he pens a glorious piece of analysis to be enjoyed by the small audience that is our cohort. There’s always this kinda tender feeling; your blog images pair this well too. It all feels nicely sentimental. You really have great things to say. And I think that is enough of a purpose. Simply being you, gives purpose to what you want to express!
After avoiding bland phrasing, I’ve also found that I severely lack an effective vocabulary. Yet another thing I envy you for! Your writing has all the impact I wish I could achieve, and you’re writing quite eloquently too (at least, for my standards). Reading through your thoughts on this five-page story, I’m real interested in Malgudi Days now. What a beautiful description you’ve written. Please continue writing, regardless of anything at all. It's a shame you aren't taking Lit, because that kills my chances of having an English class with you again!