http://www.openthemagazine.com 83Conversation steers to how German housewives during Hitler’s
era were discouraged from joining the work force, but were given
chocolates loaded with methamphetamines to keep them happy.
Nobody can compete with Desperate Housewives of the Third
Reich. also: Hitler’s dog was called Blondie.
The dog at the security gate of our hotel wears little booties and
a jacket because he has to stand outside all day. The dog’s name is
Vishal. Many writers, despite wearing little booties and jackets,
are snivelling on account of being outside all the time. Most
agree that while snivelling is annoying, these conditions can be
overcome by the entertainment being on such a lavish scale. Once
a day at least, the poet Nathalie Handal feels she must announce,
“This is really the most generous festival i’ve been to.” Most writ-
ers agree that this is the greatest literary show on earth despite
there being the odd case of mistaken identity. Manu Joseph is
asked by several people why he lives in Japan, and decides the
next time he gets taken to task for his “men can’t be feminists”
statement, he’ll say, “actually, i’m Pico iyer.”
Vivek shanbhag is introduced as the Great Canadian Writer,
rather than the Great kannada Writer. Paola antonelli is intro-
duced as the Momo lady instead of the MoMa lady.
Personal favourite case of mistaken identity: Post wonderful
Bruce Chatwin session between William Dalrymple, Chatwin’s
biographer Nicholas shakespeare and Chatwin’s friend Redmond
O’ Hanlon, where Chatwin’s genius, legacy, gift of embellishment
and ability to charm the pants off anyone are discussed with
gusto, including superb Chatwin impersonations by Redmond,
audience member stands up and asks this question: “Thank you. i
would just like to know, can you please recommend any books on
marshlands?” audience member has obviously been in Jaipur for
five days and has lost track of time and place. Perhaps she’s confus-
ing this panel with ‘india’s elephants: a Cultural Legacy’, which
is the panel up next? Testament to the commitment writers at
Jaipur have to their audiences, the panel manage to answer the
question anyway.
Festival rodeo moment: a group of four irish writers and
writer-accompaniers (reportedly all singing) got upturned in an
autorickshaw after the Penguin party but survived to tell the tale.
They could not confirm whether it was the singing that caused
the accident.
Festival stampede moment: Nawazuddin siddiqui talking
about Manto with Nandita Das. even the police force, who were
meant to be keeping the bottlenecks free were making googly
puppy eyes from afar.
Future festival goals: all longwinded audience comments
should be steamrolled by the drums of Nathulal solanki.
Who’s coming next year? Neil Gaiman. yeah. We can all go
faint now. nTishani Doshi is a poet, novelist and dancer based in Chennai. Her latest
book is Girls are Coming Out of the Woods“without
darkness, there
is no light.
without silence,
no music. it is
about achieving
a balance, that
is the beauty of
making art”
mirA nAir