Jerzy Kosinski's 'The Painted Bird'

 

My article on 'Being There,' published in 'Subamangala', a Tamil magazine, was the first introduction of Jerzy Kosinski to the Tamil literary world. It was about his famous novel, a short but poignant work that was also adapted into a film. It's a novel that critiques the image-worshipping contemporary society.

Jerzy Kosinski was a writer who immigrated from Poland to America, began writing in English, and made a significant mark in English literature.

His novel 'The Painted Bird' is considered a major work in 20th-century American literature. Published in 1965, it has been translated into over thirty world languages. The novel shocked readers due to its often brutal descriptions of human rights violations during World War II, which chilled the hearts of those who read it. A Jewish boy's parents send him away with another person, hoping he will escape the Nazis. This boy then wanders across Eastern European countries during the war, trying to survive. He undergoes various experiences, and 'The Painted Bird' describes them.

Ernest Hemingway's 'The Old Man and The Sea'!

If anyone were to ask me which is the best novella in world literature, I would, without any hesitation, say 'Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.' What a magnificent work of fiction! 

It's a symbolic novella about human existence and survival. Like the old man Santiago in the novel, we all dream of catching a 'big fish' in our brief existence. In the end, he gets nothing except the skeleton of the big marlin. Only the skeleton remains

[Book cover and the image of the author designed by Google Nano Banana.   * Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.]

 

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's important novels include Weep Not, Child, The River Between, A Grain of Wheat, Petals of Blood, and Devil on the Cross. He will be remembered for his post-colonial perspectives on his writings.

Initially, he wrote in English, but he stopped and began writing in his mother tongue. He believed that writing in the colonialists' languages would inherently contain colonial thoughts, identities, and cultural elements. He considered colonial domination to be an act of prioritizing the languages of the colonialists. That is why he believed creative works should be written in mother tongues, and only then, if necessary, be translated into other languages.

His literary contributions, encompassing novels, plays, and essays, were multifaceted. His life as a professor was full and is one that should be celebrated.

In memory of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, I am also sharing a YouTube video of one of his interviews:

Talk Africa: A Conversation with Ngugi Wa Thiong’o - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kao7D04M1sA

(Digital painting technology, Google Nano Banana, Assistance: VNG)

* Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

My recollections on Thamil Drama in Colombo! - K.S.Sivakumaran -

This is one of the letters written to me by the late art and literary critic K. S. Sivakumaran. In it, he briefly mentions Tamil, Sinhala, and English plays staged in Colombo, the people who were involved in theatre, and his own contributions. In that sense, it carries great importance. September 15 is the remembrance day of K. S. Sivakumaran. In connection with that, I am sharing this letter.  

Wed, May 13, 2020 at 12:17 p.m.

My recollections on Thamil Drama in Colombo!  

In the 1960s and 1970s, I was a keen drama critic. Having seen the Colombo North cine-dramas and Rajaratnam's Colombo South comedies. I wrote a column called “Manathirai” in Thamil in the Thinakaran Vaara Manjari. I criticized all the slapstick presentations that went by the name Thamil Drama. This was because I read many books in English about Drama and Theatre and understood that what we witnessed were recreating Indian Thamil film sequences and using colloquial Yaalpaaana speech comedies. In 1953 or 1954, the TKS Brothers visited Colombo and staged a professional drama presentation. There was a semblance of theatricality in their presentation. I also witnessed one or two plays of the doyen of Lankan Thamil Drama-Sornalingam.

It must be 1961 or 1962, I saw a play called Mathamarram written by the late A N Kanthasamy, a writer and a Marxist thinker. When I saw that I was baffled. It was a different cup of tea for me. It was like a Shavian play. It was provoking and feast for thinking. I wrote a review of it in Tribune, now defunct.

Unfinished Night, with Unfinished Love, Tormenting Human Hearts!

-  Poet Kannathasan -

 "In an unfinished night, I wither…
You speak of an unending story…
A soul unites in secret, unseen by kin…
A taste of something new arises…

Though you stand far away—
if only your eyes come alone…
Those eyes that arrive, they bring a gift…
A gift that gives a bliss untold…"  — Poet Kannadasan

In such simple expressions, Kannadasan excelled at revealing the profound emotions of human love, steeped in experience.

The phrase “Unfinished Night” is a striking poetic  image. In Tamil, the word “mūṟṟāt(a)” (unfinished/unripe) carries two senses:

• Something that has not reached its end.

• Something unripe, like an unripe fruit.

The night stretches on endlessly, lying incomplete, like a fruit that has yet to ripen. In this night, his feelings of love have neither resolution nor end. How beautifully Kannadasan, through the phrase “unfinished night”, reveals his tormented heart—his love that remains both unripe and incomplete. His unripe, unresolved feelings of love gnaw at him, just like the endless night.

Writer V. N. Giritharan’s Tamil novel Kudivaravalan (An Immigrant) was already translated into English by writer Latha Ramakrishnan. Its English version was published earlier as a Kindle e-book on Amazon.

The First Tamil Novel from Canada to Appear in English Translation (e-book) is V. N. Giritharan’s An Immigrant. The first Canadian Tamil novel to appear in print in English translation is Devakanthan’s Prison of Dreams. – 
The English translation of writer Devakanthan’s novel Prison of Dreams has been published by Mawenzi House, translated by Nedra Rodrigo. The launch of this translated work will take place on September 6, 2025, in Scarborough. This announcement was made by the Tamil Arts Collective. Their invitation states: “The publication of the Prison of Dreams quintet marks a historic moment in Canadian Tamil literature, as it is the first book-length translation of a Tamil novelist published in Canada.”

In other words: the publication of the Prison of Dreams quintet in Canada is considered a historic moment in Canadian Tamil literary history, as it is the first full-length Tamil novel to be translated into English and published in Canada.

There is no doubt that Devakanthan’s Prison of Dreams is a monumental novel—a major contribution to Tamil literature. But is it truly the first Canadian Tamil novel to appear in English translation? The answer is no.

Writer V. N. Giritharan’s Tamil novel Kudivaravalan (An Immigrant) was already translated into English by writer Latha Ramakrishnan. Its English version was published earlier as a Kindle e-book on Amazon.

Even before that, the complete English translation of the novel was published on one of V. N. Giritharan’s blogs, Canadian Tamil Literature: Writer V. N. Giritharan’s Corner. Tamil Nadu scholar Dr. Tharani Akhil also published an English critical essay on this novel, titled “An Immigrant: A poignant autobiographical sketch of V. N. Giritharan”, which was likewise featured on the above-mentioned blog. These writings were also published in online journals.

Citing this novel, research papers on refugee literature have been published in English and French. A podcast episode about the novel has also appeared on the V. N. Giritharan Podcast channel on YouTube.

Writer Mikhael Sholokhov, a member of the Communist Party who accepted the Nobel Prize, and writer Sartre, who refused it!

 

Tamil writer Sugan had shared the following statement by writer Ambai on Facebook:

“In 1964, Jean-Paul Sartre refused the Nobel Prize for Literature because he believed that accepting it would turn him into an institution and would limit his ability to act independently as a writer and intellectual. He had always refused official distinctions and said he did not want to be ‘institutionalized.’ Furthermore, he expressed concern that the Nobel Prize was mostly awarded only to ‘Western writers or rebels from the East,’ and he did not want to be seen as someone who fit that mold.” – (Ambai)

As far as I'm concerned, Sartre refused the prize — that was his right. But using that instance to generalize the issue is not acceptable. Just because one person refused, it doesn't mean everyone else did too. Those who accepted it should also be acknowledged.

The famous Russian writer Mikhael Sholokhov also received the Nobel Prize. His works had earlier earned him the Stalin Prize and the Lenin Prize. In 1965, he was awarded the Nobel Prize. He was also a member of the Soviet Communist Party. Sartre refused the prize in 1964. Sholokhov accepted it in 1965. That doesn’t lessen my respect for Sholokhov.

The Importance of Children's Sections in Newspapers: Reflecting on the Toronto Star's 'Brand New Planet'

Once, the Toronto Star published a weekly supplement for children aged 9 to 14, called Brand New Planet, every Thursday. My eldest daughter contributed to that paper while she was in elementary school. It was a wonderful publication that served children well. I'm not sure why the Toronto Star stopped publishing it. In my view, every newspaper should reserve a few pages for children to encourage them to improve their writing and reading skills.

Reading and Thinking: Miguel de Cervantes' 'Don Quixote' — The First Modern Novel! — V. N. Giritaran

The first modern novel, considered a cornerstone of modern literary fiction, is the famous Spanish novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, written in the 17th century. The novel, consisting of two parts, has been translated into Tamil under the title Daan Kuyiksaat and published by Nattrinai Publications. The novel was beautifully translated by Professor Siva Murugesan.
 

Don Quixote is one of the most fascinating and unforgettable protagonists in literary history. The novel narrates his adventurous journey.

The story goes like this: Don Quixote is an avid reader, especially of chivalric tales filled with heroic deeds and daring adventures. Due to his obsession with these stories, he begins to imagine himself as a knight-errant, believing it is his mission to save the world. Blurring the line between fantasy and reality, he perceives his imaginary world as the real one.

Poem: A Walk Through Corona - Wrapped Night By V.N.Giritharan. English by Dr.K.S.Subramanian.

One of my Tamil poems 'Corona Suuz IravonRil Nagarvalam' ' was published in the e-magazine 'W&W (wordsandworldsmagazine)'. It was translated into English by Dr.K.S.Subramanian under the title " A Walk Through Corona - Wrapped Night " This poem is included in the poetry collection Lockdown Lyrics, compiled by Dr.K.S.Subramanian. 

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM. 

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my poem are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my poem and share their opinions. I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity. 

The English translation of my poem 'Corona Suuz IravonRil Nagarvalam' – https://www.wordsandworldsmagazine.com/archive-1/spring-issue-fr%C3%BChling-ausgabe-2021/navaratnam-giritharan/

Short story: An End and a Beginning by V.N.Giritharan & English translation by Latha Ramakrishnan

One of my Tamil short stories, Oru Mudivum Vidivum, was published in the Tamil magazines Thayagam (Canada) and the e-magazine Pathivukal.com. It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title 'An End and a Beginning'. This English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my short story are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my story and share their opinions.

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and beneficially for humanity.

The English translation of my short story, 'An End and a Beginning' – https://vngiritharan23.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/short-story-an-end-and-a-beginning-v-n-giritharan-translation-by-latha-ramakrishnan/

Poem: Next to Camels by V.N.Giritharan | English translation by Latha Ramakrishnan

https://www.youtube.com/@V.N.GiritharanPodcast

A podcast created using artificial technology.

One of my Tamil poems, 'Ottakangkal'  was published in the Tamil e- magazines Pathivukal.Com.  It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the  title 'Next to Camels. That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my poem are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my poem and share their opinions.

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too.  This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity.

The English translation of my poem 'Next to Camels' –  https://vngiritharan23.wordpress.com/2021/05/24/poem-by-v-n-giritharan-translated-into-english-by-latha-ramakrishnan/

Novel: An Immigrant by V.N.Giritharan & English translation by Latha Ramakrishnan

One of my Tamil novels, 'Kudivaravalan' (An Immigrant) was published in the Tamil e- magazines Pathivukal and Thinnai. It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title 'An Immigrant'. 

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my novel are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my novel and share their opinions. I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. 

This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity. https://vngiritharan23.wordpress.com/2023/08/01/novel-an-immigrant-by-v-n-giritharan-translation-by-latha-ramakrishnan-proofread-edited-by-thamayanthi-giritharan/#more-396

Novel: America by V.N.Giritharan & English translation by Latha Ramakrishnan

One of my Tamil novels, "America" , was published in the Tamil newspaper Thayagam in Canada. It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title "America." 

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM. 

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my novel are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my novel and share their opinions. I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. 

This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity. To read the novel - https://vngiritharan23.wordpress.com/category/novels/page/2/

Poem- Oh, Super Human! Where have you concealed yourself? by V.N.Giritharan; Translation in English Dr. R. Dharani –

One of my Tamil poems 'Eluga Athimanuda' was published in the Tamil magazine Thayagam published in Toronto, Canada. It's also published in the Tamil e-magazines 'Pathivukal' and 'Thinnai'. It was translated into English by Dr. R. Dharani under the title "Oh, Super Human! Where have you concealed yourself?" and published in the e-magazine 'W&W (wordsandworldsmagazine)'.

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my poem are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my poem and share their opinions.

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too.  This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity.

The English translation of my poem 'Enge  Athimanuda' –  https://www.wordsandworldsmagazine.com/archive-1/winter-issue-2024-winter-ausgabe-2024/navaratnam-giritharan/

Novel: An Immigrant by V.N.Giritharan

 

One of my Tamil novels, 'Kudivaravalan' (An Immigrant) was published in the Tamil e- magazines Pathivukal and Thinnai. It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title 'An Immigrant'. That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

 

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my novel are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my novel and share their opinions.

 

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity.

 

https://archive.org/details/novel-an-immigrant-by-v.-n.-giritharan

 

The English translation of my novel 'An Immigrant' – https://archive.org/details/an-immigrant-revised-1_202411

Novel: America by V.N.Giritharan | Translation by Latha Ramakrishnan

One of my Tamil novels, "America" , was published in the Tamil newspaper Thayagam in Canada. It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title "America."

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

 

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my novel are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my novel and share their opinions.

 

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. 

 

This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity.

 

https://archive.org/details/novel-america-by-v.-n.-giritharan 

 

To read the novel - https://archive.org/details/america-revised-7

Short story: Manhole by V.N.Giritharan

One of my short stories, "Manhole," was published in the Tamil magazine Thedal, published in Toronto, Canada. It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title "Manhole."

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my story are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my story and share their opinions.

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too.  This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity.

The English translation of my nove 'Manhole' –  https://vngiritharan23.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/manhole-v-n-giritharan-translation-by-latha-ramakrishnan/

Short Story: Husband By V.N.Giritharan (Translation by Latha Ramakrishnan)

One of my Tamil short stories, "Kanavanl" (meaning "Husband"), was published in the Tamil newspaper Thayagam in Canada. It was translated into English by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title "Husband."

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my story are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my story and share their opinions.

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. 

This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and can be beneficial to humanity.

The English translation of my short story  'Husband' – https://vngiritharan23.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/short-story-husband-by-v-n-giritharan-english-translation-from-tamil-by-latha-ramakrishnan/

Short Story: Mice by V.N.Giritharan (Translation by Latha Ramakrishnan)

One of my Tamil short stories, 'Sundelikal' was published in the newspaper “Thayagam, A Tamil News Paper, ” in Canada.It was translated into Englsih by author Latha Ramakrishnan under the title “Mice.”

That English translation has been turned into a podcast using Google NotebookLM.

Please listen to it. In this audio file, both speakers discussing my story are artificial intelligence critics. They read the English translation of my story and share their opinions.

I was truly amazed upon hearing it. Listen to it, and you will surely be amazed too. 

This podcast demonstrates that artificial intelligence can be used creatively and be beneficial to humanity.

The English translation of my short story  'Mice' – https://vngiritharan23.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/short-story-mice-by-v-n-giritharan-english-translation-from-tamil-by-latha-ramakrishnan/