Comments on: At the AWP in Austin

By: Leila

Leila — Wed, 03 May 2006 19:49:00 +0000

Re: taking pictures of food – that is not the preserve of South Asians alone. All kinds of foodies of many ethnic backgrounds take pictures of their food. I think the heshwah recipe on my site has a picture…And the old-school foodies on the usenet at rec.food.cooking have been posting pictures of food for well over a decade now.

By: Leila

Leila — Wed, 03 May 2006 19:47:00 +0000

Re: the Thai restaurant manager – he had asked to keep his green card. I imagine the robber was drug-addled and possibly quite mentally disturbed, perhaps frightened and edgy. Unfortunately I believe that it’s very easy for humans to kill. Make the conditions right and almost anyone is capable of it. For those whose conditions have been all wrong since before birth, killing is no big deal.

By: Mahmud

Mahmud — Tue, 02 May 2006 20:54:00 +0000

Zubaan Books out of Delhi says that they are publishing the English translation of “Talash” later this year. I look forward to it and also hope that it is a good translation.

Prachi: Somehow I didn’t think that the Japanese men were taking photos to publish on online forums about food. I think that’s the exclusive preserve of South Asian foodies on anothersubcontinent.com.

Leila: Oakland: It was sad to hear about the manager at the Thai restaurant being shot during a robbery. It’s just blocks from where I live and I’ve eaten there often. I read that he had already handed over his wallet. I try to imagine what goes through a man’s head at such a point when he goes on to pull the trigger. What boils over? How does one human come to consider another’s life so cheap? Is it because he considers his own worthless? I may write more on it.

By: hibiscus

hibiscus — Tue, 02 May 2006 12:39:00 +0000

Very absorbing report of the conference, Mahmud. I love the way you’ve begun and ended, perfect. (Only natural, is the thought immediately following!) Of the account, the story of ‘Talash’ is what remains etched deeply. Perhaps, one day, a translation of the novel…?

By: prachi

prachi — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 10:56:00 +0000

after seeing the Japanese men, did you wonder if they are avid participants in online forums about Japanese/East Asian food?!

By: Leila Abu-Saba

Leila Abu-Saba — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:25:00 +0000

Mahmud – thanks for this report. I was too preoccupied with my schoolwork in March to pay any attention to AWP, alhtough I love their magazine. I’m glad to hear about your presentation, and I will add the novel you read from to my reading list.

Actually I’m quite sorry I didn’t get to hear the discussion. It’s an enormous topic and while Americans are incredibly insular (see your depiction of the Politics panel), sadly we are being forced to wake up a little and look around us. War is coming home to us.

(The homicide rate in Oakland exploded this year, people are killing each other just blocks from where you and I sit in our leafy green enclave – as you know I’m sure)