The writer teaches literary and cultural studies at Pune’s Flame University.
There cannot be a single story for layered narratives in a time of trauma
Large parts of the country are adversely affected by floods while some still continue to languish in water scarcity. Kashmir is back in public discourse, and how. In such anguishing times, I often think about the role of writing. Does writing really help?
The last few weeks have been distressing owing to the various developments that this nation has seen. I was constantly reminded of W B Yeats’ oft quoted lines: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.” Large parts of the country are adversely affected by floods while some still continue to languish in water scarcity. Kashmir is back in public discourse, and how. In such anguishing times, I often think about the role of writing. Does writing really help? Why must we write? In his iconic poem, Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats writes: “My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains.” I wonder if the language is an enabler or often imperils this expression of heartache and the painful numbness that Keats mentions in his poem. Is there a language for distress or do we invent/ find new registers for it? How do we really write about distress?
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario