Month: May 2022

Alphonsa aka Annakutty (b. 1910) led the quiet, anonymous life of a nun in her room in the Fransiscan Clarist convent in Kerala, till her death in 1946 at the age of 36. Six decades later she was transformed into Saint Alphonsa, beatified by Pope Benedict VI in Rome in 2008 – the first Indian woman to be canonized a saint of the Catholic Church Paul Zacharia happened to read a collection of her letters and Fr. Romulus’ moving eulogy at her funeral and wrote this story. Translated from Malaayalam by Anupama Raju. With a special preface by the author. …[Read More]…

Alok Bhalla pays tribute to Edward Lear (born May 12 1812), fittingly by composing nonsense verses inspired by Lear’s nonsense images. The comedy of nonsense verse, Bhalla notes demystifies those who claim glory and glamour; it also makes the earth we live on livelier and less burdensome by inviting the entire creation to be part of its joyous carnival. …[Read More]…

Some of the poems of Pat Matsueda are about lives of unbearable violence; about our willingness as human beings to inflict pain on others. But then there are poems that are sad, yet touched by the grace of acceptance and gentleness. A selection from Bitter Angels. With an introductory note by Alok Bhalla. …[Read More]…

“No man is greater than the size of his shoes” says the cobbler Mochiram in Dhoomil’s eloquent poem, a testimony to subaltern wisdom and humanity reflected in his desire to repair/heal. Translated from Hindi by Alok Bhalla…[Read More]…