Shounak Reza

Elif Shafak’s ‘The Island of Missing Trees’: Fragments of an uprooted people

The people we meet in Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees (Viking, 2021) are haunted by terrible tragedies from several years past, by a beautiful island divided into two.

3y ago

Gaan

I have evaded wreaths of venomous, moving flowers that have invaded the dilapidated manor, writhing and sliding up and down the walls like snakes, ready to strike any moment. I had to tread carefully down the corridors, staying as far away from the walls as possible.

3y ago

Ann Patchett’s ‘The Dutch House’: On branches of memories and pain

Even though we moved out of our grandmother’s house in Dhaka more than a decade ago, my sister and I still associate the word “storm” with the smell of the unripe mangoes that the kalboishakhi would force down from the trees in her backyard. There are many other quirks we share, things that might seem insignificant to someone who was not a part of our lives back then. But to us, the house with its long corridors and leafy backyard, and a front yard that turned into a badminton court each winter, is nothing short of a wonderland, a place that nurtured us even as it introduced us to the harsher realities of life, a place that remains a living, breathing character in the many dreams and nightmares that we have.

3y ago

Why Feminism Is Not the Same as Misandry

“She is a feminist – a man hater,” an acquaintance says while talking about a certain person.

3y ago

What is Male Privilege?

Knowingly or unknowingly, men enjoy these privileges in every sphere of life.

3y ago

The Misogynistic Hypocrisy around Smoking

Why is it that there is a kind of hypocrisy among people when it comes to women smoking?

3y ago

Combatting patriarchy on International Men’s Day

“If there is a women’s day, why can’t there be a men’s day as well?”

3y ago

Why we need to steer clear of "Not All Men"

"Not All Men" alters the course of discussions, accomplishing nothing except making things worse and hindering progress.

4y ago
September 2, 2021
September 2, 2021

Elif Shafak’s ‘The Island of Missing Trees’: Fragments of an uprooted people

The people we meet in Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees (Viking, 2021) are haunted by terrible tragedies from several years past, by a beautiful island divided into two.

August 19, 2021
August 19, 2021

Gaan

I have evaded wreaths of venomous, moving flowers that have invaded the dilapidated manor, writhing and sliding up and down the walls like snakes, ready to strike any moment. I had to tread carefully down the corridors, staying as far away from the walls as possible.

June 21, 2021
June 21, 2021

Ann Patchett’s ‘The Dutch House’: On branches of memories and pain

Even though we moved out of our grandmother’s house in Dhaka more than a decade ago, my sister and I still associate the word “storm” with the smell of the unripe mangoes that the kalboishakhi would force down from the trees in her backyard. There are many other quirks we share, things that might seem insignificant to someone who was not a part of our lives back then. But to us, the house with its long corridors and leafy backyard, and a front yard that turned into a badminton court each winter, is nothing short of a wonderland, a place that nurtured us even as it introduced us to the harsher realities of life, a place that remains a living, breathing character in the many dreams and nightmares that we have.

February 11, 2021
February 11, 2021

Why Feminism Is Not the Same as Misandry

“She is a feminist – a man hater,” an acquaintance says while talking about a certain person.

January 14, 2021
January 14, 2021

What is Male Privilege?

Knowingly or unknowingly, men enjoy these privileges in every sphere of life.

December 9, 2020
December 9, 2020

The Misogynistic Hypocrisy around Smoking

Why is it that there is a kind of hypocrisy among people when it comes to women smoking?

November 19, 2020
November 19, 2020

Combatting patriarchy on International Men’s Day

“If there is a women’s day, why can’t there be a men’s day as well?”

October 15, 2020
October 15, 2020

Why we need to steer clear of "Not All Men"

"Not All Men" alters the course of discussions, accomplishing nothing except making things worse and hindering progress.

August 13, 2020
August 13, 2020

THE RED NIGHT

The dark red clouds Hide an even redder moon

August 7, 2020
August 7, 2020

Beyond the pages of Anne Frank’s diary

On the first day of this month, 76 years ago, Anne Frank wrote her last diary entry. Three days later, on August 4, the building she was hiding in with her family and four family friends was raided by the Gestapos.