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.
2y 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.
2y 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.
2y 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.
3y ago
May 9, 2019
The Parcels
Disheveled, my hair uncombed,
April 18, 2019
No Escape
The oaks stand in silence, They hide a few Victorian houses.
April 11, 2019
Reunion in a Metropolitan Mess
The crumbling two storey house is flanked by an apartment building on one side. Just a few days ago, the house on the other side met
April 4, 2019
Writer's Block
My pen did not run out of ink. My computer was still working.
March 28, 2019
When you have a curfew at home
Although some parents are slightly more lenient than others, most of them are very strict about the curfews they impose on their children. We have all had to deal with curfews and questions like ''Where are you going?
March 28, 2019
I ONLY WANTED TO LEAVE
I only wanted to leave, Leave the house behind, The dull winter, the life I knew.
March 14, 2019
Ghosts
When night falls and not a single voice is heard anywhere, I make my way to the room that now stays empty. I do not turn the lights on – oh no, I don't.
February 28, 2019
Unrepentant
I go on, I walk on, I am unrepentant
February 28, 2019
Happy no more: The story of an emoji
I became known as the symbol of happiness instantly after my birth.
February 21, 2019
The Fall of the Curtain
There was a time when I used to live on a stage with ten other people. There wasn't an audience watching us but we weren't trying to please anyone. We were simply taking part in a play with
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