Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Supratim's Foreword

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Supratim wrote this Foreword to the last Ishani booklet, "Ishani's Condescension".

On reading this, my Literary Uncle, BRK (85)... Author of the Telugu Bhagavad Gita in simple verse... called me up and said:

"I just now opened your packet and read the Foreword. I wanted to ring you up and say that it is beautifully written. Who is this Supratim?"

Bang Bang! Bong Bong!!!

I often wonder how different my life would have been had I joined IIT Madras in 1965...Tamilnadu & Bengal are as different from each other as Dosa & Hilsa...both tasty but bear no resemblance whatsoever...like the get-ups of their current CMs...but alike otherwise:



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Foreword

Several years ago, I read an article by the physicist Daniel Kleppner celebrating the intense intellectual atmosphere of College de France. Apparently, every professor in College de France had to give just eighteen lectures a year; but Kleppner took pains to emphasize that giving eighteen lectures a year was no mean feat because every one of those lectures had to present an original piece of work. However, notwithstanding Kleppner's assertions, the difficulty of that task pales in comparison to the challenge of coming up with an original blog piece every day and yet GPS does so with great gusto to the delight of us all.

My introduction to GPS occurred almost two decades ago via a course on Quantum Mechanics that he taught our batch. Although his reputation as an inspiring teacher preceded his first interaction with us, we soon realized the truth behind those rumours and started wishing that he would teach us some more courses in addition to the one assigned to him. Yet, little did I realize at that time that many years later I would continue to learn from him, through his blogs, the art of fine writing.

GPS' blogs are eagerly awaited. Quite often, phone calls from Calcutta to California and New York to Los Angeles are made heralding the arrival of a new blog post. Many of us can't wait to read the latest post first thing in the morning. The uninitiated may wonder about the reason behind the widespread appeal of his blogs, but to daily readers, there is no mystery. With an insightful eye and gentle humour, GPS weaves together even the mundane experiences of daily life into magical tales. From the innovative retelling of stories from Indian mythology to the hilarious takes on the idiosyncrasies of human behaviour, this collection has it all! You will find, as I often do, that these stories will leave you feeling strangely uplifted. It is therefore a privilege to invite readers old and new to find a comfortable nook, immerse themselves in these delightful stories and indulge in the pleasure of reading.

Supratim

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