Class Photo Invite - Reg

Dear Students of III BA English and II MA English,
Kindly join us for a class-photo session on Friday, 04 February at 9.25 am in the Selaiyur Hall premises.
Regards,
Rufus

Student Assignment:

Introduction:

'Exhibit' would mean to show or to expose. Exhibition exposes the varieties of books, of things, etc. Here i want to mention my experience on the books exhibition, to which recently I went along with my college mates. I too would like to share some of the ideas about my favourite book that I purchased in the book exhibition.

My Observation:

The book exhibition is being held at St.George's Anglo-Indian Hr Sec School grounds opposite to Pachaiyappa's College in the Poonthamalli Highway, Chennai - 30. When I entered the spot, I saw many

"People were flocking the venue with a smile on their faces and with great excitement, zeal and curiosity"

A Visit to the Chennai Book Fair

It was 15-01-2011 and the time was 2.30 pm. 

I started to move out from my Hall and headed towards the railway station to book the ticket as i was destinated to go to Nungambakkam for the 24th Chennai Book Fair which was being held in St.George's Anglo-Indian Hr. Sec School which was opposite to Pachaiyappa's College, Chennai - 30.

2.40 pm: I reached the station and i was made to wait for a long time for nearly half an hour as the queues were long and crowded. When my turn came, it was 3.15 pm. 

I booked the ticket and I then paid Rs.14 to the counter as I had booked for a return journey. And, as I got my ticket, I then headed towards the train. I went through the platform no.1&2, and got into the II Class coach, booked my seat at ease in my desired spot as almost all the seats were vacant. I had to wait for another 10 minutes, and i looked at the time and it was 3.37 pm. And, lastly the train journey started.

4.20 pm: Alas, finally, my destination arrived, and i got down from the crowded train, and headed towards the road, searching for the right autorickshaw. 

Finally got one, after only having a tough conversation for bargaining and lastly the driver and I came to the conclusion with the deal of Rs.40 to go to the book fair which was a 10-minute journey, with the feeling of break-even, as neither the driver nor i had any gain or loss. 

Since i don't know the local language and moreover as i was alone, i lost the communication bridge between the driver and me, who also didn't know the universal language very well. 

Thus far, i came to know how important it is and a privilege given to me to know the local language better.

4.38 pm: Finally when I reached the destination it was 4.3 pm, and I paid the sum of Rs.40 to the driver, and i headed towards the event. Oh! Oh! Oh! what a crowded event! 

Firstly, i was a bit confused on where exactly to go when i stepped into the entrance. 

People were flocking the venue with a smile on their faces and with great excitement, zeal and curiosity. 

Those who are going away after seeing the book fair looked fully contended, which could be gauged from the smile of satisfaction on their faces, as they must have already bought their favourite books and loaded on both their hands, irrespective of age, old people and youngsters, students and working people alike.

4.45 pm:  It was 4.45 pm and i was near the entrance waiting for the ticket and on my hand I got a ticket for Rs.5/- and on entering the main entrance the ticket collector who was near the entrance tore a bit of the ticket as a sign of letting me in.

4.48 pm: It was the moment of real fair. Wow! So many books and book-lovers were seen reading, interrogating and buying books with the dealers and shop keepers of the stall. 

As for me, I don't know from where to start, since there were so many stalls which were divided into many sections. I was a bit confused and nervousness was building up within me not knowing what to do. 

Then, i thought of trying my luck in the lucky draw, and started filling up the counterfoil of the ticket. Many people were seen dropping the same, with hopes of winning the draw. 

After that, I headed to each and every stall, looked up the name of each of them, and roamed the whole area for nearly an hour, searching for the right stall that suited me the best. 

And there, lastly, i saw the stall and it's name was 'BOOK WORLD'. I chose this stall because it was very good, and, while all stalls and eye-attracting offers on various prices, with different kinds of books being showcased,  this one was simply the best one with various books on a variety of genres, and had almost all kinds of books for all kinds of readers. 

They also gave good offers. One offer, which attracted me the most was, 'Get 5 books for Rs.500/- only', on one of the shelves which was fully stuffed and loaded with different kinds of books. And in that particular stall, there was a huge rush also.

5.48 pm: After a long search for my required type of book in that shelf, i finally got it. 

The book name is "The Fruits of War" written by Michael White who was longlisted for the 2006 Aventis Prize. 

I chose this book because I like to read novels, comics, magazines, that are influenced by science and technology. 

In this book, the author says that war brings confusion, conflicts, havoc, loss of lives, loss of property, loss of peace, hunger, and pain etc. 

The book deals with how Military conflict accelerates technology and improvised the issue till date. I should say that war is the 'father of technology' on one side of the issue.

6.00 pm: got my required book, paid the cash for the books, and i too was contended with a smile beaming on my face like the others!

After I walked out from the main entrance, i saw that there were parallel events that were going on outside of the book exhibition also.  

There were lots of vendors busy selling their things to the people who were coming to the fair. There were also various stalls besides them, like fruit stalls, fast food kiosks, and drinks, etc. 

There was an event going on which was attended by a good number of ardent onlookers. 

Moreover, the traffic police and other police personnel were heavily deployed in and out of the event venue, and they were seen doing the tough job of escorting, guiding and ensuring the security of the public visitors and the VIPS as well, and also making sure that traffic was not paralysed by a traffic jam.

6.20 pm: After coming out of the main venue, i boarded a train back home.

About the Author and His Book:

Michael White was a member of the internationally famous band the Thompson Twins. He then became a lecturer at d'Overbroek's College, Oxfort, before becoming Director of Studies. 

Turning to fall time writing in 1991, he is now the author of 25 books including the international bestsellers Stephen Hawkings: A Life in Science, Leonardo, the First Scientist, Tolkein: A Biography, and the Science of the X-files. There are some 140 editions of Michael White's books published globally.

He was awarded the Bookman Prize in the US for best popular science book of 1998 for his biography of Isaac Newton, The Last Sorcerer, and in 2002 was shortlisted for the prestigious Aventis Award for his book Rivals: Conflict as the fuel of Science.

Michael White has been a newspaper columnist, science editor for GQ Magazine, and a series consultant for the Discovery Channel's 'The Science of the Impossible'. 

In 2001 he was awarded a Distinguished Talent visa by the Australian government, and now lives in Perth, Western Australia, with his wife and four children, where he is an Honorary Research Fellow at Curtin University. For more information visit http://michaelwhite.com.au/

"I will ignore all ideas for new works on engines of war, the invention of which has reached its limits and for whose improvements I see no further hope." Julius Frontinus, Chief Military Engineer to the Emperor, AD 70.

Submitted by:
Kekhrie Nekha, I BSc Pb&Pbt

BEC Training - Reg

Students who have registered themselves for the BEC Training - II, are asked to collect the Challans from the English Dept, and enroll themselves before Friday, 04 February 2011. Classes start on Monday, 07 February 2011.

Co-ordinators, BEC Training,
Dept of English, MCC

Assignment on Book Exhibition - Reg

Dear Students,

We were literally bowled over by your raving reviews/ splendid coverage of the National Book Exhibition. All assignments would be uploaded on our blog, as I had earlier promised you. The last date for submission of assignments, has been extended to Friday, 04 February 2011.

Regards and all best wishes,

Rufus

Guest Lecture - A Report..:

Dr.Joseph Dorairaj engaging the students in an interesting lecture, 22 Jan 2011

Students in rapt attention during the Guest Lecture by Dr.Maggie on 22 Jan 2011

Ludic in Progress...

"Ludic" on a Roll...

"To Kill a Mocking Bird" in progress at the Gallery Classroom [S-220] today.

Ludic, the Film Appreciation Club of The English Association, [TEA-MCC], took off to a flying start today, with the screening of "To Kill A Mocking Bird". 

More than a hundred students turned up for the maiden screening of LUDIC, which took place in S-220, in the Science Block. 

Dr. Ganesh, initially presented the students with the aim and scope of LUDIC, and also announced a prize money for students who came up with the best critique of the film, after watching it. 

About the Book Version 

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best-loved and most memorable of stories in world literature. 

Regarded as the quintessential American novel, the book unveils human nature in all its complexity! A book that almost everyone reads at some point in their lives! 

The most interesting aspect of this novel is that the whole story, is narrated by a child – an eight-year old’s perspective! [something akin to Bapsi Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy Man, a novel that speaks about the horrors of Partition, narrated in the first-person by Lenny, a Parsee child who is four years old, and turns ten by the time the novel ends]. 

The novel carries a poignant message that is so relevant even today – haunting, impacting and reverberating in our minds and hearts, even after the last line of the last chapter is done! 

Pic: This blogger.

LUDIC INVITES YOU

Dear Students of English Literature,

You are invited for the screening of "To Kill a Mockingbird," on Friday, 21 January 2011, based on the classic Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, a legendary movie, uniquely strong and sensitive about racism and the ways of the Old South during the Depression in the 1930s.

This film, is a sequel to a guest lecture on African American Literature, that was held on 04 December 2010 for our English literature students.

Regards,

Rufus

Guest Lecture (best lecture) Invite..:

Dear Students of English Literature,

You are invited for two thought-provoking and enlightening guest lectures, on Saturday, 22 January 2011.

I Session: 9:30 - 12:30 - Feminism

II Session: 1:30 - 4:00 - Myth and Literature, Literary Theory Today

Both the sessions will have question/answer sessions and coffee breaks.

All ye students with a love for literature, are invited to be a part of the celebrations.

Regards,

Dr.Ganesh, Rufus & Team

Our Deepest Condolences:

We deeply condole the demise of our beloved Professor G.K.Mathews [formerly Head, Dept.of English, and Warden, Selaiyur Hall, Madras Christian College] yesterday afternoon. (13 January). The mortal remains will be at his house in East Tambaram, till 15 January 9 am, after which the funeral will be held at Emmanuel Marthoma Syrian Church, East Tambaram, (near Tambaram Railway Station) at 10 am on 15 January.

A noble heart with a great sense of humour, he was a trendsetter in theatre, and he was celebrated for his mastery of Shakespeare. Always cheerful, he never gave room for any misunderstanding, and the perfect gentleman that he was, he was adored both for his stylized sense of dressing, and for his scholasticism as well. We, as a Department, condole his death. May this noble heart's soul, which lit up noble minds, rest in peace.

Tips for the Assignment on the Book Fair - 2011

"...A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life." John Milton, in Areopagitica

Dear Students,

For your assignment on the Book Fair - 2011 at St.George's Anglo-Indian Hr Sec School grounds, the following tips, i hope, would help you out a lot in making your assignment easily the best.

You are expected to work together in groups of TWO each.

Pay a visit to all the stalls, and single out a few stalls that interest you, and finally narrow down on one particular Stall that you like the most, for reasons close to your heart/mind. 

Now, after selecting your most favourite stall, have a peek into the various books available in your stall (genre wise / category wise), and then grab one lovli book that interests you a lottt... 

Purchase that good book (it can be on any subject under the sun!), and write a review of the book that you have purchased. In addition, make sure that you take a snap standing in front of the book stall,  and dont forget to get a receipt for the book purchased.

Also, make sure that you cover the programs that take place simultaneously in the exhibition grounds, for half-an-hour duration, and give a report on them.

To sum up, 

You are expected to write:

1. your observations on the book exhibition,

2. a description of your favourite book stall,  

3. a review of your favourite book that you purchased in that book stall,

4. your commentary on the parallel sessions that take place at the venue for half an hour's duration.


For a bird's eye view on how to go about doing it, you can get some ideas from the following links:
Ideas on a Book Fair
Ideas on yet another Book Fair

All the very best..!

Regards, 

Rufus

Course Teacher

"Films are also "texts" and hence one can do a linguistic or structural analysis of films, which will be a rewarding experience"

Ludic Inaugural | A Report

Ludic, a forum for film appreciation from the portals of The English Association, MCC, [TEA-MCC] was inaugurated at the Selaiyur Hall Indoor Theatre today, at 12.30 pm. 

Adlin of II MA, gave the opening prayer, and Dr.Felix Moses welcomed the chief guest and the audience. 

Georgina of II MA,  Secretary of the Association, compered the program. Dr.Ganesh, the President of the English Association, introduced Ludic to the staff and students of the Department of English, and announced the screening of "To Kill a Mockingbird," based on the classic Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, a legendary movie, uniquely strong and sensitive about racism and the ways of the Old South during the Depression in the 1930s. 

Dr.Ganesh, introducing Ludic

This film, he added, is a sequel to a Guest Lecture by Dr. Geetha, Fatima's College, Madurai, on African American Literature, that was held on 04 December 2010 for our English literature students. You may want to read that past post HERE on our blog.

Dr. Dwight sharing his thoughts on Ludic

The chief guest of the day, Dr. Dwight Atkinson, elucidated on his insightful thoughts for 

Ludic.

"Films are also "texts" and hence one can do a linguistic or structural analysis of films, which will be a rewarding experience, he said. 

Commenting on an extensive survey on the movie watching styles of American and Greek women, he said that American women analysed movies technically - they were more interested in the science of film making, while the Greek women looked upon a movie as a story of human experience, and watched it in the hope of obtaining a better human understanding. 

Exhorting the students to engage the experts in conversation, he said that, it is not necessary that you abide by the film expert's opinions alone. It is equally important to engage the expert in a dialogue, for arriving at a comprehensive understanding of the same. 

Quoting the French philosopher and literary theorist Lyotard, who said that "invention is always born of dissension," he said that all original film making is born out of some disagreement with the existing scheme of things. 

Finally, he ended with an ardent thought that each and everyone of us will become an expert in the art of film appreciation, and an earnest desire that we watch films that are more contemporary and relevant to our everyday lives, even while watching the classics, which he said, he offered in the spirit of "ludicness". 

Ludic - Inauguration - Reg:

  

LUDIC Invites You...



Dr.Dwight

You are Invited

for the Inauguration of

Ludic,

a forum for film appreciation,

at 12.30 pm on Tuesday, 04 January 2010, 

in the Selaiyur Hall Indoor Theatre,

to be held under the aegis of the English Association, Dept of English, MCC.

Dr.Dwight Atkinson, Purdue University, USA, will inaugurate the forum.

 

Dear Students,

May the dawning of this New Year, fill your heart with new hopes,

open up new horizons and bring for you promises of brighter tomorrows.

May you have a great New Year 2011.

Regards and all best wishes, Rufus 

Day- II of the Poetry-Film Festival @ MCC

Poetry Recital in Progress @ Sel Hall Guest Room

Day II of the Poetry Film fest at MCC, saw two renowned poets reciting from their anthology of poems. The program started at 11.45 am and saw some forty enthusiastic students who cheered, encouraged and also quizzed the poets.

Menka Shivdasani, founder member of the Poetry Circle, which began in Mumbai in 1986, read out some of her best-loved poems sonorously. Her first book of poems, 'Nirvana at Ten Rupees, was published by XAL-Praxis in 1990, and was described by Bruce King as "one of the best first books of poetry to appear during the 1990s". One of the best poems in her recital, was the one titled, "Schoolgirl No More" which goes like this:

Excerpts from the Lecture of Prof.K.Latha @ MCC..:

Prof.K.Latha gave an enlightening lecture on Indian literature in English – from end 19 century onwards, detailing on a whole generation of important and globally known writers who preceded Independence - Tagore, Aurobindo, Sarojini Naidu, Toru Dutt, Michael Madhusudana Dutt, etc.

She touched upon Bruce King, who maps uncharted territory, provides ideas toward a poetics of Indian poetry in English, in his pioneering book "Modern Indian Poetry in English", where he asserts that Indian poetry in English has been heading towards a canon. ["a canon of Indian English poetry has been forming.."]

Students in rapt attention @ a NET Preparatory Lecture by Prof.Latha @ Martin Hall, today

Poetry Film Fest @ MCC..:

Excerpts from the Poetry Film Festival @ Martin Hall, today

Director Priya, alumnus, Dept of English, interacting with students @ Sel Hall

Guest Lecture V - Invite..:

Dear Students of English Literature,

You are invited for a Guest Lecture, as part of your preparations for the UGC-NET exams, on "A Panoramic View of Indian Literature in English," by Prof.Ms.K.Latha, Asst Professor of English, Stella Maris College, at 3 pm on Wednesday, 15 December 2010 at Martin Hall Auditorium. All ye students with a love for literature are cordially invited.

Regards and all best wishes,
Rufus

THE ZEBRA POETRY FILM FESTIVAL @ MCC

The English Association, Madras Christian College,

&

Prakriti Foundation, Chennai, in collaboration with the Goethe Institue Max Mueller Bhavan

proudly present

THE ZEBRA POETRY FILM FESTIVAL at Madras Christian College

which will be held in

Martin Hall Auditorium

on 15 December 2010 at 11:45 am

All Film and Poetry Enthusiasts are Welcome..!

"Roman Fever" - Critical Appreciation

“Roman Fever” – Edith Wharton – A Critical Appreciation

Edith Wharton was born near Washington Square to wealthy and distinguished parents rooted in colonial times. She was educated privately at home and abroad acquiring an early command of foreign languages and an easy familiarity with English and continental society. Her first writings were poems published anonymously in 1880. At 23, she married Edward Wharton of Boston. They lived, at first, in New York city, then successively in New Port, Rhode Island and Lennox, Massachusetts, with frequent visits to Europe. In 1907 she settled permanently in France.

Her ethical sense, her poetic sensibility and compression were evident in her first collection of stories – The Greater Inclination (1899). Her other works include – The Valley of Decision (1902), The Descent of man (1904), The House of Mirth (1905), Ethan Frome (1911), The Fruit of the Free (1915) and The Tales of Men and Ghosts (1910). The Tales of Men and Ghosts contains some of her best stories of the supernatural. During the war years she gave much of her energy to the organisation of relief activities. Fighting France (1915) and The Main (1918) are war novels. After the war Edith Wharton returned to New York. The Age of Innocence (1920), her greatest novel, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and has remained a landmark.

Edith Wharton’s stories were centered upon the changing society of New York city during her own lifetime. She viewed this genteel, formalised society with a woman’s eye; and being primarily a satirist, she was interested in the dynamics of the society itself.

The setting of the short story “Roman Fever” is important, simply because it symbolises the emotional state of the two principal characters – Mrs. Alida Slade and Mrs. Grace Ansley. The setting revives memories for “two American ladies of ripe but well-cared for middle age.” They have come back to Rome for a holiday in the company of their younger daughters.

“What different things Rome stands for to each generation of Travellers,” says Mrs.Slade. “To our grandmothers, Roman fever, to our mothers, sentimental dangers – to our daughters, no more dangers than the middle of Main Street.” The setting, Rome, with its bewitching skies that turn gold in the afternoon and purple at sunset once again affect the two matrons, latterly widowed. Sitting on the lofty terrace of their Roman Restaurant they are visibly stirred by the “Spring effulgence of the Roman skies”. They contemplate the view in silence with a “diffused serenity,” each lost in her thoughts.

Dr.Geetha, giving illustrations, in her lecture on African American Literature