If you are anywhere in the vicinity of Boston, check out these two fine author readings.

First up is S. Mitra Kalita on November 8. She will be reading from her book Suburban Sahibs: Three immigrant families and their passage from India to America.

The book reading and discussion, sponsored by the South Asian Journalists Association-Boston, will be at 12 noon on the MIT campus. Room 105 in building 2 (2-105). This is in the right wing of the main building when you face it on Memorial Drive. Easy access also from Mass. Ave. or Ames Street entrances.

Directions to the Venue

Directions to MIT

Next is Taslima Nasrin, the controversial Bangladeshi writer. She will read from her new book, My Exile: The Past is Not Another Country, on November 12.

Lajja, or Shame, published in 1993 is perhaps her most controversial book in which she describes the atrocities against minority Hindus in Bangladesh following the riots in India. It's a harrowing account of one family trying to survive in the land they love. The book got her banned from Bangladesh and a conservative group called the Soldiers of Islam issued a death warrant, or fatwa in 1993.

The lecture and discussion is sponsored by the Tufts Center for South Asian and Indian Ocean Studies and co-sponsored by the Tufts History Department and SAJA-Boston.

Where: Room 204, Cabot Intercultural Center, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

When: 5 p.m.

A reception with light refreshments along with a discussion will follow the presentation.

Directions: Click here for directions to the Tufts campus.

Please contact: Neilesh Bose, 617.627.3558 for more information

[Read more…]

I am really not sure who said that. But it is hard not to hear the spin out of Washington these days without wondering – have we heard it all yet? Is there more of this double-talk coming our way? What new rationale for the war in Iraq will they spit out at us? As citizens of the world do we not have the basic human right to challenge the policies and the practices of our government?

Politics and international relations aren't for the faint at heart. NYTimes op-ed writer Tom Friedman's book Longitudes and Attitudes offers one perspective. Meanwhile, here is another – Lakshmi Chaudry, a prolific writer and political scientist, has co-authored a book, The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq. She and her co-authors Robert and Christopher Scheer may have just given us what we need to begin questioning the current illusionary path we are on. Her writing can be found here and here. (Via Sreenath Sreenivasan)

Om Malik, blogger-writer-thinker extrordinaire has had a book out for some time about the telecom industry. One of his blogs – Not Really Indian – is a must read (listed under Desi Blogs to the right).

The Economist just called his book, “Broadbandits: Inside the $750 billion Telecom Heist,” the most entertaining of all the books on the topic. Go out and buy it. Or better yet, check the Writer's Nook in the left column of this blog to find his book and buy it through Amazon.com. You'll be supporting this site and Om.