Soniah: It takes a book to write a book

David Mitchell on the genesis of his Booker nominated Cloud Atlas.

Soniah: Getting your Book Published

When I first started writing, self-publishing a book, disparagingly known as going the Vanity Press Way, was the worst way to get published. Today it has garnered a slight amount of respectablity on account of some self published authors, MJ Rose for instance, doing so well that a publishing house published their next book. I suppose then it's not so much that Vanity Press is still considered a 'rexpectable' way to go as much as per se the way to break into the field and get yourself noticed...if of course your book sells well...and the way to have your book sell well is agressive publicity...which it how it sells well for the traditional publishing house also.

Soniah: PacMan Shot

A Pakistani man was recently shot to death because he apparently desecrated the Quran. The mob mentality is a killer in any case and a scary entity to face. My best friend was driving me to the Lahore airport many years ago (before PacMan turned into the downwithitdisco it is these days) and we happened to get stuck in a Jamiat rally- green turbaned men let loose on the road shouting and what not. We were doomed in our tank tops and denims and cursed ourselves for not carrying a duppata. I additionally cursed myself for not staying true unto death to my dupatta less ideals. Turned out a Jamiat leader was arriving at the ariport and this was the welcoming comittee and not some group of PacMan determined to do away with western influence and start breaking cars as was done in Punjab Club Lahore one new year's, many many moons ago. But enough of the past, PacMan is now a downwithitdisco, except for the poor dude who got shot.

Soniah: Fatwas

Salman Rushdie is now a frequent flier back to India. The fatwa that so claimed journalist's pens having died down, somewhat. But like this interveiw opens 'If you've probabaly heard of Rushdie's name it's because it's linked with the Ayatollah of Iran.
Too bad not the Booker prize or a title of a book he's written. Rushdie also tells us why they've died down as well as giving writers a bit of advice.

Soniah: Diets etc...etc...

How many women waste precious days of their lives worried about thier hips and thighs and bellies and double chins. I suppose it is healthy to not have rolls of fat hanging down one's bumbum but is it really all that healthy psychologically to crave being as thin as Jennifer Aniston or Calista Flockhart aka Ally McBeal?
Personally I think Calista is waaay to thin- the foal thighs syndrome. But there I go again, coming from the other side of fat i.e. too thin looks ugly . I mean if I was genetically that thin wouldn't I be doign cartwheels somewhere and certainly not writing this here post?
Suppose we were all perfect whether a flat or a fatty fat bumbum. Suppose we could be roly poly midgets or big and tall giantesses and still look in the mirror and see no flaws. Imagine how much time one would devote to other worries in life. What would those other worries be that would consume as much time, thought, and heartache as being thin does?

Soniah: children of sexual writers

Very interesting article by Meg Wolitzer on the children of writers both who borrow their children's lives and those who merely write about sex, and how kids in school can have a field day with that one.