Interval

I have been meaning to do this for a while now. Haven't got down to it
for no real reasons. This one's about Interval.

Interval's about a nameless boy with no head.(i.e it isn't drawn) How that happened is less profound than I would like to be; I drew the rest of him,eyes,nose and all, and found that I couldn't finish up the head in a way that satisfied me, so I said -
Hmmmmm.he doesn't need to have a head,does he?

S does the writing and she rocks,needless to say. Among other things, Interval is about the pains of keeping one's canvas shoes white, spinach more traumatized than it's eater, the grandparent who's 80 going on 5, the severe but kind P.T Sir, the girl next door you have a crush on before you know you do, and a mother who tells her son he doesn't have to like the birthday girl to eat her cake. (She knows he secretly likes her,though.)

It has hot punch dialogue and just enough parentheses.It's effortlessly moving and
funny,two things writing for the comic form should be,if it possibly can.

It's the last cookie you didn't know was there. Sometimes, I save it up for the end , and after everything else is done, work on it top speed. Other times, I do it slowly.Savouring every bit.

It makes me want to get better at everything.


N.

Just Peanuts

Yesterday, I was at N's place because I needed very badly to believe in the goodness of tragedy and what it does to the soul. There must be some point to why life gets progressively worse as we grow older. As we graduate from classrooms to cubicles, from one kind of box to another, from one kind of chair to another, from one kind of lunch box to another...there must be some reason to these boxes. These endless patterns that we weave out like lotus eaters, too drugged to stop, too supine to protest.

I promise to be less elegiac from this point.

So N suggested that I read Peanuts. And I did. I took the book home and I read strips from it till I fell asleep. Schulz has this immense ability to make you laugh while wincing. It is amazing that a lone, depressed man could sit day after day and work on these strips all by himself. It is amazing that he could draw as well as he could write. That Charlie Brown's talent for failure couldn't have been drawn in any other way. That tragedy should be so funny. I love Linus's tiny T-shirt with horizontal stripes. Lucy's lectures. The impossible loveliness of the little red-haired girl (a girl Schulz was in love with in real life). Snoopy's typewriter. It is incredible that a man of such genius should have been depressed. The book has little notes by Schulz...his inspirations for a particular strip, an anecdote. A sliver of memory. Remembered pain. Love.

Is Peanuts children's literature? The main characters are all children, but the issues he engages with are ones that are rarely found in children's literature. Though they are very much part of childhood, a phase in life when you are not allowed to make any decisions. It is only as one becomes an adult, a person who HAS to make decisions, that one realizes the beautiful gift of indecision that we were once blessed with.

You might not get everything about Peanuts as a child-reader. It's one of those rare pieces of literature that changes before your eyes every time you read it because you have changed. Every time you read it, you unravel a secret about yourself. A smile you never knew you had. If children's literature should have magic, what bigger magic than this? A strip that grows with you. Changes with you. Understands your pain. Owns your failures. Makes you laugh. Teaches you wisdom.

I don't know why the red-haired girl in Schulz's life refused him. In a way, she did great because Peanuts wouldn't be Peanuts if she hadn't. Thank god she was insane.

S

Goodies from the Book Fair!!!!!!

More Madelines:





And guess what??Now I have all of them!!!!HA!

Harry the Dirty Dog,



which I have been wanting for AGES.

And also, a Shel Silverstein :)

My copy of Night Noises And Other Mole and Troll Stories used to belong to Craig Yaroch, who has written his name in very fine blue print, on the inside page. I thought it appropriate to thank him for this piece of neatness. Thanks, Craig Yaroch!

In four little episodes with no apparent plot, few words and intricate black-and-white pencil sketches, the affection between the whimsical, impetuous Mole and the wide-eyed,dependable Troll is told in a refreshingly light-hearted way. This book doesn't stick its friendship badge out a mile. (Unlike those that feature bambi inspired, identical, retch yellow bunnies/bears/pigs with psychedelic pink noses, romping on simply too much countryside.) You know, the fun 'n' (not even 'and') frolic kind.

When Mole wishes on a clover, his practicality and fancifulness is tickling. "I wish I had someone to tell me, when my fur needs combing!" He tells Troll, who overwhelmed by his friend's exuberance, listens, keeping a safe distance. When Troll has a toothache, it takes Mole's ingenuity to invent an 'Old Mole Family Way' and Troll's trollness to have faith in it. And the selfishness, the indignance, the taking for granted also has its space here, which I like very much.

The Mole and Troll Adventures are now out-of-print so for all the picture book buffs reading this, if you happen to see them at a book sale, even if the cover has spotting or the binding is damaged, pick it up!

My second hand books man mailed and said they've got lots of Gallico - do I want?Yes, I want!!!!!

YAY!

N

Madeline's dearer to me because I almost didn't pick it up. If its droll verse doesn't get you, the illustrations will - which look like Bemelmann popped into an unruly art class in a school and smuggled some willing kids back into his studio. The unstudied roughness and criss-crossing of lines, the ease with which certain colours acquire more importance than others, the unfussy lines and scribbles that make everything from a ripple to a skyline dynamic, how perfectly natural it is that noses aren't drawn on the faces of Madeline and the other little girls! - I can't stop looking at the book.

One of my favourite images, one that recurs throughout the series, is that of Mrs. Clavel, the governess, rushing to the girls' bedroom because she's got that sneaky feeling that something isn't quite right.



It isn't just the inspired childlikeness that makes it lovable but Bemelmann's lively perspective, which has captured the urgency of this moment so wonderfully.Each time I look at this page, I just marvel at the way he makes one travel the length of the corridor Clavel is on.

FatCat Stars: For its blend of comedy and warmth and for all the sights of Paris that fill the pages. (The landmarks are listed at the back too!)

N

Where the Wild Things Are is for every child and every adult who remembers being the kind of child who bit someone not-so lovingly and with a grin that wasn't worshipped.

Sendak's easy and loving treatment of the dark side of children aside, few other picture books so effortlessly unlock for its readers, their memory keys: it is impossible to read this book without remembering being mutinous. Fights with family, the comfort of rebellion, usually realized underneath beds, hatching plots featuring oneself in outlandish places, with or without SFX. Losing track of time as tables turned upside down became ships and bedsheets were employed in a manner one imagined was grand and it stopped mattering what a pirate really looked like because you had more important things to do: such as being the first to set down the rules. Rules with the illusion of complexity so that everyone could argue over it later, and some smartypants could say, "Look, technically, I am not out because..." Followed by much joyful bickering.

And then, there were the games we invented and played alone to amuse ourselves, the ones that were kaleidoscopes on a long, hot afternoon.

FatCat Stars:

For Max, the hero: what a gleeful, wicked, authoritative, endearing child.

For its artwork: capturing through apertures, large and small, these wild things.

N

The FatCat Stars

The FatCat Stars (big, yellow, shiny ones) go out to the picture books that we know backwards and love to bits.

The ones that you're seized with a desire to read in the middle of the night or especially, when you don't have them on you.

The ones that make you trace your name on their covers, wishing you'd written them.

The ones, whose pictures sink right into your eyes and stay, and you just feel thankful.

The ones that you walk in and out of - and each time you turn the pages differently, each time you are new.

The ones that you hold onto; fiercely, possessively, lovingly - your copy being irreplaceable. (Rejects from American libraries with the library card stuck at the back, with handwritten entries of names and dates. The spotless second hand that an idiot threw away, luckily for you.)

The ones that loved ones must read to complete your reading experience.

I begin with Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon, a personal favourite, for reasons I can't stop counting. The shape of Harold's head, for instance. Round, moony, slightly oversized and ipso facto, perfect. In his fist, Harold holds his purple crayon; companion, compass and fellow wanderer. (Also, delightfully disproportionate to his tiny hand.)

Armed with his crayon, Harold decides to go for a walk. The book traces his journey through the evening and night - how Harold creates worlds with his crayon, meanders, gets lost and finds his way back.

FatCat Stars:

For its brilliant, minimal text.

For Harold's unusual sense of direction, his dilemmas and the imaginative trials he faces and triumphs.

For the crayoniness of the purple crayon.

N

If you want to order...

Click Aana and Chena.

I got my copy yesterday and I feel like a prince.

S

Publishers

Every writer wants a publisher who will fall in love with his/her manuscript, whip out a cheque for a million bucks, and then allow him/her to grow bad hair and become an eccentric.

Sadly, it's Kaliyuga, buddy.

Here are some categories of publishers you are likely to encounter on your quest to own legitimate bad hair.

a. Clueless and Daft: This group just happens to have the money. They have no idea about content, their audience, the market, or what they are here for. They are likely to ask your opinion about everything- what should the page look like, what size should the book be, what promos can we do etc. They'll make you feel mighty important and in charge, but are likely to screw up your work. It isn't the writer's or illustrator's business to figure out production details- if your publishers appears to be clueless, don't bother laughing at their daft jokes. Not worth the effort. Run.

b.Clueless and Rude: This group just happens to have the reputation. They have a vague idea about content i.e., recipe books sell well even during recession etc. They are here to get you to invest your money so they can make some profits. If your publishers want money from you to publish your work, find out if they are genuine. Do they know what they are trying to sell? Make up difficult questions about your work and don't be afraid to ask them. It's your money, dammit!! This group is likely to pretend to be know-it-alls. They will employ a condescending tone and make you feel bad about your hair. Not worth the emotion.

c.Uppity and Unhelpful: This group has a wonderful reputation. Is likely to have produced some marvellous literature in the past but has grown complacent and royal like a bunch of queens inside an eggshell. They will respond to your interest emails with Warm Regards but will turn their nose up when you ask them a genuine question. They are likely to be uninterested in any of your works since they are busy travelling to book fairs around the world to showcase Indian Tribal Art. Punch.

d. Uppity and Uncle-ji: This group is patronizing. Like an Uncle who makes a show of his kindness. They'll pretend to 'share and care', be supportive, offer intellectual suggestions and ultimately ditch you because their limited and exclusive editorial calendar only permits them to publish the work of exiled Iranian women.

e. Capitalists: This group knows the publishing industry very well and doesn't care if your work is shit...as long as it will sell. So if you have an interesting sex life or if you've written books about Shah Rukh Khan's dog, you'll have no problems with this bunch. You make money, they make money, everyone's happy. Unless, you are a prude who'd rather not choose this path.

f. Utopia: This group is extremely rare. They understand content, their audience, the market, the business, and the artists/writers. And they have principles. They pay fair, put a great amount of effort into producing your work (you are done after sending the ms), are enthusiastic about it and take pains to ensure that you have a good working relationship. If you find one such publisher, stick on. They are likely to be selective but it will be a pleasure to work for them.

S

A Royal Elephant

A small Royal Elephant called Rosemary seen from a distance. Since it's Friday and all, I decided to do two works of art.

S

The FatCat

This is the famous FatCat drawn on Paintbrush because I don't feel like talking to the Scanning Man just now. It's not as beautiful as it is on paper, but you just have to live with that.

If you are an arty personality who is going to dislike my FatCat, I suggest you eat a banana.

S

Some of our work

This is a picture book series we brought out with Think Big Books. I did the writing and N did the illustrations. Most characters are based on people we know...who are all a little animal, really.

This is a picture book that N wrote for Tulika. It's a bilingual and is available in 7 languages.

This is a picture book that I wrote for Tulika. It should hit the stands soon. It's a bilingual and will be available in 8 languages.

S

You Should Know...

...that we FatCats don't believe in inner cats, only in ones that can
sit, scratch, stretch, bite, purr and leap onto a piece of paper.

The original FatCat, as drawn by S, was impossibly
lovely because S insisted on drawing, when she couldn't.

N

Edit: The FatCat is a doodle that I excel at. I frequently leave FatCat marks when I find a text that gives me joy, much to the general amusement of N and other arty personalities who find the technique faulty but the result lovely. You'll see the FatCat on this blog soon, so hold your breath.

FatCat Books is about discovering and creating children's books that give joy. That is the connection. Memorize it. It's a question that your children might be asked in quiz contests tomorrow.

We also share a great belief that cats ought to be fat.

S

The FatCat Story

The founders of FatCat Books are two young women-S and N. The following is a brief profile of these personalities written in third person to impress you:

S: S works for a children's magazine. She has a BA in English from Stella Maris College and an MA in Gender Studies from the University of Sussex. S has written 6 picture books for Think Big Books which are out in the market and 2 picture books for Tulika which will be out soon. S cannot draw, photograph, or sing- all of which N can. S will therefore handle Administration and Accounts to appear equally talented.

N: N works for a children's magazine. She has a BA in English from Stella Maris College. N has illustrated 6 picture books for Think Big Books which are out in the market and has written 2 picture books for Tulika- one of which is out and the other is forthcoming. N illustrates, photographs, sings, and never answers the phone. N will therefore not be the receptionist.

S and N shall henceforth use this space to lay before you their plans for FatCat Books. Welcome.