Monday, Nov 4 2002
Vignettes – a journey through memories by Sunil R Nair
- Shabnam (Sonia)"Dew is to flower is what love is to heart" I am Shabnam (Sonia). Born and raised in Punjab, now settled in Canada. Happily married and blessed with charming boy, Jaison. Only few passions in my life, writing poetry and loving my son is most important one of them. I think poetry is the connection between heart and thoughts. Its a gift in disguise to let out your inner most feelings. Besides all this, I believe in always smiling. Smiling fades your pain. My favorite quote is, "Smiles are evergreen fashion, wear them around and spread them around". Also I adore nature, specially roses."
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About Sunil R Nair
Sunil R Nair is a resident of Pune, a city in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Born in 1972, he completed his graduation in science and post graduation in management from the Pune University. He is a marketing strategies consultant and started his career heading a software startup. Sunil had been a regular contributor to the Times of India and the Indian Express for several years. His work has also appeared in the Asian Age. He used to be active in theatre and has written several short plays. His has scripted a few documentaries for the Educational Media Research Center, Pune, India. Vignettes is his first book, though his poems have been published on NDTv.com. A Death a short story has been selected by the Writersnet World Anthology of Short stories. Si Senor a New York based literary magazine is publishing his work later this year. Sunil has written over 300 poems and is currently working on his first novel, Chatroom Blues, which is to be released soon in India.
For a greater part of the last 13 years Sunil had kept his poetry under wraps and had promised not to ever get it published. His wife persisted and finally in late 2001 he emailed a few of his poems to the Editor at Crystal Dreams Publications. Sarah Schwersenska the publisher was impressed by what she saw and offered to publish a collection of 50 from his body of work.
Sunil says that his style is not deliberate and he writes poetry to satisfy some inner need for him to expel all that he sees around him. He moves the memories from his mind to paper and that’s the reason why Vignettes is called a Journey though memories. He was not always a writer and started only when he was in college and has written several hundred poems, which he is sure will see the light of the day as a collection, now that his work has been appreciated all over.
About Vignettes – a journey through memories.
Vignettes – a journey through memories, is a collection of 50 poems written over a period of 10 years. It is a walk through the days of the poet, the world around him through his eyes and translated into words. Vignettes are a very visual collection of words etched carefully, it is not a collection to be read in a hurry, it is to be savored, reread and enjoyed. Every time you read the verses you will discover a part of you reflected in its deep stillness. From the very first poem – Mornings, the collection takes you through a kaleidoscope of emotions, taking you with every passing page closer to the authors mind. The book ends with a promise of the author returning with more of his work in the future.
Several people who have read the work have called it “soul poetry” which soothes the inner self and makes them close their eyes and imagine that they are floating along the a mighty river, seeing and assimilating all the visual imagery.
A few comments from people around the world who have previewed Vignettes:
Sunil has produced a beautiful book of free verse poetry. It's not an easy quick read because it delves (as the title states) into the poet's memories and images in his mind.
Sunil deftly produces verbal images of the world around him in his native India. The poems reflect the people, places, and his emotions as a struggling poet.
I particularly liked the poem "The Poet" because it expressed the frustrations that I often feel when faced with an empty page and images that I cannot express to the outside world.
"Death of a Day" is a short analogy of a day from dawn to sunset compared to a human life. I found this to be an intriguing and thought provoking concept.
Sunil's poem "Every Moment" sums up his love of writing poetry when he says quote:
Every moment is an Author
Every moment a poet
My Stay, my youth, my identity"
He aptly ends this charming book with a promise of more to come:
"I continue my pursuit of verses."
A great addition to anyone's poetry collection. Highly recommended.
Wendy Laing
Wendy Laing is an Australian writer and has a number of books to her credit.
Vignettes exposes the power, sensitivity, and depth of the writer’s soul beautifully described in words of gossamer fibers. A truly spiritually enriching experience.
Whenever hubris effects me, I will be content to know that I have known you, Sunil and your work.
Sla'gn-agat
John Harrington Burns, USA.
Author of "Hidden Treasures" "First Bite" and "Little Lenny Nightlight" (a children's fable)
http://www.grannydragon.com/Weyr/books/SoundOff/burns/burns.html
www.authorsden.com/johnhburns
Dear Sunil,
I have gone through 18 poems. There are two reasons for it:(1) My heart refuses to take too much of load at a time. Needless to state that so far each one has touched my heart.(2) Your vocabulary is extremely powerful. I have to refer dictionary quite often. And I have hardly three hours at my disposal (6.00 PM to 9.00 PM) In this short span of time I think you can imagine how much one can really read and then spend some time in enjoying it by simply closing the eyes and repeating the thought expressed in the poem. That is what is more important for me.
Well Sunil, I can make a true confession to you that you have for the first time generated interest in me for blank verse. So far I used to avoid reading poems in prosaic form. I had a feeling that poems have their own identity. It should have its own rhythm, own depth and something to read in between line. Which some how I had been always missing. In your words - "....The poet Paints verses no one understands.....". But after going through your ‘Vignettes’, I have changed my opinion. Honestly, each and every poem of yours has created ripples of very big circumference. Believe me there is no iota of exaggeration in my statement. Your' Two Moths’ has deeply touched me.
I look forward and also eagerly await the next collection.
Shivdas Ghosal.
Shivdas is based in Bangalore, India and is a connoisseur of theater and literature. He is a wealth of information on modern Bengali works and of Gurudev Tagore’s work
In Vignettes, A Journey Through Memories, a talented writer from India Sunil R. Nair has collected 50 evocative poems. The poems varied subjects include relationships, the harshness of life, human emotions, poverty, hope, and living life with passion, yet common threads of imagery and tone wind throughout, unifying the collection.
Nair writes with a fresh perspective on everyday subjects, bringing
Them to life with vivid descriptive imagery. Images of nature feature
prominently in the poems--flowers, rocks, storms, colors, and especially water. "Like flowers in a temple/scattered at the altar/rays of light/playing truant on the waters." He courageously explores both human failings and experiences we can all relate to and the more personal experience of writing, of exposing part of one's soul to the world.
The philosophical musings in the poems show Nair's unique view of life. The poems flow easily from page to page, and the slow pace inspires contemplation and reflection. "Yes, I am monumental./not of cement, stone or of architectural grandeur./Am a person standing at crossroads with myself./Land marking epochs in lives of many/Yet crumbling slowly to meet the dust." Several poetic gems in Vignettes particularly impressed me.
Readers will find Vignettes an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Andrea Bikfalvy
Andrea is a Michigan,US based writer of immense repute. Andrea now writes children's books. She is a member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
On Amazon.com : Customer Reviews
(Avg. Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.)
poetry at it's best.... touched my soul, September 10, 2002
Reviewer: Ira Chapman from NY, USA :
Vignettes - a journey through memories touched my soul. I had not expected an Indian writer to express thoughts so lucidly in English. The poems range from emotions to growing up. The poet does not try to hide his Indianess, nor does he pretend to be great, he just seems to be one of us.
I particularly loves his Two Moths, it has a touch of poignancy in the choice of words. One of the stanzas that remain with me hours after I read the collection is "..Those who talk of death, seldom take their lives." Reading the collection of 50 short poetry, I knew I was looking at the early works of one of the best new talents of this generation.
I look forward to his next work.
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A few poems from Vignettes – a journey through memories.
Mornings
Mornings, the mists of the ended dreams,
beckoning, calling from within,
The rain, splattering a million drops
Into the expanse of the world
Awakening, the instant realization of the world around.
The chirping of a sparrow and the wetness of a pet dog’s nose.
The young golden sun drops prancing on the dew covered sand.
Impaling itself on the tender morning glories.
Slowly coming back to the real world,
The screams coming from the yet tired body.
Each moment, movement enticing, inviting,
For another hour’s sleep.
Harmony
Like the palanquin, bearing a new bride
Makes it way into a new dawn
So does my life wend its way
Into a new morn.
Yellow sunshine, gilt edged and glowing
Aura around every person
Flute notes floating and mingling with the mist.
New rhythms born out of the morning sounds
Splashed and flung on every branch
Riots of color invading the senses slowly,
Peace, silence and the total oneness
with my world around my aching head.
Slowly tensions flowing away
Harmony –
The return of color,
The end of winter,
The beginning of reunion.
Harmony: my colors from a single shade of black
Passion to live life.
Vignettes of the blue sky
Like flowers in a temple
scattered at the altar
rays of light
playing truant on the waters.
Do not wipe reflections
Away form your face
The lines of old emotions
Lighted in their emotions.
Someone had thrown
The sky, overwrought with storm clouds
in the lake.
But with luck
They turned around
And mingled with the waters,
Churning in turmoil
And what emerged is a color
That tinted you and me.
Someone must have seen
Your cry in anguish
And mixed the vast sky
Into the lake where your tears fell
Deep blue, azures like the seas
Your reflection
Unhindered and clear
In the water mixed with the sky.
The poet
Great flourishes of pen,
Staining paper in black.
Words arranged to give,
Meanings to feelings
Touched inside the heart.
The poet
Paints verses no one understands,
Then stands back and looks on.
From a distance at the pictures.
Realizing with anger:
That what he wrote,
Is worthless in the world.
He vents his anger
Tears the pages
Sets them to flames.
Emotions turning to smoke,
And burning in the pyre
Summer has come
The purple flowers on the road
Have come back,
Yesterday I saw one
On the dusty mud.
In haste
I forgot to pick it up.
When returned
It was crushed to the ground
Wait there is another,
A short distance away.
Surely summer has come back.
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About the publisher:
Crystal Dreams Publication is a Wisconsin, USA based publisher with over 20 authors from all over the world as a part of its portfolio. TW Miller is the owner, publisher and editor of Crystal Dreams. He is an accomplished author with several books of fiction to his credit. Crystal Dreams prides itself as a new age publishing house with its books being made available as eBooks, CDs and in the print form. Books published by Crystal Dreams are now available on Amazon.com Crystal Dreams is now a part of the Crimsonnova Group.
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