Read it with Rasheeda

Assalamu Alaikum dear reader friends..!! And my dear students!! At last.. Alhamdulillah.. I’m back… I’m back… I’m baaaacckkk!!!! Today I’ve come here with an intention to discuss about the “Roaring Twenties” which was a landmark of modernism in the history of America. The 1920’s and 1930’s were characterized by various movements, wars, and rebellions which resulted in a sudden rise of knowledge and creativity. Friends, do you not agree with me when I say that deep emotions and sufferings result in works of great aesthetic value? Yes..!! Similarly, today we are discussing such a period of modernity in America which shakes the very foundations of art and artistry in the history of America. We can so relate to our contemporary times with this age of transition and Renaissance in America. In American literature we call this the “Jazz Age”. The age was characterized by shifting dance and music styles. The ‘Jazz’ is a kind of music which is a combination of European and African styles. It wa...

Assalamu Alaikum my dear reader friends!! I've been so intrigued to write a post on this wonder novel, "Frankenstein" , written by Mary Shelley in 1818. I came across this absorbing article in The New Yorker , which was published to honour the bicentennial of this globally acclaimed book "Frankenstein" . [Thank you Dr. Anwar for sharing with us the article @Readers' Rendezvous ]. The article speaks of the motif behind the emergence and the reign of the novel, which has triggered criticism of many sorts, all these years. Being a scholar who's got "a nose for the new!", I couldn't resist but buy myself a copy of this critically devoured novel. Some say, the book was inspired from a short-fiction writing competition, held within the literary elite including Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley and John Polidori. Some biographers have made a note that Mary Shelley has etched this story as an aftermath of her first-born baby's death. ...

Assalamu Alaikum dear reader friends! This is my humble attempt of modifying Robert Frost's "MENDING WALL" into a technified version... Hope y'all would enjoy reading the post... Here it goes.. Have fun!! "MENDING WORD" Something there is that doesn't love a word, That makes a Gboard to glide-autocorrect-delete, And spins the meanings with no reason; And mends the word “two”, as “twist”. The work of emojis is another thing: I have mistook the “happy” one for “despair” Which I had forwarded to one friend after the other, But they seem to get the idea easily Of how to “hate” or “please” with this Omgrofl stuff! The words I mean, No one has learnt them or heard of them in high school, But at the chatrooms, statuses, or Instagram pavilions, we find them there. I sought my friend beyond the screen; And on a day we login to find the cure And set right the dictionary at least between us. We keep fluctuating words as we go....

ETHICS, SCIENCE, AND SCIENCE FICTION By Nancy Kress A very interesting and intriguing report Nancy Kress gives us on the role of Science Fiction( SF ) , in mending our realities. She very lucidly pulls out examples of different SF works, and elucidates in simple language, the impact of the writers on predicting the plausibilities of our future. She begins by defining SF as a “near-future story or novel” that takes a serious note of what is to be done with today’s available technological and scientific advancements. From movies like Star Wars and Star Trek , to works of magic realism by Borges and Garcia Marquez , Science Fiction is a very big galaxy, dealing with stories of space adventure, scientific puzzle, engineering speculation, and social extrapolation, with media tie-ins, explains Kress. Science Fiction raises many ethical questions on prevailing conditions of technology on how it is used, applied, and the outcomes of its role in the society. These ethical dilemm...

I am a half boiled  Millennial.. I live with Androids Alas! Androids were Not my childhood friends. Punk I was, Punker I am, Punked I would be… Living and lavishing With half-sung radios In full-priced gadgets. Losing myself.. My Self-- I am! I am a half priced Module.. An unsung OTP! --by Rasheeda Madani