The Chronicle of the Editor’s wandering mind
Summer in a Coral House & the miniature humanlike creatures called children.
By Asheka Troberg.
Summer in a coral house!! This I thought would make a great title for a novel. I had been ruminating over whether the plot should be a romantic or detective. I basically like comedy the most. So why would comedy be ruled out? This was a major thing to mull over. And I got stuck right there. Yesterday I felt a cool breeze of August suggesting summer is nearing it’s end. I was sad I had not written a single line of my summer novel. I know good novelists pack their baggage to go to a new location, even live in an anaconda infested rain forest just to be able to write a novel. I am just about that adventurous. At least in my mind. So when we moved to this Coral house I became optimistic thinking I would write something and finish it this summer in the Coral house. Well the location might be right here in Kensignton and the water might be some 10 miles away from us, it still is a coral house. Moreover, now I don’t need to be in little Italy and sit under their outside marquee with an Irish coffee to observe people walk past me with my best people observing pal Patty. Now I observe people (pedestrians) from the veranda of the coral house in the comfort of my home. I am usually quiet and posses a very innocent face, so people don’t mind me staring. I have cautiously and lovingly put aside my thought on writing a novel in the iron safe of my mind. Someday I plan to take that thought out. It may not happen in a Coral house but maybe by the great pyramids or on the top of Machu Pichu or maybe by a slum of Agra from where I will observe the Great Taj. But I know for sure it will happen. And then when the time is right I will think of the title the last.
In my teen age two stories in high school text book made permanent marks in my mind. One was “the monkey’s paw” which was a bit to the scary side. The next was the gift of Magi. Della and Jim’s story of love and giving in the Gift of magi almost serenaded me at the time. I am sure I had read about the writer of the story as that was the practice in our school. But at that time New York was not something I had much interest in. It was just a big hum drum city across Atlantic that I never set foot on. So to me at the time Pete’s Tavern in Manhattan would be very inconsequential and so it did not stay in my mind. The other day when we were talking about short stories, someone mentioned that the gift of Magi’s creator O’Henry had written the story at a booth at the Pete’s Tavern, Manhattan. I became very curious. More to my surprise I found out that Pete’s Tavern might be the oldest continuously operating tavern in NewYork City. I have now two reasons to visit this place and I must do it before the summer goes away completely.
Since moving in to this place, the veranda has become my favorite. Stefan hung the kerosene lantern (from last summer’s camping) from the ceiling. We sit in the veranda to observe the pedestrians. The hippie hair fellow, the Biker guy with a Harley Davidson, the old lady with yellow and orange hair and many more people. There is an apartment building few yards away from my bedroom. In the morning when I am getting ready for office, I hear an affectionate father saying good buy to his little son every day. The other day I heard the little voice passionately singing to his dad.
Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do
I have a perfect puzzle for you
Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-dee
If you are wise, you'll listen to me
I instantly remembered this song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A song to be sung with passion indeed!! My respect for the little singer became more just for him being able to pick up the tune. I think children are human like miniature creatures. I tell my belief to people and some don’t understand why I say that. They (children) have their own ways, views about life, they like a gang of little people dancing for them singing the Oompa Loompa song. There are many other fanatical things they like that we don’t understand. Their conversation totally intrigues me. I therefore like to observe their conversation as well.
The other day we were at a family party where the eleven year old girl (who boastfully claims to be a pre-teen) had a funny incident with the 5 year old little girl. There were 3 young girls aged 11, 5 and 4 who were allowed to play in the host’s bedroom. The 5 year old adorable little girl insisted that the 4 year old was too young for their conversation. The pre-teen at this point was amazed to see the 5 year’s maturity but was not sure what to think of it. When the smallest girl left the room, the 5 year old declared, “Let’s talk dirty”. This startled the pre-teen, immediately followed by an urge to crack up and roll in laughter at the smaller girl’s dirty talk. She showed a nail polish and said to the 11, “this is a nail polish, I will now put on nail polish. Don’t tell my mommy”. The pre-teen had said to me that she forcefully refrained herself from cracking up until the 5 year old left the room. Yeah these little ones are comedians, serious talkers, political and many more and not to mention cute. Often times I have subconsciously thought a seal of Toy’s r us might be found somewhere on them. But by all means they are mini intellectual creatures!!! Enough about my fancy for little rugrats and their ritualistic radical behavior.
This summer has been good to Brooklynvoice. Stefan and I had spent a lot of our time for Brooklynvoice. I have spent all my free time on designing, writing, drawing, going to events for the sake of Brooklynvoice. The contentment was in being recognized. The other day Stefan and I were at the bank. We shared our Brooklynvoice business card with the bank executive. The gentleman looked at the card and said, “oh yes I know Brookyn voice”. There!! Those few words were like tune in our ears. Our friends have done plenty for us, telling to others about us, putting good words for us and Brooklynvoice, introducing us to creative, talented people, inviting us to events etc. I am thankful to my family and friends for telling me few words of inspiration, so I would continue doing this Brooklynvoice project. This made me think they are by our side. I firmly believe that has been our main capital during this journey.
I have been thinking to write a piece explaining what Brooklyn voice is. What is the Genre Brooklynvoice fall in. I had been in events basically invited by friends and family where I was pretty much put on the spot. With a mike in my hand I tried to put together some unorganized sentences about Brooklynvoice. Though I think I am at my best unprepared and impromptu, I was not happy with my explanation. The questions came in many fold and I am thankful to all who had thrown the questions towards me. Because that makes me think and dig my own thoughts.
Brooklyn voice is a socio cultural literary magazine. I always called Brooklynvoice a Literary magazine. But something was missing. Not too long ago my father after reading Brooklynvoice asked me if Brooklynvoice was a “socio cultural magazine”. That’s it I had thought, that is exactly what Brooklynvoice is. While I have been thinking he has pointed out to me what the magazine is all about. And I love the vibe of the classification. I had once published one issue of a magazine in my Law department in Chittagong along with my then best friend Nawreen (who now is a barrister and teaches law in some law school in oxford). We had named the magazine, “Ab Initio” because it meant “void from The Beginning”. There is more to the story behind it, stubbornness, show off, friendly competition etc. The magazine was sponsored by my father’s pocket. That year (after my 1st year in the department) I left the uni and came to NY. Personally for me Brooklynvoice is a life time passion, and unfinished avocation.
Brooklynvoice is a magazine which was established by Stefan and I during November 2007. Around March 2008 we formalized the legal registrations for this magazine. During my stay in Brooklyn I could not help notice an air of coziness possibly because of trees, a lot of children everywhere, musicians, poets, writers etc. At one point I had asked myself are all this just in my mind. Maybe because I had found peace here in Brooklyn and that is why everything here seems different to me. I had tried to tell myself that Brooklyn is in my mind. But usually I have a very good intuition. And I was confirmed about my impression on Brooklyn.
Few days ago I had come across an essay “I write in Brooklyn, get over it” written by author Colson Whitehead published in The New York Times on March 3rd, 2008. In this very appealing essay the writer states that Brooklyn is just a place. He gets invited to do panels with other Brooklyn writers to discuss what it’s like to be a writer in Brooklyn. And he does not quite understand the hype. Since I am an ambidextrous, my logical left brain tends to agree with him. My other side of the brain says no there might be just a bit more to it. I am just one good example. I had spent 7 years in Queens with out writing a single line, neither did I draw. Brooklyn has inspired me once again to write and draw and create Brooklynvoice. So there might be something in the Brooklyn air. But now the business side of my brain says, I might just as well start bottling Brooklyn air and sell them on Ebay. You know anything on Ebay sells like hot cake.
So I concluded that Brooklyn is truly a state of mind. Whether Brooklyn influences the state of mind or vice versa, that remains a question in my mind. Here young car owners spend big money to have Brooklyn written on big specialty stickers on a special Brooklyn font to display on their car. Sometimes they are so big that they becomes an obstacle for driver’s vision and rear view. But Style comes first and I totally agree with that. I am glad that Stefan shares the same passion for Brooklyn as mine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |