An
International Literary Journal
VOLUME
4 NUMBER 1 JUNE 2005
 Edited
by: Dr.
Santosh Kumar
Binding: Paperback
(pp: 480 with a separate section of authors bio)
ISSN: 0972-6004 $25
Availability: In Stock
(Ships within 1 to 2
days)
Publisher: Cyberwit.net,
India
Pub. Date: June 2005
Condition: New
Description: Beyond
all doubt Taj Mahal Review, pp. 480 June
2005 will enable the readers to enter the world of
original creative writings by international
authors. Here is a rich feast of extraordinary
poems and short stories. The poems included in
this issue are devoid of any type of Romantic excess. The poems are harder,
saner, and 'nearer the bone' as Ezra Pound
once said. The short stories included in this
issue deal with a variety of themes: alienation,
man-woman relationships, revolt against the
prevailing social values, spiritual yearning,
inner consciousness of the characters. These
stories are full of precise observation and
characterization, a sincere emotional depth, an
impressive freshness in the presentation of
situations. The
poets in this issue are characterized by a sublime
force of individuality and artistic workmanship of
very impressive images. No doubt, Taj is the
journal for those who love poetry, short story and
the spectacle of some of the best contemporary
writings. It is time to listen to the voice of the
creative authors appearing in this latest issue of
Taj.
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From
The Editor
Welcome
to Taj June 2005! I experienced an ineffable
dejection when Tsunami Terror and waves of
destruction killed so many innocent children and
women in southern India. Countless dead bodies lay
on the beaches as more than 130,000 people died.
This was the country's worst natural disaster.
The question is if a poor country like India can
afford an early warning system to detect such
earthquakes so that the tragic history may not be
repeated. The whole world felt:
A grief without a pang, void, dark, and drear,
A stifled, drowsy, unimpassioned grief,
Which finds no natural outlet, no relief,
In word, or sigh, or tear.
Coleridge, "DEJECTION: AN ODE"
The
death of the Pope left the world's 1.1 billion
Roman Catholics lonely and unhappy. He exuded true
passion for universal love and peace. Special
prayer service were observed in Catholic churches
in Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in India. Pope
John Paul II's daily message transmitted by SMS
on April 2, 2005 says: "Know how to recognize
in the cross the most eloquent sign of the Lord's
mercy."
Another
news that made me unhappy was the sudden passing
away of Arthur Miller (1915-2005) on Feb 11, 2005,
at the age of ninety. He was an intellectual
dramatist, and his best play is All My Sons.
Miller himself said, "The fortress which All
My Sons lays siege to is the fortress of
unrelatedness."
Besides,
the death of Nobel laureate Saul Bellow on April
5, 2005 was a serious loss for all creative
artists. Bellow has been called 'a master of
comic melancholy'. His most famous books are
Dangling Man, Herzog, Humboldt's Gift, Henderson
the Rain King, Seize the Day and The Adventures of
Augie March. How to cope with the modern world of
fret and fury? Bellow answers: "For one
thing, it's the thinking we have to do and all
the judgments we have to make. It's the price of
freedom: make the judgments, make the mental
calls."
Rani
Drew along with her husband John from Cambridge UK
visited my residence in January 2005. We discussed
a lot of things concerned with postmodern creative
writing, sale problems, new poetic techniques, 'concrete'
poetry, disappearance of the author, poetry
workshop, etc. Both are very sincere creative
writers.
The
issue number seven of Taj, June 2005 is devoted to
creative writing, not only in English-speaking
countries, but to literature in English across the
globe. In this issue, I have included all the
poems, short stories and essays I found of real
interest and quality. I trust some of these
writings reveal a social and cultural diversity.
The outpouring of lyrical intensity by the poets
is a very difficult task in the postmodern era,
where we notice the vulgarization of culture by
the onslaught of technocratic dictatorship.
Genuine creative writing also faces the danger of
dissection and deconstruction by New Critics.
Edmund Wilson in "The Critic Who Does Not
Exist" (1928) comments that the modern author
is completely isolated, due to lack of 'intelligent
criticism'. The undisputed fact remains that a
creative artist must seek new forms of expression
for new issues during postmodern era, so that an
authentic portrayal of life, and its multicultural
sensibility is possible.
It
is my great pleasure to acknowledge, with a very
deep sense of gratitude, the help and cooperation
of the contributing artists. Best wishes.
SANTOSH KUMAR
Editor
Sincerely
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