Book Excerpt: ‘Smile, Breathe & laugh
Off a Layoff’
[Precarity of my life was not unique, so I decided
to share in case someone would benefit.]
I have often thought of
writing my memoir. Somehow, I keep putting it off, believing folks might not wish
to read the memoir of an unknown literary figure. Or, unknown any figure! Don’t
I need some national and international awards? Don’t I need accolades and
throngs interested in absorbing eagerly all I share about my life…the lulls,
the climaxes, the runs, the holding on to peace? Also, each time I write a poem
or story, or my just completed novel, the words, lines, paras, stanzas and
pages carry snippets of me, maybe in bits and pieces, but I’m there. Still, of
course, these are fictional by definition.
However, circumstances
compel us occasionally to share our own life, as is, without masking,
alterations or transcribing, with the innate conviction that sharing would not
only be cathartic, but it might help someone in a similar situation.
Between July 2011 and
January 2012, in a short span of six months, I was laid off twice from Howard
University, Washington DC. First from my position as Acting Director of
International and Women’s Studies Programs. When this happened, I’d been at the
University for nine years. Just prior to joining the university I had made the
gigantic decision to resign from my tenured professorship at one of the
colleges in the University of Delhi, and left India with my young son in search
of a better and peaceful life for ourselves. The first lay off came as a huge
shock…another ginormous change to respond to and handle.
Jacket of the book |
On each page there is a
tip on how to uplift oneself and there is a quote on each page too from a
well-known person. Also, on each page, I wrote either, SMILE, BREATHE OR
LAUGH…epitomizing, repeatedly, the title of the book.
It was not easy writing
this book as I was putting out my vulnerabilities not knowing how people would
respond. But I inherently believed, I was putting out my strength as well. Here
are a few pages from the book:
And so on. Some things mentioned in the book are specific to the Washington metro area where I lived at the time. Folks can substitute with those from where they live. Primarily, the objective of sharing this book was that life is precious and yes, changes happen, however, as long as we and our loved ones are healthy and safe, all else…broken marriages, lost jobs, change of homes, and so forth, can be dealt with, if we so chose.
Here is a link for the PDF of the book: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:42c18955-e871-4b2a-ba5d-9ae33cf096c7
And a link to an interview in Image-in-Asian: https://youtu.be/8g7JAH10Ef4
Bio: Anita Nahal, Ph.D., CDP is a poet, professor, short story writer, flash fictionist, children’s books author, and D&I consultant. Currently she teaches at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington DC. Besides academic publications, her creative books include, two volumes of poetry, Hey...Spilt milk is spilt, nothing else (2018) and Initiations (1988), a collection of flash fictions, Life on the go-Flash fictions from New Delhi to America (2018), and three children’s books: I love Mummy and other new nursery rhymes, When I Grow Up and other new nursery rhymes and The Greedy Green Parrot and Other Stories (1993-1995). Her poems and stories can be found in national and international journals including, Aberration Labyrinth, Better Than Starbucks, Aaduna, River Poets Journal, Colere, Setu, Poetryspective, and in a number of Medium publications in the US, Confluence in the UK, Lapis Lazuli in Asia and The Burrow in Australia. Nahal received an honorable mention in the 2017 Concrete Wolf Chapbook competition. Nahal is co-editor (with Roopali Sircar Gaur) of the anthology, In All The Spaces-Diverse Voices In Global Women's Poetry (2020). She is also a guest contributing editor for aaduna journal and is co-host of the monthly online creative series, Tan Doori Gup Shup. Nahal is the daughter of Indian novelist and professor, Late Dr. Chaman Nahal, and her mother, Late Dr. Sudarshna Nahal was an educationist, author and principal of a K-12 school. Originally from New Delhi, India, Anita Nahal resides in the US. Her family include her son, daughter-in-law and their golden doodle. For more on Anita: https://anitanahal.wixsite.com/anitanahal
No comments :
Post a Comment
We welcome your comments related to the article and the topic being discussed. We expect the comments to be courteous, and respectful of the author and other commenters. Setu reserves the right to moderate, remove or reject comments that contain foul language, insult, hatred, personal information or indicate bad intention. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the commenter, not the official views of the Setu editorial board. рдк्рд░рдХाрд╢िрдд рд░рдЪрдиा рд╕े рд╕рдо्рдмंрдзिрдд рд╢ाрд▓ीрди рд╕рдо्рд╡ाрдж рдХा рд╕्рд╡ाрдЧрдд рд╣ै।