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VOLUME
4 NUMBER 1 JUNE 2005 (7th
Issue)
An
International Literary Journal
Edited by: Dr.
Santosh Kumar Binding: Paperback (pp:
480 with a separate section of authors bio) ISSN: 0972-6004
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.
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
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