Four books I read recently …

Brilliant Graphic Novel.

Something that many of my young friends should read

and also think of 'Growing Up in Pakistan',

as well as their future careers and their parental pressures.

Midhat was a friend of mine.

His (and Basarat's) daughter has written

a brilliant book.

TZH is a Pakistani Theoretical Physicist

and is a String Theorist.

I hope she comes to T2F for a 'Science ka Adda' session.

The book covers the most important ideas in Science

and, written as a Fact/Fiction piece,

it takes you through the passion of science.

Read it!!!

An inspiring book that addresses a lot of questions

that the young ask, given the way that the present day

forced Religious Instruction in Educational Institutes

plus the madness that current terrorists offer.

An Atheist Muslim

takes you through a Muslim/Atheist view.

The book is not likely to be available in Pakistan

but an Urdu translation is being considered.

It will also be available in an English Audiobook.

I wish people would read this and answer

some of his questions and queries.

AB, who's Fun Home was a bestseller graphic novel,

runs a series of cartoons that have to do with Dykes.

This is one such collection.

It is remarkably good and, unless you think you shouldn't

be reading this, I'd strongly recommend it.

On the other hand

I wouldn't advise young people to read this.

Not yet, anyway!

Adored Craig Thompson's "Habibi"

Can do no justice to it by writing about its graphics!

Here are some for you.

 

Get it Now!!!

Its all going to be online now …

Starting with my very first cartoons (and I mean my very first, coz I had never drawn one before) that started being published in The Friday Times, I did a few other things: A few cartoons for The News; A few Photos or Book Covers or Contents, suitably altered; a few Fake-Ads. And maybe a few more items.

Sadly, my dear friend, my adopted daughter, my mentee … and then my mentor, Sabeen Mahmud (Sab), is not here any more. And I can't even try to tell you how many of us feel about this. There are nothing but tears that flow out. Every few hours. Every day. And there are many silent sobs in between.

Sab had asked me to print quite a few of the cartoons and put them up at T2F for 3 days, beginning with my birthday. (I'll be 75 on the 2nd October this year). The cartoons & similar stuff is now being put up on Tooniyaat. If you go there, start with the oldest post (Howdy) and then move up. This way you'll get the chronological order in which they were published.

There was her idea of having me appear on a program at T2F, on the 2nd & 3rd October, where I'd be asked questions by her about my crazy life and crazier ideas. She mailed me a long list of questions that she'd ask. Yes, Sab. I will answer them, too, in Koee Mayday Dil Say Poochhay, a recent blog that I have started. The posts on these may be written, pod-casted, or video-casted.

Among things that Sab thought T2F would print some day would be my poetry book, and a collection of my father's stories, essays, and poems. My poems are now put up every Sunday, (though not in any chronological order). You can see them on Alam Zadah.

My father, Abi (or Azhar Kidvai), has a website now - and it is being added to every few days. It will have his entire collection, including all his verses in his own handwriting. There are some memories and some pictures, too.

Bye.