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The Author and the Emperor

The Author and the Emperor is the parallel story of an aspiring New York-based writer, and his namesake, the great Emperor Kanishka, who in the second century ruled over a vast empire stretching from the river Syr Daria in Central Asia to the Gangetic delta. More questions remain than answers are found in historical texts about Emperor Kanishka.

Paperback: 214 pages

Language: English

ISBN-10:  1665542306

ISBN-13: 978-1665542302

Product Dimensions:6 x 0.54 x 9 inches

EPIC MAHABHARATA: A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY RETELLING

In the same way that the Iliad represents the national epic of ancient Greece, the Mahabharata is the heroic tale of ancient India. Written by the sage Vyasa in Sanskrit and completed between 500 BCE and AD 200, the Mahabharata contains over 88,000 verses and tells of a great dynastic war fought on the plains of India more than three millennia ago.Gandharva raja introduces modern readers to this centuries-old epic in new verse form while preserving the classic text’s central theme and storyline. With an ambitious poetic reengineering, he artfully uses the triplet lyrical structure, varying the rhyme and rhythm in an attempt to link the past to the prevailing literary taste of today. Though not a translation and substantially reduced in length, Epic Mahabharata maintains the inner core of the original tale, delivering a timeless tribute to ancient India.

HOOFBEATS

Hoofbeats captures the birth and adolescence of our country in delightful poetry. The poems are refreshingly accesible, and deftly selects key events that are representative of the evolvement of freedom – and ‘our nation’s struggle to offer the world a new way of living and being’. With ‘credible and powerful’ tapestry, HOOFBEATS reflects on, and probes historical events and figures.
  • Paperback: 212 pages
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0595147003
  • ISBN-13: 978-0595147007
  • Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 5.9 x 8.9 inches

PEN IN HAND – SERIES

Pen In Hand is the official literary and art publication of the Maryland Writers’ Association. It is published biannually in January and July.
Contributors to this issue:
Gandharva raja, editor; Eileen Haavik McIntire, MWA President
Poetry: Jessica Rock, James Fielder, Marissa Michel, Barbara Mischke, Cliff Lynn
Poetic form: Gandharva raja
Short Stories/Flash Fiction: Bob Matthews, F.J. Talley, Marissa Michel, Carol Westreich Solomon
Memoirs/Personal Essays: Janet Ruck, Victoria Clarkson, Frances Munn Roberts, James Fielder
Mystery: Millie Mack
Young Adult: Julia McCormack, Nina McCormack
Drama: Gandharva Raja

AUGUST 29

It was a day to remember, a day to forget; a day when life struggled to breathe through death’s chokehold and survived; a day when death was diminished in the knowledge that it was he who was transient, and life that is eternal. It was a day to mourn, a day to rejoice. It was the night when the sky shone brighter than day, and succeeding days brighter than thirty million years ago when God created earth and flooded it with light. It was as if a searchlight on Mount Everest had spread light through the shadows of the universe so women, men, and children could walk into the gloomiest nook and cavern and not be afraid. Seven years have passed since that night of August 29. As I sat on the chair by the window of our flat in the Daria Ganj section of New Delhi looking out at the mosque hazily outlined in the distance, Milli stood behind me, her hand resting gently on my shoulder. . . . The view of the mosque from our living room window kept alive the recollection of that day, distinct as the creases on my palms. Neither time nor distance had erased a word, a sound, a prayer, or a moan.

Murder at the Fountain of Remembrance and other Crimes

Murder at the Fountain of Remembrance is a collection of seven crime stories, including one novella and several novelettes. It introduces two brilliant detectives,
Agie Darwin and Alfonse D'Souza, and their sidekicks…

Raven’s Nest and other Plays

In the Raven’s Nest by Dr. Tapendu K. Basu, aka Gandharva raja, transports readers through time with a captivating play depicting Maryland's colonial origins. This collection further delves into diverse themes with additional one-act plays, offering many narratives exploring history, health, and human experience.

Satiric Verses

The American Century

The American Century is a poetic collage of the state of America today. As seen through the kaleidoscope of a naturalized citizen of the United States of America, it is an analysis, a criticism, and a eulogy of the state of the Union. Social, political, and economic inequalities pervade the present cultural landscape. It is also true that the promise our country holds for the future is as vast as the Space where we will venture forth.

Dr. Tapendu Basu

Hobbies

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries.

Achivements

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries.

Books

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries.

Dr. Tapendu Basu

A physician, Dr. Tapendu Basu, pen name Gandharva raja, grew up in India exposed to the country’s rich cultural and linguistic diversity. He is a member of the Academy of American Poets and Maryland Writers’ Association and lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

He assumed the name Gandharva raja after he wrote Epic Mahabharata, A Twenty-first Century Retelling of the Indian Epic.
In one episode of the epic, Gandharvas are pillaged by Duryodhan, King of the avaricious Kurus, while camped for a festival.

Gandharva raja – Chitrasena – deals them a much-deserved thrashing till the five Pandava brothers, the good guys, come to Kuru’s rescue. Arjuna and Chitrasena are reconciled and become good friends.

Book Reviews

What People Are Saying
Yashoda Singh

The Author and the Emperor by Dr. Tapendu Basu aka Gandharva Raja This novel uses an interesting strategy to move the narrative forward: two parallel stories, one about Kaniska, the emperor of the Kushans, who ruled swaths of Central Asia, Afghanistan and North India between 127 and 150 C.E. and the other about the writer’s own life. The only connection between the two stories is the fact that the emperor and the writer bear the same name. That said, both strands are wonderfully written and hold one’s interest from the beginning to the very end. One fact worth noting about the writing of this novel is that the writer made a long trip, traveling through parts of North India and Afghanistan associated with the reign of the emperor of the Kushans. In a way this may be considered another bond between the writer and the emperor.

MH

I highly recommend it ! It follows two characters, one in NY( the Author) and one in ancient India (the Emperor)!

Arnab Bose

“The Author and the Emperor” is a compelling book about early Indian history as it explores the opportunities and struggles for the rich and general public. It is a fascinating story of a young author who embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the true story of his namesake, the Great Emperor Kanishka. The book is extremely gripping as it cycles through religious differences, self-destruction, family turmoil and the search for truth.

Latest Stories

Interview with WYPR: Gandharva raja discusses August 29

April 16, 2024
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