Remedy for Vowel Woes
This is in response to the essay by Ashwin Krishnan (Extreme Vetting-Desi Shtyle, October 2017).
Deat Ashwin, I have a partial remedy for your vowel woes, especially the one involving proper nouns; simply listen to some English county cricket commentary! You will then pronounce with careless insouciance such minefields as Portsmouth, Falmouth, Dartmouth (the “ou” is as in enough). Doozies like Warwick (where the second “w” is silent) the shires (pronounced “sheer”) or the Thames ( “tems”) will present no problem and will fall with admirable nonchalance from your lips.
If you’re unable to summon up any enthusiasm for cricket, just go on the offensive and you be the grammar police! Some handy tips to deal with the American adolescent: When you ask your daughter how she fared on her math quiz and she replies, “I did good,” shoot right back at her with, “Actually you did not do good. You did well. (Hopefully).” Take heart, Ashwin, no need to fake your accent (no one is fooled anyway!), wear that desi accent like a badge of honor and go for it!
Gayathri Chakravarthy, email.
True Tribute to an Artist
This is in response to the cover story (The Artist, The Musician, The Mystic, Pavani Kaushik, October 2017). I want to express my joy and admiration for the story by Pavani Kaushik. As a friend and fan of Kartik Trivedi for nearly 40 years, this is the most deserving and real portrayal of this unique artist. I regard this a befitting tribute and honor to a genius amongst us. Pavani has taken us on a beautiful journey into the art and soul of an extraordinary artist of our times.
Reading the article prompted me to look deeper into and experiencing Kartik’s paintings adorning our humble home, at a different level and dimension.
G. S. Satya, email
Speeches That I Remember
This is in response to the essay by Jaya Padmanabhan (What is the Best Speech You’ve Heard? October 2017). I Have a Dream is by far the best speech I have heard, albeit on tape. I have read the transcript of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address a hundred times, and have been floored by the eloquence and the scrupulous precision. I have committed both of these speeches to memory. I have also loved listening to great actors delivering dialogs, such as Adrian Lester doing the Hamlet soliloquy.
Shivakumar Raman, web