Tributes To Jyoti Sanyal

Jyoti Sanyal, author of Indlish and the Statesman's Style Book, died on Saturday, 12 April 2008. I met him (in a car) when he was with the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Journalism in 2001. I am unable to recall the conversation because at that time I didn't know who he really was!

Only last month I sent him an email saying 'I thoroughly enjoyed your book Indlish, especially the first chapter'. I also wanted some clarification about the fog factor discussed in his book. His response was all humility and runs counter to the myth that he was haughty.

The abuse of English gave him sleepless nights. But now he rests in peace.   

Following are links to tributes from some who knew him well:

A man of style, and great substance
By rk
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=2&id=226119&usrsess=1

Pikestaff issue 15 pays tribute to Jyoti Sanyal
http://www.clearest.co.uk/newsletter/newsletter.php?id=22

Rest In Peace: Jyoti Sanyal
sans serif
http://wearethebest.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/rest-in-peace-jyoti-sanyal/

Enemy of the cliche
Ashish Mukherjee
http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/bangalore/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1088137&_EXT_5_groupId=14

An angry man called Jyoti
S.R. Ramakrishna
http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/opinion/columns/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1089403&_EXT_5_groupId=14

Bittersweet memories
By Rina Datta (ACJ 1999-2000)
http://acjbillboard.blogspot.com/

 

Yet another chess hat-trick

By A Spectrum Sports Reporter
(reproduced from Spectrum, dated 16 February 2008)

N. Watson Solomon, Assistant Professor in the SRM School of Journalism and Mass Communication, recorded yet another hat-trick when he successfully defended his title, which he first won in 2006, in the inter-collegiate staff chess championship conducted by Guru Nanak College recently. Only last month he won for the third time the inter-collegiate staff chess championship conducted by Sri Ramachandra University.

He scored four points in as many rounds and was assured of the title in the penultimate round itself. Among the players he defeated were Dhanasekaran of Nazareth College, Ravi Kumar of the Madras Christian College and Francis Xavier of Vellore Institute of Technology. Watson refused a draw offer from Xavier and played for a win. Xavier’s knight sacrifice and Watson’s ‘blunder’ pin could in no way alter the outcome of the game.

 

Asst. Prof.'s chess hat-trick

 

By A Spectrum Sports Reporter

(reproduced from Spectrum, dated 1 February 2008)

 

N. Watson Solomon, Assistant Professor in the SRM School of Journalism and Mass Communication, won for the third time the inter-collegiate staff chess championship conducted by the Sri Ramachandra University at Porur on January 24, 2008. He retained his title with a perfect score of 4/4. He was assured of the title in the penultimate round itself as his nearest rival was trailing him by a full point.

 

However, it was not a cakewalk. Players from Sri Ramachandra University and Nazareth College gave him anxious moments. In the final round, a tactical move by Janarthanan of Sri Ramachandra University took Watson by surprise and it was the clock that really came to his rescue. Even as Watson was attempting to redeem his position, Janarthanan lost on time.

 

In an earlier round with Dhanasekaran of Nazareth College, Watson sacrificed a rook and chased the opponent’s king across the board. But Dhanasekaran found the right defensive moves and Watson had to sweat it out before posting a well-earned victory. In the previous two events, he did not meet with such stiff resistances on way to the title. Hence for him this victory, though the most difficult to get, is the sweetest.

 

Watson has also been the winner of the inter-collegiate staff chess championships conducted by Guru Nanak College in the past two years. This year, the championship is likely to be held by February end.

 

first tamil presentation

I presented my first paper in Tamil titled 'Tolkappiyam Chuttum Cheithi-iyal' at the tinai social order conference at the Madras Christian College on November 2, 2007. It was a wonderful experience.

book launched

The Hindu has published a story titled 'Ecocriticism book launched' about Essays In Ecocriticism that I co-edited. Please check the link:

http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/29/stories/2007102958090200.htm

Essays In Ecocriticism

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Essays In Ecocriticism, edited by Nirmal Selvamony, Rayson K. Alex and yours truly, has been published by Sarup & Sons, New Delhi. It will be released in Chennai on October 27, 2007 (Saturday). Mr. Sashi Kumar, Chairman, Media Development Foundation, will release it and Mr. Dwight Atkinson of Temple University, Japan, will receive the first copy.

Two of my articles 'Visual Media: An Oikopoetic Perspective' and 'Green Density Measure Of A Literary Text' find a place in the Essays In Ecocriticism.

readability monitor
Recently I started a weblog to keep track of readable language. I have quantitatively analysed The Hindu's new supplements with my readability formula Strain Index. Read it at http://strainindex.wordpress.com

what's new

I web-published a collection of poems titled 'A Quiver Of Arrows' in May 2007. There's a review at https://www.angelfire.com/nd/nirmaldasan/reviews/qoa.html

The collection may be read at https://www.angelfire.com/nd/nirmaldasan/qoa.html

 

 

in praise of failure

It is very easy to sing a paean to failure when one is a success story. I did fail an exam and was glad when I managed to pass in the second attempt. Having passed, can't I count myself a success and praise failure? Well, the news of my failure got the following reactions:

Dr. A: "Impossible!"

Dr. B.: "Amazing!"

Dr. C: "A son-of-a-fool would have corrected your answers."

Those were flattering responses and I was indeed flattered. But the marksheet clearly indicated that I was a failure. I had to do something about it. I rewrote the exam as well as I did the first time and managed to get 'just pass'.  I am happy that I passed. But I am also happy that I failed the first time. Else I wouldn't have got those flattering responses.

 

news update
First, I now have an M.Phil in journalism and mass communication. My dissertation is titled 'A Quantitative Analysis Of Media Language'. Second, I am no longer Head--Media Studies, Hindustan College of Arts & Science. I have joined as Assistant Professor of Journalism the SRM School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Kattankulathur. Third, I have web-published a collection of poems titled 'A Quiver of Arrows'. Fourth, I presented a paper titled 'Green Density Measure Of A Literary Text' at an international conference in June, Bangalore. Fifth... you just wait and watch!