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Bookbuzz

THEODORE BASKARAN

The books that left an impact: "The Road Less Travelled" by Scott Peck, where the writer talks about how to handle existential and psychological problems; how to transcend rather than cope with them. Then, there's the Zen master and Vietnamese poet Thich Nhat Hanh's "Being Peace" which is all about living in the present. A gift from my son, it opened a whole new world for me. And last but not the least, the Tirukkural. At different stages of my life when I read it, a new layer of meaning presented itself.

The genres I prefer: I am interested in cinema, art history and fiction mostly Tamil.

Favourite authors: In Tamil, Asokamitran. I feel he's an honest writer, who has no ideological backpacks. His simple style that's peppered with humour is appealing. As for English writers, the works of the Zen monk Peter Mathieson. He writes on natural history.

One book I'd recommend as a must-read: "Man In Search of Meaning" by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl. The doctor, a prisoner in a Nazi camp, examines what is it that causes happiness and unhappiness.

If you could have dinner with one writer: The New York based Peter Mathieson. I'd like to ask him what he values most in life and how he developed the craft of writing. The other question would be: Is writing an inborn talent or a skill that can be developed.

(The writer spoke to SAVITHA GAUTAM)

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