Today is Bishwa Matri Bhasha Dibosh, International Mother Language Day. For Bengalis it’s especially significant, because ours is the language that started it all. On this day, 72 years ago, our fellow […]
Tongues of Our Mothers
Koli Mitra
Minimalism: The Simple Life… or Renunciation Chic?
A lifestyle trend that was much in vogue in the 2010s (before the pandemic era scarcity panic turned us all into preppers and packrats) was “minimalism”—the art of living with less—and it […]
Reflections
How do beings communicate with the world? First and foremost through reflection. Reflection is the mechanism for broadcasting and perceiving the fact that one thing (or being) has, in some way, registered […]
Old Years’ Eve
The “New Year” thing is so old, isn’t it? Starting from the banal (resolutions to do what you wanted to do last year) to the quietly sublime (not being able to help […]
Christmas Caravan
I was out for a walk with my partner yesterday evening. It was unseasonably balmy for Christmas Eve. I had to unzip my coat. It was also unusual for other reasons. Many […]
Whom to Elect, and Why?
It’s pretty much axiomatic in any democratic society that voting is important, maybe even a civic duty. But how often do people look deeply—or at all—into their own mental process behind their […]
Yellowstone, Part 4: North American Serengeti
[continued from Yellowstone…] Cradled in the highlands of Roosevelt Country, lies Lamar Valley, nicknamed “Serengeti of Yellowstone” or “North American Serengeti” for its striking and diverse wildlife. We learned from the ranger […]
Is America Full? Migrant Crisis Protests in NYC
August 27, 2023. A massive protest took place outside of Gracie Mansion, the residence of the mayor of New York City, over the city’s plans to house a large influx of asylum […]
Once Upon A River
There’s an old saying: no person can dip his toe in the same river twice. It’s never the same river. Nor the same person. There is a profound truth in this. I […]
Gift of Music and Memory
Cuckoo News readers know all about our recurring feature of the maestro Kabir Suman’s on-going work in Bangla Khayal revival. You might also know from the series of related articles written about […]
Yellowstone, Part 3: Forests, Lakes, ATM Machines
[continued from Yellowstone…] We reached Yellowstone National Park through the East Entrance and got our park passes and a map. Our hotel would be another hour’s drive through the Absaroka mountain range […]
Yellowstone, Part 2: The World Is Art
[continued from Yellowstone…] When I first landed in Cody, a small Wyoming town with a strip-mall-like airport, I had unthinkingly assumed – based on my standard East Coast experience – that our […]
Yellowstone, Part 1: Flying With Angels
When we started Cuckoo News a couple of years ago, I had hoped to do lots of travel pieces. That was before the whole pandemic/lockdown thing, of course. Although most of the […]
River of Fire, Flame-Grilled Lamb
I noticed a lunch truck today while walking along Fifth Avenue by Central Park. It read “Veteran Owned” on the side. A tiny enterprise, calling on the potential good will of fellow […]
Voting & Identity 2016-2020
When I voted earlier today, I had an eerie feeling. There were maybe five other people in my polling place, which is odd, given the high-voter turnout predicted this year, despite the […]
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