Jahanara Tariq

Of losses and languages: reviewing Han Kang’s 'Greek Lessons'

There is a sense of inexorable catharsis, and dare I say— spirituality—when the protagonists begin their journey into one another since they alone embody the ideas and predicaments of the text. 

1y ago

On rainy days and reading

The fact of the matter was this: the poem had been written, the call had been answered, and as lofty as it sounds—at that moment there I was, as Frank O'Hara put aptly—"the center of all beauty! / writing these poems!/ Imagine!".

1y ago

On mothers and reading

I wonder at how these frugal, accessible pleasures define her daily existence and get elated with the fact that reading takes up a significant space on the shelf

1y ago

Marooned

A dream of me in a sea of green.

1y ago

How I feel about Virginia Woolf being part-Bengali

Maybe I loved her so because we were daughters of the same soil, to some extent, at least. It made me smile. But I also sneered at myself a little bit, because her soil had also ripped apart mine for over 200 years.

2y ago

Mundanities, magic realism, Bangladesh—Shahidul Zahir’s novellas

The personal space is the same as the political sphere, the individual on the same strand as the collective. 

2y ago

Notes of a first-time English teacher

As the white hot sun pierced through the soufflé clouds on an afternoon a lifetime ago, my aunt and I leaned back a little too precariously on our rattan armchairs while talking about the allure of academe.

3y ago

Ode to the book, my forever Valentine

In a particularly American but artsy, cinematic production depicting the friendship between David Lipsky and David Foster Wallace,

3y ago
October 2, 2018
October 2, 2018

Decorating a teenager's room

Thanks to Hollywood and other existing norms, we often relate teenagers and their rooms to be their den, a place for meditation and salvation, either flamboyantly decorated in hues of pink and peach, or overladen with clumsy posters of celebrities with loud music blaring from speakers.

October 2, 2018
October 2, 2018

Sprucing Up the Guest Room

Decorating a guest bedroom is a very tricky deal, if you ask me. On the one hand, you need to consider making the room feel cosy, welcoming and of course, comfortable.

July 10, 2018
July 10, 2018

Divide and rule

A brilliant way to spice up your living space making it more useful is by adding more dimensions, and a great way to do that is through room dividers.

June 26, 2018
June 26, 2018

Giving class to the glass

While we are always much excited to style ourselves in new clothes and makeup with the every season's trends, we seldom come up with ideas to decorate our living spaces. After all, home is where the heart is, and the décor of your home tells a great deal about yourself. A very simple technique used to give your house a creative makeover within a short budget is to play with

May 8, 2018
May 8, 2018

An everlasting grace

In modern day television and cinema, the idea of individualism is almost becoming non-existent. The same thick brows, dull stare and heavily contoured cheeks on everyone are proving to be rather monotonous. At times like these, one cannot help but be nostalgic about the fashion icons who dominated the silver screen with their unique fashion statements, eternal grace and irreplaceable charm and poise. Be it the Golden age of Hollywood, ultimate bohemian chic or sweetness personified in a pair of lively eyes — all of these beauty divas were poetry in motion, having something uniquely dazzling to offer and still remain etched in our hearts.

April 24, 2018
April 24, 2018

The everlasting appeal of the Concert for Bangladesh

A prominent member of the iconic British band Beatles, George Harrison, was one of the main coordinators of the Concert for Bangladesh, held at Madison Square Garden, New York, on 1 August 1971 to raise international awareness and funds for Bangladesh's liberation war. Harrison ended the concert with the song 'Bangladesh, Bangladesh'. The simplicity of the lyrics takes on a new and powerful force.

February 13, 2018
February 13, 2018

How to deal with woofs and meows!

Pets are lovely. Be it cats or dogs, our furry little friends take a lot of the blues away from our mundane day to day lives. But not all

January 30, 2018
January 30, 2018

Taking danger out of the kitchen

Growing up in Dhaka, or in any other part of Bangladesh for that matter, we have always seen our mothers and grandmothers cook up diverse delicious dishes rich in spices each telling an age-old different story.

January 9, 2018
January 9, 2018

Before midnight strikes

Even if the statement is now a cliché, the energy behind the words remain youthful as ever. Every single stage of our life has its own beauty, however late teens and early twenties have their own distinct sense of unbridled excitement, nervous anticipation and colourful fervour.

December 5, 2017
December 5, 2017

Gardening in the crowded city

A cup of steaming hot coffee paired with your favourite book, clad in periwinkle pyjamas and bathing in the winter sunshine. Obviously, you would have to be surrounded by beautiful greenery and colourful flowers with maybe yellow butterflies roaming around. Can it get any better?