Many in One: A Collection of Short Stories - Tapa blanda

The short stories in the collection "Many in One" seek to build bridges across countries and cultures. A product of globalization, they have literary ancestry in both the eastern and the western hemispheres. While giving the final touches to the preparations for his own prospective death and cremation, Madhav, the common protagonist of the stories, receives a call from his daughter in the United States telling him that she has obtained all the necessary documents for his emigration from India to the US and that he must join the family in the US at the earliest. Down goes the drain all his plans and preparations, and, on his relocation, his preoccupation with death gives way to the pursuit of happiness, not only for himself but for the world. The stories in the volume describe the numerous roles he assumes fitting the title "Many in One" to promote peace and understanding among people. Madhav appropriates even the role of the writer and claims he is the true author of the stories in the collection. With the single mission of removing walls and giving the right of choice of salvation for all and a free pass to all to heaven in a democratic spirit, Madhav talks about religion, literature, music and business. Assuming one role after another, Madhav waltzes the reader through the chaos of the world, building bridges across cultures and between nations. Simultaneously serious, lighthearted and witty, the stories should appeal to a wide spectrum of audience-- from the general reader to students and teachers of literature.

Saligrama K. Aithal is a graduate of Mysore University, Mysore, India, and Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. He has taught English language and literature to diverse groups of students at numerous places in India and the US for over half a century. He first came to the US in 1968 on a Fulbright scholarship to do his doctoral degree, returned to India after graduation, and took leave from his job in India as often as he could to visit the United States to work and attend professional conferences, and, after his retirement in 1998, headed back to the US for permanent residence. He now lives in a suburb of Washington, DC, and works sporadically as an adjunct professor in local colleges and universities. In his writings, Dr. Aithal has sought to build bridges across countries and cultures, taking the cue from Robert Frost's words "Something there is that doesn't love a wall" With words for piers, towers, cables, anchorage, and deck, he has built suspension bridges to make the passage between nations and cultures, easier and safer, thoroughly enjoyable, and perfectly legal. Besides creative writing, he has published articles on a wide range of authors and books-Indian, British, and American- in scholarly international journals. He has edited "The Importance of Northrop Frye" (an anthology of essays on Frye by different authors) and co-edited "Access through English" I, II, and III. (a set of three college-level English textbooks). Forthcoming are his books "One in Many" (a sequel to Many in One) and "Toni Morrison, Novelist"