Via Sree Sreenivasan

“NYPL Digital Gallery provides access to over 275,000 images digitized from primary source and printed rarities in the collection of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera and more.”

Free for student/non-commercial use. Cough up the moolah if you are planning on using it on a product for sale, on your website or for even a non-profit organization.

“… as the physical rights holder of this material most of which is in the public domain for copyright purposes, the Library charges a usage fee if images are to be used in any nonprofit or commercial publication, broadcast, web site, exhibition, promotional material, etc. The usage fee is not a copyright fee.”

Please read the licensing agreement before downloading anything.

Last Saturday, as I waited to board a flight from Reagan International in Washington, DC, I stepped into a bookstore to check out some magazines. My flight was at 9 p.m. and I had arrived at about 7 or so. Standing, then shifting and staring at the magazine rack stood a gentleman whom I recognized at once. But I wasn't terribly sure it was really him. Draped in what I can only call a “Sherlock Holmes” type winter coat and clutching a beige leather satchel stood a tall, lean man with wispy white. I had to be absolutely sure, so I looked down at his feet. Black and white wing-tip shoes, polished to a high sheen that would make any army captain smile with pride. The coat hung loose over a stark white double-breasted suit. Yeah, that's him, I told myself. “Er, excuse me,” I said. The man must have thought I wanted go past him and jumped back to allow me to walk by. I stuck my hand out and somewhat reluctantly asked him, “Would you happen to be Mr. Tom Wolfe?” His eyes lit up for a second and in a soft Richmond drawl said, “Yes, I am.” He looked a little surprised that he was so recognizable. Endearing, I told myself. But his hallmark white suit was a dead giveaway.

I asked him a few questions about his most recent book, I Am Charlotte Simmons. I mentioned to him that I had read a review of it in the New York Times and saw a faint grimace emerge and then quickly disappear. He joked about how President Bush liked the book and so had to be a smart man for it. Although the book has been on the best-seller list it hasn't done all that well at the cash register. As I shifted uncomfortably on my feet, the conversation naturally moved on to what he is working on now. Apparently the chronicler of American society has finally discovered immigrants. I was amused but suggested that he read Suketu Mehta‘s writing in the New York Times. He didn't quite get the first name, so I had to spell it out for him – S-U-K-E-T-U. We batted around the name of another writer with a last name Mehta – Ved Mehta – though he seemed more interested in Mr. Mehta's wife's writing.

I asked him more about his writing and how over the years he was able to secure so many wonderful interviews. Using his book, The Right Stuff, as an example, he quite candidly admitted that if you are writing about a man, you should get to know his wife even better. “Men, just lock up. The women like to talk,” he said.

Given that I am closely aligned to SAJA, I asked him if he would consider speaking at the annual convention, held at Columbia University. He said he enjoyed speaking to student audiences. I suspect a gaggle of journalists would be another story.

Mr. Wolfe spent nearly 15 minutes with me before hurrying along through security and boarding his flight back to New York city. Just before bidding goodbye, though, he asked me again to spell S-U-K-E-T-U, and so I did.

By the way, I just got word that Suketu Mehta has won the 2005 Kiriyama Prize in non-fiction writing for his book Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. Congratulations!

Prabuddha Dasgupta, Hemant Khandelwal, Atul Kasbekar, Tarun Khiwal, Denzil Sequeira, Farrokh Chothia, Subi Samuel. All men photographing beautiful women. Why aren't women on the other side of the camera making great images? Actually, they are. And some of them got their due recently at a Lalit Kala Academi sponsored photo exhibit.

Names you will want to start memorizing: Sumiko Murgai Nanda, Nisha Kutty, Sheena Sippy, Ronika Kandhari and Asha Kochar.

Once I have website addresses for each, I'll start updating this post and more names too if you send in your recommendations [email me at tiffinbox[at]pipalproductions[dot]com.]

On March 13, 2005 Nilesh writes: “The next Blog Mela will be hosted on Kiruba's weblog.”

Small problem. Kiruba in a March 30. 2005 post Kiruba writes: “All good things must come to an end and so should this blog. I'm shutting it down. It's time to move on in life.”

Hmmm … so who is hosting the next Bharateeya Blog Mela? Is this some sick pre-April Fool's Day joke?

The 2005 Photobloggies have been announced. Nilesh Chaudhari handily won the South East Asian/Indian division for his photoblog. If you look at his site(s) you'll know why he so deserves it. Congratulations!