Editor’s Note – Issue 15 (Interviews)

No matter how much AI takes over our life, human resources are constantly sought after for ideas and inspiration. It is no wonder that in many parts of the globe, we have human libraries, where one may borrow people for a few minutes of conversation on topics of choice. The current issue of Usawa Literary Review is graced with the presence of resourceful humans, who are well-versed in their areas of work and research. They refuse to comply with the world which asks them to compromise, and they express extensively on areas which are titled as ‘refuse’ by the mainstream. 

Divya Karnad, an award-winning marine conservationist refuses to let the sea be treated as a refuse by man. She encourages us to monitor our consumption standards, so that it doesn’t deplete the oceanic life. Sheela Tomy, a writer who has won many accolades, wants her writing to be a medium for the voiceless. Her writing engage with migration, social justice and ecological conservation. Sheela Tomy says, “Writing is my personal way of resistance, be it a novel or an article.” She refuses to comply with the usual standards of global competency which leads to war and violence. Gokul Gopalakrishnan’s Small Talks repeatedly calls for a softer pace of life. Balancing a very demanding career with the Metro Rails, his panels break the linearity of the pace, and refuses to comply with the ordinary. He opines that comic strips haver a long history of questioning authority, challenging norms, and resisting cultural constraints.

Dear readers, hope you relish the interviews as much as we loved conversing with them!