Appetite: New Writing from Goa – Some Thoughts
If you visit Goa and walk down the roads away from the places tourists throng, you will very likely come across terracotta figures – sometimes a rooster, or a soldier, even a lion. You instinctively know that these figures are inherent to the history and culture of Goa.
Appetite, the anthology featuring writers who are part of Goa Writers has all these elements, meant to segregate the sections of short stories, poetry and essays. The front cover features art that is very reminiscent of what you can encounter in museums there.
As with collections, it is alright to let your instinct guide you as to what to read first. You can delve into the exceedingly well detailed showcasing of the daily world of Goans through the short stories. The poetry is a welcome break, leading to essays about personal experiences that are thought-provoking.
Sorpotel, a Goan delicacy is at the heart of celebrations when the expat brother comes visiting. You can feel the undercurrent of tensions, conflicts and appeasing between the siblings. The party gives way to violent deaths but manages to uncover so much more.
The Happy Hearts Beach Resort is a play on names and nicknames and what they hide and reveal about people. It is also a look at the vulgarity of money and the steady exploitation of the real estate and the laws there.
Paying Guest is a deliciously morbid tale and by the time you reach this bit, you almost consider it karma, a just repudiation of the exploitation Goans see.
Loss of Appetite is a wondrous look into the food scene, how influencers are a vital part of building perception and the internal tussle when it comes to choosing your own path.
Full is more about contentment that comes from someone else following their dreams and reaching their complete potential.
A Morning with God talks of the laws that meant well but ended up becoming tools in the hands of exploiters.
Seeking Shanti is wonderfully offered paen to Goa, its relaxed living and the peace one feels when living spontaneously.
The section on poetry is livened by Sachi D’Souza’s and Shivaranjana Rathod’s art.
Many of the essays are very entertaining and the language immaculate. It is here that the writers talk about appetites and hunger unbridled, right from the joys of a writing life to memories, stamps and even dating apps. These pieces bring a sweeping view of the beliefs and the changes Goa has seen.
All in all, Appetite to the reader is fresh perspective, and another way of decoding this rich land that has absorbed and amalgamated so many cultures over the centuries.
The collection is edited by Sivaranjana Rathore and Tino de Sa.
