FIVE QUOTES OF W.H.AUDEN ON HIS BIRTHDAY !

WYSTAN HUGH AUDEN
(W.H.AUDEN) WAS BORN ON
FEBRUARY 21, 1907 IN
YORK,ENGLAND.HE GOT
RECOGNITION IN HIS LATE
TWENTIES AS A YOUNG POET OF
HUGE PROMISES PLUS
POTENTIALS.HE HAD GOT
ENCOURAGEMENTS FROM POETS
LIKE T.S.ELIOT AND
W.B.YEATS.AUDEN’S EMINENCE
ROSE IN EARLY THIRTIES OF THE
LAST CENTURY AND A GROUP OF
POETS CAME TO BE KNOWN AS
‘AUDEN-GROUP’ THAT INCLUDED
APART FROM AUDEN HIMSELF,
CECIL DAY LEWIS, LOUIS McNEICE,
STEPHEN SPHENDER,CHRISTOPHER
ISHERWOOD. . .to name a few.
Termed as ‘POETRY OF 30s’ , The
Poems of the Auden-
Group,among other
things,primarily addressed the
socio-politico-economical
problems of the late twenties n
early thirtees and their poems
had raised the status of poetry as
social-practise and as a medium
for articulating the central
themes of the contemporary
social-discourse!Their Poems
Were Eclectic In Its Ambit And
They Had Touched Almost Every
Aspect Of The Contemporary
Society!
They were very much leftist in
their orientations and that was
quite a marked shift from early
poetry writings !
LET’S CELEBRATE THE 106′TH
BIRTHDAY OF THE ANGLO-
AMERICAN POET, W.H.AUDEN BY
FIFE QUOTES :-
(1.) ” WE ARE ALL HERE ON EARTH
TO HELP OTHERS ; WHAT ON EARTH
THE OTHERS ARE HERE FOR I DON’T
KNOW ! ”
(2.) ” HISTORY IS, STRICTLY
SPEAKING, THE STUDY OF
QUESTIONS ; THE STUDY OF
ANSWERS BELONGS TO
ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY.
”
(3.) ” ”PERHAPS THERE IS ONLY
ONE CARDINAL SIN; IMPATIENCE.
BECAUSE OF IMPATIENCE WE WERE
DRIVEN OUT OF PARADISE,
BECAUSE OF IMPATIENCE WE CAN’T
RETURN. ”
(4.) ” IF EQUAL AFFECTION CANNOT
BE, LET THE MORE LOVING BE ME. ”
(5.) ” WE MUST LOVE ONE
ANOTHER OR DIE. ”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,W.H.AUDEN!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F,ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.

(+91) 9334411390.
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BLAST IN PAKISTAN KILLED 65 AND INJURED 200 PEOPLE !

A deadly blast ripped through the
pakistani city of quetta in late
afternoon today,february 16.It
has reportedly killed more than
60 people and injured over 200
mostly women and school
children.

The blast occurred late afternoon
near a vegetable market in the
hazara-complex area of quetta.

Pakistani police said the
explosive used weighed nearly
1000kg and it was fitted in a
motorbike standing near the
busy
vegetable market in the
southwestern pakistani city of
quetta.

The area called hazara-complex is
a Shia-majority part of quetta
and has also been targeted
earlier.

The Sunni extremist group,
LASHKAR-I-JHANGVI, took the
responsibility of today’s blast.

The Outfit,LASHKAR-I-JHANGVI, is
a banned group since 2001.

Quetta is the capital town of the
pakistani province of
Balouchistan–a state notorious
for extremist plus separatist
groups and it is also quite
important state strategically as it
borders with Afghanistan n Iran
And has a vast presence of The
Talibans.

The internecine battle between
the two sects of Islam (SHIA and
SUNNI) is an age old plight
plaguing not only
pakistan ,but,the rest of the
world too,wherever their
presence has been sizeable! IRAQ
is another hot-bed of such
deadly sectarian strife!

The blast’s timing was very
important as during the late
afternoon ,people,especially,
women go for shopping and do
grocery .It is also during this
hour that the school closes and
children return home.

After the blast many burnt school
bags and books were seen on
the spot.

This is the second powerful blast
in Quetta ,the first one occurred
on january 10 this year killing
nearly 125 people,most of them
were shi’ites.

The Shi’ites make a minor 20
percent of the entire population
of pakistan and has been often
targeted by the majority sunnis
via such terrorist networks of
The Lashkar Organization.

In recent years the shias are the
worst hit as in the last year there
were reportedly 500 shias killed
and in just two months this year
their casualities stand over 200.

Pakistan is obviously paying the
price of nurturing militant
outfits,mostly directed earlier to
the neighbouring country of
India,especially,the state of
kashmir, now they are wrecking
havoc in their own land and
posing the greatest challenge
before the already dysfunctional
plus corrupt government !



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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




MRITYUNJAY JHA
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
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SYLVIA PLATH : HALF -A -CENTURY !

'' DYING /
IS AN ART LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE /
I DO IT EXCEPTIONALLY. /

'Lady Lazarus'--a poem by Sylvia Plath.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Sylvia Plath Was 8yrs Old When Her Father,Otto Plath,Who Was A Professor Of German n Apiology(study of bees) In Boston And Had Married His Student,Aureilia(Plath's mom) , Died. Sylvia Was Raised Solely By Her Mother And Maternal Grandpa.

Though Plath Was Too Young To Have A Good Deal Of Recollections Regarding Her Father, Yet, She Was Never Out Of Her Father's Haunting Images And With The Help Of Various Tales She Heard Of Her Father From People Of That Area And From Her Mom n Other Relatives, She Had Constructed A Very Harsh Picture Of Her Father, In One Of Her Most Famous Poems, 'DADDY' .

Sylvia Was An Anguished Psyche And Might Have A Rather Grudging View For Her Dad.Had Her Dad Not Been Dead So Early, She Would Have A Better or More Comfortable Life . . . . .or whatever!
She Couldn't Have Managed Shaking Off Her Father's Shadow Stalking Her Lifelong!

Sylvia Plath After Her Suicide In 1963, Has Become Probably The Most Mythologized Literary Figure In The English Speaking World And This Encouraged Many Writers n Critics To Come Up With Biographies, Memoirs, Books On Plath.
Also, Inducive In This, Has Been The Fact That Plath Was Married To Another Noted Poet And Future Poet-Laureate , TED HUGHES !

The Life And The Works Of Sylvia Plath, Amongst Other Things, Present An Image Of An Anguished Youth !


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


'' SOMETIMES JUST BEING A WOMAN IS AN ACT OF COURAGE ! ''

the Tagline of the Movie, 'THE BELL JAR' -a cinematic adaptation of Plath's only novel, of the same name published in UK on January11, 1963 a month ahead of Plath's death. . .the movie made in 1979 which took certain liberty with the original story of the novel.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

With a history of several mental breakdowns since teenage,SYLVIA PLATH had still the courage to translate her psychic disturbances into creative outputs and that in itself is no less an achievement!

The Infidelity Of Plath's Husband,TED HUGHES, Had Simply Exacerbated Her Clinical Depression Manyfold And In Fact She Never Managed To Abandon Ted .
Though Plath In Her Extremely Embittered Condition Post Ted's Liaison With A Married Woman, ALSSIA WEVILL, Had Attempted To Use Poetry As A Form Of Revenge By Pouring Hard hitting words n phrases for Ted, Yet Any Get-Together Used To Become A Highly Celebratory Occasion For Her (as recounted by a lady friend of both).

Sylvia Plath Later Become A Powerful Symbol Sort of A Postergirl For Feminists As Someone Whose Life Remained A Resistance To The Male Chauvinistic World or Patriarchal Mindset Prevalent During The Fast Half Of 20th-Century.

Those Firebrand Feminist Enthusiasts Kept A Long Drawn Attack On Ted Hughes Holding Him Accountable For The Tragic End Of Sylvia And Some Of Them Even Went To The Extent Of Rubbing The Name Of Ted Hughes Off The Grave Of Plath !

Sadly Plus Stoically, Ted Hughes Never Went Public Throwing Any Light On Their Relationship During The Last Days Of Plath !

Tragedy Apart, Sylvia Plath Deservedly Commands Huge Respects From All Who Have Read Her Works And This Is A Great Legacy Of A Poet Who Lived Merely 30yrs. !

Rest In Peace, SYLVIA !

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(+91) 9334411390.
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http://Orble.com/poetry-n-views/a-commoners-diary

http://dullroots.blogspot.com

SYLVIA PLATH : HALF A CENTURY OF PLATH'S DEATH !

'' I DESIRE THINGS THAT WILL DESTROY ME IN THE END. ''

Sylvia Plath.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It has been 50yrs since Sylvia Plath's death. And,rarely a poet after death, gains as much fame and critical acclaim as Sylvia has over these years and continuing.

The American Poet Who Married The British Poet, Ted Hughes And Lived Mostly In And Around London During Her Most Creative Phase Of Life, Sylvia Plath Got Only A Single Book Published During Her Brief Lifetime Of 31yrs.The Published Book Was An Anthology Of Poems Titled 'THE COLOSSUS'.

Plath kept composing poems at a rather fast pace and got them published in the noted magazines of those days.

Her Second Book Of Poetry Came After Her Death On February 11, 1963 And It Was Titled 'ARIEL N OTHER POEMS'.

Plath Committed Suicide In One Freezing Morning On February 11, 1963 By Putting Her Head On A Gas Stove In Her Kitchen !

She Was Living Alone, Had Just Separated From Her Husband n Poet Ted Hughes, With Her Two Children, Frieda n Nick.
She had reportedly bolted the door separting her kitchen and the other room wherein sleeping were the two siblings, with wet towels . .in hope that the fire n gas wouldn't disturb her sleeping babies.
She had reportedly placed the milk-bottles beside the bed in case they woke up they could have their fill and wouldn't cry.

Around afternoon people came to know that the promising young poet had choosen her end in such a numbing manner!
But, people knew Plath Had Been Leading A Very Depressive Life And Had A Long History Of Mental Breakdowns Of Advanced Stage......!

Just a month before Sylvia's Death, Her Novel Titled 'THE BELL JAR' Got Published ,but,sadly,she couldn't wait to see how her stature would be skyrocketed after the novel !

Death Always Fascinated Sylvia Plath And She ,apart from the countless mentions of death or symbols/images conveying its import in her poems, Used To Relish Talking About Death And Suicide!

PLATH WROTE IN HER JOURNAL HOW SHE AND THE OTHER POET, ANNE SEXTON, HAD ENJOYED TALKING ABOUT DEATH AND THEIR PREVIOUS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS OF SUICIDES, OVER MARTINI ONE EVENING AFTER THE END OF THE CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP UNDER POET,ROBERT LOWELL, IN BOSTON.

Coincidently Both,PLATH n SEXTON Commited Suicide!

The End Of Confessional Poets Was In Suicides!!

Ted Hughes' Extra Marital Affairs With Ms. Wevill Must Have Taken A Rather Devastating Toll On Plath!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To be continued. . . . .!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
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POPE BENEDICT XVI ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT ON THIS FEBRUARY 28 !

In A Rather Surprising-cum-Shocking Discloser That The World Has Come To Know This Morning, The Religious Figurehead Of Nearly 1.1 Billion Catholics Worldwide, Pope Benedict XVI Announced That He Would Retire On February 28 Citing His Failing Health and Strength.

It Is First Of Its Kind In Nearly 600yrs. That A Pope Will Resign or Retire Before His Death !

The Last Such Incident Took Place Was In 1415, When The Then Pope, GREGORY XII, Had To Resign For The Sake Of Intra-Communal Purposes!

Pope Benedict XVI Is 85 And Has Been Presiding Over For 8yrs. Since Elected By A Group Of 115 Cardinals On April 19, 2005 After The Demise Of Pope John Paul II.

Outlining His Plans The Reverend Bishop of Vatican,Pope Benedict XVI Said He Has Come To The Decision On His Own And That He Said So In His Freedom. The 85yr Old Pontiff Stressed The Nature Of The Job And Pointed Out Such Job Requires Strength Of Body and Mind.
He Lamented Over His Failing Strength And Emphasized His Inability In Fully Exercising His Job That Entails Huge Responsibility In Form Of Leadership Overseeing The Billion Plus Catholic Community Around The Globe.

The Vatican Spokesman,Father Lombardi Told The Pope's Intention Of This Month End Renouncement, In A Brief To The International Media.He Said That The Procedures Involved In Electing The Successor Would Be Finalised Sometime In Mid March And There Would Be A New Pope By The Easter Which Falls On March 31 This Year.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Born As Joseph Aliosius Ratzinger On April 16, 1927 In Bavaria,Germany, Pope Benedict XVI Was Ordained At 24 And Later Started His Ascent With The Post Of The Bishop Of Munich.

Known For His Conservative Outlook ,POPE BENEDICT, Served For Almost 25yrs As The Head Of Doctrinal Ministry During The Rein Of Pope John Paul II and Had Done Tremendous In Strengthening The People's Faith.
The Oldest Man To Get The Highest Post(he was 78 in 2005 when he became the pope),Pope Benedict Happens To Be The First Pope From Germany Since The 11th Cent. .

He Often Got Himself Embroiled Into Controversies Emanating From His Unreserved And Frank Views Vis-a-Vis The Issues of Homosexuality, Gay Marriage, Useof Contraceptives, Abortion , Stem Cell Research . . . .et.al. !

His Tenure Was Marked With Lows As The Issues Of Child Abuse By The Clergymen In The United States n Ireland And The Recent Leakage Issue Known Technically As 'VETILEAK' Which Involved The Stealing Of Pope's Private Documents By His Former Butler.

On Positive Note,POPE BENEDICT XVI, WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS EFFORTS AT STRENGTHENING FAITH IN TIME OF CRISIS AND HIS 'RELEGIOUS OUTREACH' !

An Honest Step ,His Holiness PopeBenedict XVI !



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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
( 91) 9334411390.
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BERTOLT BRECHT,GERMAN POET AND PLAYWRIGHT WAS BORN THIS DAY !

(1.) ” PEOPLE REMAIN WHAT THEY
ARE EVEN IF THEIR FACES FALL
APART. ”

(2.) ” TEMPTATION TO BEHAVE IS
TERRIBLE. ”

(3.) ” RIGHT IS ITS OWN DEFENSE. ”

(4.) ” NO ONE CAN BE GOOD FOR
LONG IF GOODNESS IS NOT IN
DEMAND. ”

(5.) ” WAR IS LIKE LOVE ; IT
ALWAYS FINDS A WAY. ”

Bertolt Brecht.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BERTOLT BRECHT WAS A GERMAN
PLAYWRIGHT WHOSE OWN
THEATER COMPANY- ‘BIRLINER
ENSEMBLE’ USED TO TOUR EUROPE
AND AMERICA IN ORDER TO STAGE
PLAYS THAT WERE TOTALLY
RADICAL IN THEIR ORIENTATIONS
AND TO HIGHLIGHT HIS NEWLY
INVENTED DRAMA-FORM CALLED
‘EPIC THEATER’ THAT EMPHASIZED
ON THE REPRESENTATIONS OF
REALITIES ON STAGE N EXPECTED
FOR A PARTICIPANT-AUDIENCES
THAN THE USUAL
SPECTATORS.

BRECHT’S DRAMAS
LIKE ‘GALILEO’S LIFE’ , ‘MOTHER
COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN’, ‘THE
RISE N FALL OF THE CITY OF
MAHOGANNY’ N OTHERS HAD
REVOLUTIONIZED THE THEATER-
WORLD FOR ONCE N FOR ALL!

THE
SUDDEN INTERRUPTION THROUGH
THE USE OF MUSIC N THEN
PAUSE,THE HARSH LIGHTENING ON
STAGE,THE BOXERS-RING LIKE
STAGE ELEVATION,DIRECT ADDRESS
TO THE AUDIENCES WERE SOME OF
HIS UNIQUE INVENTIONS IN THE
WORLD OF DRAMA!

FOR BRECHT,A
DRAMA NEEDS TO BE
EXPERIMENTAL THAN MERELY AN
EXPRESSION.

BERTOLT BRECHT WAS ALSO THE
INVENTOR OF ‘COLLABORATIVE-
DRAMA’ N ALMOST DECRIED THE
HITHERTO PRACTISES OF
INDIVIDUAL DRAMA .

BRECHT’S WAS SORT OF ANTI-
ARISTOTELIAN AND DEEPLY
ROOTED IN MARXIST WAY OF
PERCEIVING THE WORLD AND
HENCE HE WANTED A PLAY TO BE A
LIVING ENTITY THAT KEEPS PACE
WITH THE CHANGING WORLD
AROUND AND NOT LIKE THE
CLASSICAL DRAMAS WHICH WERE
VERY MUCH STATIC.

BRECHT DIDN’T WISH LIKE THE
GREEK MASTERS THAT THE
AUDIENCE SHOULD GET KIND OF
CATHARSIS VIA AN ASSIMILATION
WITH THE DRAMA ON STAGE FOR
THE TIME BEING, INSTEAD,BRECHT
ADVOCATED FOR ,OF COURSE A
DEEP INVOLVEMENT,BUT, A
DETACHED ONE !

HIS PLAYS,AT TIMES,SEEM
EXCESSIVELY DIDACTIC AND THERE
HE BORES RATHER,GIVEN THE
CONTEMPORARY LITERARY
FRAMEWORKS THAT EMPHASIZE ON
AN HONEST PRESENTATION OF A
PROBLEM AND STRICTLY ABHORS
ANY DIRECT METHOD OF
PREACHING !

BERTOLT BRECHT DIED IN 1956 IN
EAST BERLIN,OF A HEART
ATTACK,AT THE AGE OF 58.

HIS INFLUENCE LINGERS ON AS
OUR SHADOWS DO TO US !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,MASTER BRECHT !

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(+91) 9334411390.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BORIS PASTERNAK, AUTHOR OF 'DR. GHIVAGO' !

BORIS PASTERNAK- THE RUSSIAN AUTHOR WHOSE WORK 'DOCTOR ZHIVAGO' EARNED A PERMANENT PLACE IN THE WORLD LITERATURE!

TODAY IS THE BIRTHDAY OF BORIS PASTERNAK WHO WAS AWARDED THE NOBEL IN 1958,BUT,DUE TO HUGE PROTESTS FROM OTHER WRITERS IN RUSSIA,KGB CONSPIRED SMEAR CAMPAIGN AND VARIOUS THREATS COMPELLED BORIS TO CANCEL HIS TRIP TO STOCKHOLM!

PASTERNAK WAS A GENIUS WHO WAS ALSO A FIRST RATE TRANSLATOR AND A POET OF CONSIDERABLE EMINENCE!

HE WAS A CONTINUOUS 'USUAL-SUSPECT' FOR THE STALINIST REGIME N HAD TO SUFFER GREATLY IN TERMS OF OFFICIAL CENSORSHIP,KGB N OTHER SECRET-POLICE-ROUND THE CLOCK VIGILANCE. . .N OTHER COLLECTIVE AMNESIA!

IT HAD BEEN A GREEK-TRAGEDY IN COMMUNIST RUSSIA THAT THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT LAURELS N MADE RUSSIA POSITIVELY INFLUENTIAL WORLDWIDE, WERE EITHER 'GULAG-ED' OR TORTURED LIFELONG!

UNDER SUCH OPPRESSIVE CLOUDS,FOG N SMOG, TALENTS KEPT EMERGING ONE AFTER THE OTHER! ANNA AKHMATOVA, OSIP MANDELSTAM, IRINI TSVETYAVSKY, ALEXANDER SOLZHENSTYN N THE LIKES!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


BORIS PASTERNAK,Eminent
Russian Poet and Novelist, was
born this day in 1990 in Moscow.

Today he is best remembered for
his novel, 'Dr. ZHIVAGO-- a tale of a
physician cum poet cum lover!

A defining book of the russian lives
under the atrocious regime of
Stalin, Dr.Zhivago first published in
Italy in 1957 and was banned in
his own land which ultimately got
published in 1987. .i.e. Two
decades after the ban.

Pasternak started his literary
journey with poetry-writing and
had had a couple of fine anthology
of verse.

Post the publication of the book,
'DR. GHIVAGO' , It was immediately
banned, and pirated copies were
available in n out of the USSR..and,
that led the manuscript being
smugled out to various european
cities .

It were the worst of times and the
so-called SOCIALISM had created
more problems than good
governance And, Such Towering
Failings had been addressed by
Boris.

Resistance To The Decayed Establishment,had been a central 'mantra' for Boris And, His Works Often Make One Thing Very Conclusive : RESISTANCE IS THE JOY OF LIFE !

With the benign contributions by the noted spy-agencies like the C.I.A. n MI5, The Book(DR.ZHIVAGO) Could reach to the Swedish Academy And It Is Said That The Concerned Committee Had Already Agreed Upon Someone ,Yet, The War Against Communism As A Tacit Agenda Of The Western Europe nThe United States Ultimately Succeeded In Turning The Table And BORIS PASTERNAK BECAME A MONUMENTAL FIGURE IN THE ANNALS OF WORLD LITERATURE !

It was 1958. When the Nobel-award
announced ,Pasternak was
threatened not to travel to the
Swedish Foundation. . . .Many years
later his son got the Nobel On
Behalf of him(Boris Pasternak).

He died at the age of 70 in 1960 .

Today,he would hv been 123.

Happy Birthday, BORIS PASTERNAK !

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F,ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
( 91) 9334411390.
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ALICE WALKER,AUTHOR OF 'THE COLOR PURPLE', TURNS 69 !

(1.) ” ALL HISTORY IS CURRENT ;
ALL INJUSTICE CONTINUES ON
SOME LEVEL, SOMEWHERE IN THE
WORLD. ”

(2.) ” EXPECT NOTHING. LIVE
FRUGALLY ON SURPRISE. ”

(3.) ” NO PERSON IS YOUR FRIEND
WHO DEMANDS YOUR SILENCE, OR
DENIES YOUR RIGHT TO GROW. ”

(4.) ” NOBODY IS AS POWERFUL AS
WE MAKE THEM OUT TO BE. ”

(5.) ” WOMANIST IS TO FEMINIST
AS PURPLE IS TO LAVENDER. ”

Alice Walker.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


HAPPY BIRTHDAY,ALICE WALKER !
One of the eminent
contemporary american authors
whose place in the civil-rights n
women’s rights movements, is
simply towering !

A hot candidate on the list of
Nobel-Hopefuls, Alice Walker Has
Penned Poems,Novels,Essays but
largely known to the outside
world as the author of the novel,
‘THE COLOR PURPLE’- a book that
has gained the status of a
‘WORLD CLASSICS’!

ALICE WALKER TURNS 69 TODAY !

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(+91) 9334411390.
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TEN QUOTES TO SAY, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY,CHARLES DICKENS!'

TODAY(7 FEB.) MARKS 201 YEARS
OF CHARLES DICKENS’ BIRTH !

Ten Quotes In Celebration Of
Dickens,ONE OF THE GREATEST
NOVELISTS OF ALL TIME AND IN
ALL LANGUAGES !

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(1.) ” CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME
AND JUSTICE BEGINS NEXT DOOR. ”

(2.) ” LIFE IS MADE UP OF EVER SO
MANY PARTINGS WELDED
TOGETHER. ”

(3.) ” REGRETS ARE THE NATURAL
PROPERTY OF GREY HAIRS. ”

(4.) ” VICES ARE SOMETIMES ONLY
VIRTUES CARRIED TO EXCESS. ”

(5.) ” THE PAIN OF PARTING IS
NOTHING TO THE JOY OF MEETING
AGAIN. ”

(6.) ” THERE ARE STRINGS IN THE
HUMAN HEART THAT HAD BETTER
NOT BE VIBRATED. ”

(7.) ” THERE IS A WISDOM OF THE
HEAD, AND. . . . THERE IS A WISDOM
OF THE HEART. ”

(8.) ” THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
IN LIFE IS TO STOP SAYING – ‘I
WISH’ AND START SAYING – ‘I
WILL’ . ”

(9.) ” REFLECT UPON YOUR
PRESENT BLESSINGS, OF WHICH
EVERYMAN HAS MANY — NOT ON
YOUR PAST MISFORTUNES, OF
WHICH ALL MEN HAVE SOME. ”

(10.) ” THERE IS NOTHING SO
STRONG OR SAFE IN AN
EMERGENCY OF LIFE AS THE SIMPLE
TRUTH. ”


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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
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(1.) '' WHAT IS LOVE ? IT'S A MORNING AND EVENING STAR. ''

(2.) '' TWO INSULTS A MAN CAN'T TOLERATE : THAT HE HAS NO SENSE OF HUMOR AND THAT HE HAS NEVER FACED ANY TROUBLE IN LIFE. ''

(3.) '' WINTER IS NOT A SEASON, IT'S AN OCCUPATION. ''

Sinclair Lewis.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


SINCLAIR LEWIS, American
Novelist,Playwright,Shortstory
Writer and Nobel-Laureate, Was
Born This Day On February 7, 1885
In Sauk Centre, Minnesota,USA. !

A Prolific Author And One Of The
Most Authentic Commentators On
The American Middle Class, Sinclair
Lewis Wrote Many Novels
Presenting A Satirical View Of
American Smugness, As Observed
In The Small Cities Of The
States,Nonetheless,Relevant To A
Wider Perspective Regarding
American Lives In The Early
Decades Of The Last Century.

Sinclair Lewis Got The Nobel Prize
For Literature In 1930 And He
Became The First American Author
To Get The Literature-Nobel.

'MAIN STREET' , 'BABBITT' ,
'ARROWSMITH' , 'DODSWORTH' ,
'ELMER GANTRY' are Some Of His
Finest Works.

'MAIN STREET' Has Got The Status
Of A World Classics And Within Two
Years Of Its Publication(1920), It
Sold Nearly 2 Million Copies !

'IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE' Is His Best
Collection Of Shortstories !

Sadly, Lewis Is Little Read Or Nearly
Forgotten Author These Days And
Even Renown Critics View Sinclair
Lewis Less As An Artist And More As A Sharp
Observer Of Americanism Of Early
20th-Cent. !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,SINCLAIR LEWIS !


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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
http://MJ1982M.WORDPRESS.COM
http://twitter.com/MJ1982M

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOB MARLEY !

'' SOME PEOPLE FEEL THE RAIN . OTHERS JUST GET WET ! ''

Bob Marley.

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The Legendary Musician, Bob Marley, Would Have Been 68 Today !

Born As Nesta Robert Marley To A Teenaged Mother And A Middleaged Father, In The St. Ann Parish In Suburban Jamaica On February 6, 1945, Bob Marley , Just In A Brief Lifetime Of 36, Attained One Of The Most Original n Influential Status Of Musicians That The World Has Witnessed Ever !

A Product Of Local Jamaican Fusion Music Of 60s, Populary Termed As REGGAE MUSIC, Bob Marley Led A Life Full Of Experiments n Innovations Hitherto Unexplored In The Music Arena!

As The Most Definitive Pillar Of Reggae, Bob Marley, Al Thorough His Active Music Life (roughly 18yrs.), Tried To Blend Together Almost Every Aspect Of Human Existence, be That Political, Social ,Cultural . . . .et.al Into His Creative Outpours And, Thereby Took An Honest Attempt To Address The Challenges Before Human Society In General And Impoverished Jamaicans In Particular !

At 14, Bob Had Left His Native Place And Shifted To The Capital Town Of Kingston And Learned The Nuances Of Music n Arts Under The Tutelege Of A Famous Rastafarian Mr. HIGGS.

With Peter Tosh n Levingston , Bob Started The Band Named The Wailers And Launched Himself Into Music For Once n All !

As The Prevalent Vogue Of The Time In 60s, Bob Too Adopted The Tenets Of A Newer Form Of Faith-System, Technically Known As 'RASTAFARIAN MOVEMENT' - a pattern of beliefs Emphasizing Upon A Near Rejection Of Current Forms Of Faith n Religion And Returned Towards The Mythological Roots Of Human Origins !

Simply Put, The Rastafarians,as the members were called, Lived A Bohemian Life And Preached Sort Of Hippie Culture!

The Music Became A Potent Vehicle Of Expressions Emanating From Politics, Religion, Spirituality n The Likes !

With A Heavy Bass, Roaring Drums, Slow Pace, Instrumentation, Emphasis On Third Offbeat and a few other features, The Reggae Music Was Basically Sound Oriented That Had The Flavors Of Jazz, Saka, Local Jamaican Rhythms . . . . .et.al!

This Type Of Musical Genre Has A Laidback Feel And Bob Marley Made Sort Of An Idyllic Ambience People Had No Choices Except Being Hyptonized !

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BOB MARLEY : EVERY MAN IS A UNIVERSE WITHIN HIMSELF !

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Bob Marley Brought His Jamaican Music To The World Outside And Had Lived A Great Deal In The United States.

His 1977 Music Album, 'EXODUS' That Has Smashing Hits Like, 'JAMMING' , 'ONE LOVE' , 'WAITIN' IN VAIN' , Has Been Voted By The American Magazine,TIME, As The Greatest Album Of The Last Century.

'I SHOT THE SHERIFF' , 'BUFFALO SOLDIERS' , 'IS THAT LOVE' are also mega hits !

Due To The Rising Status Inside Jamaica, where some people equated him to the rank of prophet, Bob Marley Became A Perceived Threat To Some Fringe Sections And That Had Resulted In An Assasination Bid Which Marley Luckily Escaped From.

Married A Singer Named Rita Anderson Of 'I Three' Band, Bob Marley Had 11 Children Many Of Whom Are Now Quite A Success In Music Industry.

Bob Marley Died Of Cancer At An Early Age Of 36, On May 11, 1981.

His Legacy Lives On Through His Music That Are Full Of The Messages Of Hope n Light n Positivity -- Helping People To Carry On n On Amid Hardships n Struggles !


HAPPY BIRTHDAY,BOB MARLEY !


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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
http://facebook.com/MJ1982M
http://twitter.com/MJ1982M

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS,AMERICAN NOVELIST,SHORTSTORY WRITER AND ESSAYIST !

WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, American
Novelist, Shortstory Writer and
Essayist, Was Born This Day On
February 5, 1914 In St. Louis,
Missouri,USA.

Highly Experimental In Terms Of
Both The Style and The Substance,
William Burroughs, Is Considered
As One Of The Most Influential Men
of Letters In The 20th-Century
American Arts n Literature, For His
Writings Have Influenced Not Only
Writers ,But, Musicians n Film
makers Too !

A Prominent Voice Of The
CounterCulture Era Of America,
William Burrough Along With The
Likes Of Allan Ginsberg, Jack
Kerouac n Others, Spearheaded A
Groundbreaking Cultural Movement
Popularly Know As The 'BEAT'
GENERATION Which Aimed At
Exposing All Things That Were
Shallow In American Culture And
Heralded A New Perspective Of
Examining High Sounding Terms/
Concepts viz. The American Dream n
The Superiority Of Americanism !

A Life Full Of Lows ,Controversies n
Degenerative Symptoms (he was a
drug-addict. . .lover of
heroin ,opium n other new found
drugs from south america) ,William
S. Burroughs Penned Mostly
Autobiographical Novels,Novellas
n Shortstories And Had Lent A
Greater Emphasis Upon Things
That One Has Experienced First
hand To Be Picked Up As The
Themes Of Writings!

'NAKED LUNCH' , 'JUNKY' , 'QUEER' ,
'THE WILD BOYS' ,
'EXTERMINATOR' . . . .are some of
his prominent works.

He Was An Inspiration For Young
Avant-Garde Artist And His Place In
The American Literature As A
Postmodernist, Is Towering
Without Any Second Thought!

As A Man,WILLIAM BURROUGHS was
a maverick and had led quite a
carefree,rather ,careless life. He
Married Twice And In First Case It
Was Just For The Sake Of A Visa For
The Lady Who Wanted To Settle In
The States And In Second Case, He
Enjoyed A 'LIVE-IN' Relation With A
Divorced Lady With Whom He Had
A Boy And Under A Shooting Game
He Shot The Lady That Had Caused
Lots Of Trouble But Little
Punishment !

He Died Of Heart Attack At The
Age Of 83 In 1997 In
Lawrence,Kansas ,USA.

Revered And Reviled, William S.
Burroughs Continues To Fascinate
Literature Lovers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WILLIAM S.
BURROUGHS !


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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin Code : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
http://MJ1982M.BLOGSPOT.COM
http://MJ1982M.WORDPRESS.COM
http://twitter.com/MJ1982M

BIRTH CENTENARY OF ROSA PARKS !

'' PEOPLE THINK I WAS TIRED SO I
COULDN'T LEAVE MY SEAT IN THE
BUS. NO, I WAS NOT TIRED
PHYSICALLY, I WAS TIRED OF
GIVING IN . . . . . . .! ''

Rosa Parks.

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TODAY MARKS THE BIRTH
CENTENARY OF ROSA PARKS,The
Iconic Woman Whose Refusal To
Give Her Seat For A White
Passanger In A Montgomery Bus,
Revolutionized The Civil Rights
Movement In The United States
And Ultimately Helped To End The
Racial Segregation !

Rosa Louise Parks Was Born This
Day On February 4, 1913 In
Tuskegee,Alabama,USA.

To Mark Her Centennial
Commemoration,The US' POSTAL
SERVICES Has Issued A Stamp
Which Carries A 1950's Image Of
Rosa Parks And Is Titled, ROSA
PARKS FOREVER !

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Born As Rosa Louise
McCavely,Miss Parks Had A Rather
Simple Childhood That Was Partly
Empty Because Her Parents
Parted Ways And Rosa Was
Brought Up By Her Mother Who
Had Come To Live With Her
Mother's House In Pine Lavel,
Albama.

Rosa Had Her Elementary
Schooling At Local School
Notorious For Its Devilish Practise
Of Segregation Thereby Black
Pupils Had To Suffer A Lot.

Rosa
Parks, Like Countless Other Black
Children Had To Walk To Reach
The School As Buses Were Meant
For White Pupils.Also,The Old
Buildings Were Meant For The
Blacks And The White Were
Priviledged To Sit In New Rooms.

These Examples Of Injustices n
Inequalities Had Deeply Left A
Scar Like Impression On Young
Rosa,But,Those Were Not The
Appropriate Moments To Raise
Voices !

Rosa Had To Abandon Her
Studies Without A High School
Degree And Had To Look After
Her Ailing Mom n Grandmother !

At 19, Rosa Met n Married An
Activist,RAYMOND PARKS and She
Became An Active Member,Just
Like Her Husband,Of The
'National Association For The
Advancement Of Colored
People' (NAACP).

Rosa Worked As A Seamstress In
A Department Store In
Montgomery And Had To Travel
By The City Bus Service That Used
To Observe Draconian
Segregation Code.
On One Such Occasion,ROSA
PARKS DIDN'T GIVE HER SEAT AS
WAS ASKED FOR MAKING SPACE
FOR THE WHITE
COMMUTERS. . .and, She Was
Arrested And Charged With The
Violation Of The Law And Was
Tried !

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The Arrest n Trial Of Rosa Parks
Provided Sort Of A Rallying Point
To All African Americans Living In
Montgomery,Alabama And There
Came A Montgomery Bus Bycott
That Lasted For A Record 381
Days And America Is Never
Been The Same!

The City Bus Service Incurred
Heavy Losses And The Legal
Procedure Continued By The
Black People That Ultimately Got
Through When The US' SUPREME
COURT Had Struck Down The
Segregation Laws(commonly
known as JIM CROW LAWS).

Rosa Parks,Since Then,Became A
Beacon Of Freedom, Equality n
Justice, Not Only Inside The
States,Rather The World Over!

She Was Honored With The
Highest American Award,
'Presidential Medal Of Freedom'
and The 'Congressional Gold
Medal' , The Highest Award
Conferred By The US' CONGRESS.

Rosa Parks Died On October 24,
2005, At The Age Of 92 In Her
Home In Detroit,Michigan,USA!

A HAPPY HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY
TO ROSA PARKS !

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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
http://facebook.com/MJ1982M
http://twitter.com/MJ1982M

JAMES JOYCE : A SMALL PORTRAIT OF A TALL NOVELIST !

JAMES JOYCE,THE GREAT MODERN
NOVELIST WHO WROTE
ONE,RATHER TWO OF THE MOST
COMPLEX NOVELS EVER WRITTEN
IN ANY LANGUAGE : ‘ULYSSES’ n
‘FINNEGANS WAKE’ , WAS BORN ON
FEBRUARY 2, 1882 IN
DUBLIN,IRELAND!

James Joyce Wrote Very Few
Books ,But, Masterpieces!Apart
From The Above Two Novels,His
Third One n Chronologically First,
‘A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A
YOUNG MAN’ Is Also A Classic
Novel Examining The Three
Phases Of A Man’s Life :
Childhood, Adoloscent n Youth In
The Life Of Mr. STEPHEN DEDALUS
(an alter-ego of the writer
himself).

Joyce Also Wrote A Famous
Collection Of Short stories Named,
‘ DUBLINERS’ ,Which Again
Examines The Lives Of People
Populating The Irish Capital City
Of Dublin,where Joyce Had Spent
His Early Years Before Being
Shifted To Trieste,Italy,
Paris,France n Zurich,
Switzerland.
Some of the stories,especially,
‘THE DEAD’ made it to Cinema !

Joyce Used To Write Long Letters
At A Rather Regular Period And
His Letters Published In
Anthology Form After Joyce’s
Death, Helped Form Many A New
Thing Regarding The Author’s
Life, Therefore, Serves Greatly The
Purpose Of Dissecting The
Enigma Called James Joyce!

These Letters Throw Great Light
On Joyce’s Relationship With
NORA BARNACLE,Whom He
Married More Than A Decade
After Having Had Sort Of A ‘LIVE-
IN’ Relation.

James Joyce Would Not Have
Been The James Joyce, Had He
Not Been Blessed By The
Companionship Plus The
Patronage Of People Like The
Great Literary Dictator,EZRA
POUND, The Enthusiastic Lady
Publisher, HARRIET WEAVER and
Last But Not The Least, The
Owner Of The World Famed
Bookshop(Shakespeare & Co.) Of
Paris, SYLVIA BREECH and A Few
Others (like some russian
expatriate businessman living in
Paris).

James Joyce Couldn’t Get, As
Critics Think, What He Might Have
Deserved ,But, There Is Little
Doubt That Posthumously James
Joyce Is Annointed As THE SINGLE
MOST LITERARY GIANT OR
MODERNIST who have ever
written in our modern period !

And, No One Could Ever Be Able
To Gauge How Much Influences
Joyce Had, Have n Will Continue
To Have On Writers Around The
World !

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In Celebration Of Joyce’s Birthday,
I Have Picked 5 Of My Favourite
Joyce’s Quotes!

JAMES JOYCE QUOTES :-

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(1.) ” LOVE, YES. WORD KNOWN TO
ALL MEN. ”

(2.) ” NATIONS HAVE THEIR EGO.
JUST LIKE INDIVIDUALS. ”

(3.) ” MEN ARE GOVERNED BY
LINES OF INTELLECT – WOMEN; BY
CURVES OF EMOTION. ”

(4.) ” THE PLEASURES OF LOVE
LASTS BUT A FLEETING , BUT THE
PLEDGES OF LIFE OUTLASTS A
LIFETIME. ”

(5.) ” IRRESPONSIBILITY IS PART
OF THE PLEASURE OF ALL ART ; IT
IS THE PART THE SCHOOLS CAN’T
RECOGNIZE. ”

James Joyce.

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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
http://facebook.com/MJ1982M
http://twitter.com/MJ1982M

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LANGSTON HUGHES, AMERICAN POET AND PLAYWRIGHT !

'' MY SOUL HAS GROWN DEEP LIKE THE RIVERS !''

Langston Hughes.

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LANGSTON HUGHES,American Poet,Playwright n Novelist, Was Born This Day, February 1, 1902 In Missouri USA And Had Played A Substantial Role In Shaping The Black Consciousness In The Twenties Of The Last Century Through His Monumental Works As 'THE NEGRO SPEAKS TO RIVERS' and 'THE WEARY BLUES' and Later On, Through Various Lecture Tours And Articles Penned For Various American Magazines,especially, 'CHICAGO DEFENDER' !

A Defining Voice Of The Cultural Movement Of 1920s By The Black Intellectuals In Harlem,NY, Popularly Known As 'HARLEM RENAISSANCE' , Langston Hughes Was Very Keep Observer Of The Ordinary Black People Living In America And Had Given A Masterful Rendition Of Such Lives In His Poems and Plays !

He Had Been Active Since The Middle Of 1920s To The Middle Of 1960s And During This Rather Long Period Of Writing, Produced Around A Dozen Of Poetry-Books, A Dozen Of Dramas, Two Novels And Countless Works Of Non-Fiction.

'THE WEARY BLUES' Was Hughes' First Major Work Published In 1926 By A.Knopf And Established Him As An Important Voice Amongst The Group Of Black Intellectuals.

This Book Of Poems Displays Influences Of Poets Like CARL SANDBURG and WALT WHITMAN --Two Poets ,among a few others, Whom Langston Hughes Always Held In High Esteem!

His Other Notable Poetry Anthology Is 'THE NEGRO SPEAKS TO RIVERS' ,Which Is Considered As His Most Acclaimed Book of Poems And A Groundbreaking Work In The Black People's Literary Heritage!

Unfortunately,Langston Hughes Never Got What He Rather Deserved During His Hey Day As Critics n Intellectuals of Both Hues(black n white) Didn't Hold Hughes In Good Stead!

Langston Hughes,Though, Has Always Been A Huge Hit Amongst The General Readers, Comprising Mainly The Younger Minds!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(2.). . . . . . . .

'NOT WITHOUT LAUGHTER' Is Hughes' Most Popular Novel. Langston Hughes Was A Regular At Various Periodicals And He Used To Pen,Apart From Serious Pieces, Humorous Items And Had, In Fact, Created A Stock-Character Full Of Fun n Laughter, 'MR. SAMPLE' ,Who Later Became Simply,Mr.Simple And A Couple Of Books Regarding Mr. Simple,Were Ready , Like, 'Simple Takes A Wife', 'Simple Stakes A Claim' and so on n so forth.

As A Playwright He Wrote Around A Dozen Plays,Chief Among Them Are : 'BLACK NATIVITY' , 'MULATTO' . . .et.al !

He Had Also Penned Lyrics For A Couple Of Broadway-Musicals.

Langston Hughes Happened To Be The First Black Author Who Earned A Living Through Writing And That Tells Much Regarding His Wide Renown Coupled With A Great Acceptance Amongst The Readers!

Very Fond Of Jazz and Other Forms Of Music,Langston Hughes' Poetry Bears A Matchless Musical Quality !

His Position,Despite Many Criticisms, Mainly Emanating From The Range Of Themes Hughes' Works Focussed Upon, Is Very Much Secure Today n Tomorrow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,LANGSTON HUGHES !

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MRITYUNJAY JHA
4F, ADARSH NAGAR
SAMASTIPUR
BIHAR
INDIA.
Pin : 848101.
(91) 9334411390.
http://facebook.com/MJ1982M
http://twitter.com/MJ1982M