About Me

I started this blog nearly two years ago for a very inane reason : a job application form wanted to know about my online presence! (Inane in the sense that I did not even bother to send out the form in the end; there’s nothing silly about responding to incentives) Unsurprisingly, it has been largely neglected since then except for the occasional links I posted for the sole intention of retrieving them at a later date and the very few, self indulgent posts I wrote to entertain (I use the word very loosely) my friends . Now, even though I am certain that the status quo as far as posting is concerned would be maintained, I would like the occasional reader who swings by to know something about me. I did name the blog ‘15 Minutes’, after all.

I’m a student of Economics (as an undergrad I read Financial Econ at the University of St Andrews and would be taking up Econ History for a Master’s at the LSE) and this should explain why most of the posts are tagged under Economics. I know that most non-economists would write the subject off as dismal and cynical but objectively speaking, it does have its moments of spark and excitement You just need to give it a chance.

Had it not been Econ, I would have been either a Neuroscientist, a Make Up Artist or a Pastry Chef and as such, most of the other posts (or links) would be pertaining to these topics. Other interests of mine and certain facets of my personality might find their way onto these pages but I can assure you that thanks to general laziness and to the strong personal belief that writing should be left to those who actually can, these would be kept to a minimum.

Right! Since I think the tone of this post is laconic enough to  appease even the Coens, I would leave you with this little piece of wisdom from our man Bukowski. I think it ever so perfectly explains why every Tom, Dick or Arti should not write!

So You Want To Be A Writer

if it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don’t do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don’t do it.
if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don’t do it.
if you’re trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.
if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you’re not ready.

don’t be like so many writers,
don’t be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don’t be dull and boring and
pretentious, don’t be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
don’t do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don’t do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don’t do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

Thank you very much for sparing me your 15 minutes!