Synopsis The contemporary world is characterised by a widening gap between, mass civilisation and minority culture. Much of our public discourse paradoxically uses a language that is unintelligible and esoteric, clearly beyond the reach of the common reader. Literary journalism is either to simplistic or too dense. The critic is largely redundant to his/her cultural milieu. The present book brings together a set of essays on literature, culture and literary conversations that have appeared in some of the leading forums in the country. Straddling the many worlds—from Cairo to Cambridge, from Sandra Gilbert to Sri Aurobindo—the perspectives aim at the creation of a cultured community.