User talk:Manilsuri

I am the author Manil Suri, and have been updating some entries on my page. (I used to sign in as Jacobian59, but decided to start a new account under my own name.)

This morning, I updated honors received by my books and also listed some other recent activities that have got attention in the public sphere. I would like to make one more change to the page, but decided I should consult with an editor since it is about myself. This concerns the following recent addition to my page:

In December 2013, Suri won the "Bad Sex in Fiction" prize for comparing sex to a nuclear reaction in the City of Devi.[5]

I would like to first of all remove a factual inaccuracy: "for comparing sex to a nuclear reaction" (the scene talks about supernovas, which are star formations, not nuclear reactions). Since there is no specific *reason* for the award, I would like to just say "for a sex scene" or more accurately, "for the climactic sex scene."

In addition, I would also like to present the opposing viewpoint - of critics who have actually praised the sex writing in the book. There is a quote from the Times Literary Supplement in the referred article [5] according to which the sex is "unfettered, quirky, beautiful, tragic and wildly experimental" Also, the review for "The City of Devi" in the Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324610504578276333641227750) says: "Mr. Suri sensitively and skillfully traverses the many variations of lovemaking that can result from a party of three, and the novel's sex scenes, which stand in buoyant contrast to the threat of nuclear extinction, bring out his best writing—he captures the insecurity, the curiosity and even the comedy of those vulnerable moments without stooping to prurience."

The Times Literary Supplement review is not available online (at least I could not find it). However, it is mentioned in the article [5]. I was wondering whether the following statement would be appropriate. Also, if it is appropriate, should some of the Times quote be included as a counterbalance? Thanks.

In December 2013, Suri won the "Bad Sex in Fiction" prize for the climactic sex scene in the City of Devi.[5] However, reviewers in the Times Literary Supplement [5], and Wall Street Journal have praised the sex writing.

Manilsuri (talk) 16:14, 11 January 2014 (UTC)manilsuri


 * Use the article talk page - see Contact us - Subjects - paragraph 2  Ron h jones  (Talk) 18:50, 11 January 2014 (UTC)


 * Hi Manil, I'm in agreement with Ronhjones, the article's talk page is the best place to start this discussion with the template.  While the phrasing in the article "for comparing sex to a nuclear reaction" isn't the same as "for comparing sex to supernovas", there is enough detail in the article to argue for the inclusion of some version of that idea. It's presumed that the BBC did the requisite fact-checking to arrive at their conclusions about what inspired the award. And since we do strive for a neutral point of view, I would agree that a positive critique should balance out the negative one. Again, these are issues best discussed on the talk page. Regards, Cyphoidbomb (talk) 19:00, 11 January 2014 (UTC)