[caption id="attachment_202076" align="alignnone" width="550"]
Lezo Putsure and Nzan Kikon during the launch of the book ‘The Starry Night,’ on Aug. 18 in Kohima. (EM Images)[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 19 (EMN): A novel titled, ‘The Starry Night’ written by Nzan Kikon, was released by the director of YouthNet, Lezo Putsure at Hotel Ura in Kohima on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 18.
The book is a work of fiction and the first novel to be published under the imprint of PenThrill Publication House. The 245-page novel is about the life of Ben, who the struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with his father which ensue every day. His obsession with a Van Gogh's painting keeps him occupied while trying his best to save his hurting family from falling apart. When a tragic event occurs in the family, Ben runs away from home but decides to return after seven long years only to discover the painful truth about his flawed father.
The author of the book, Nzan Kikon is a counseling psychologist by profession but a philosopher at heart and a scientist from the head. He holds a master’s degree in Divinity and currently lives in Kohima. His spare time is utilized in blogging, contemplating on the depths of life and learning vocabularies. He loves reading and a big believer in making the world a better place.
Addressing the launch programme, Director YouthNet Lezo Putsure commented that writing and implementation is the hardest thing while stating that it takes intelligence, critical thinking, grammar, and everything. He said that writing is such an important and critical skill which many people don’t have and congratulated the author for achieving this feat.
He commended PenThrill for opening doors for many people both young. Observing that writing and reading is a culture that the world is losing, he said it is important for everybody to continue to support publication houses and writers.
The publisher, Vishü Rita Krocha said 'The Starry Night’ is not devoid of simple joys and shared moments of happiness, but Nzan has also so creatively captured a painful reality, experienced by many homes and families across the state, if not beyond.
She hoped that this novel will reach out to many people and make an impact in the lives of our society because the book carries lessons we can learn from, as much as it carries the message of hope while not depriving the reader from enjoying the pleasures of reading.
Krocha appreciated the young writer who is said to be already halfway through his second book, and said she is really encouraged to see the passion he has for writing and was optimistic that the enthusiasm with which he writes will spark more interest for aspiring writers to zealously pursue their inherent gifts.
“Writing, like everything else requires a great amount of dedication and Nzan has proved that nothing is impossible if you set your heart to it. Literature, I believe, is a stark reflection of any society," Krocha said.
Giving a review of the book ‘The Starry Night’, Fabian W Marbaniang, HoD, English department, Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong (read out by Mimi Suohu, KROS College, Kohima) said ‘The Starry Night’ delves deeply into the psyche of people living under one roof, being affected by each other’s temperament other than the outcome of a psychological condition of the one who has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that the family functions as one. The family is shattered. The roles are reversed. The psychological condition is passed on to the next generation.
It is a journey of seven long years, a journey of strength and courage, of remorse and sadness, of success and failure. Each feeling had a sound reason behind it. Each reason was revealed and discovered over the period of seven years. Each thought and emotion resulted in unintentional behaviour. Living with these outcomes came with a price and it was a heavy price to pay. The death of Zee and Ben running away into the unknown shattered the family. It was Adi alone who stood strong, yet helpless, while her family crumbled. She kept her sanity. She found hope in something.
To survive through years of brokenness requires a very deep level of awareness of self, strength and courage. But are these factors, enough to survive, when one is crippled by a psychological condition? Nzan, presents to his readers, these factors for survival at different levels throughout his work, revealing who grows, who survives, who sinks, and who is real among his chosen characters. The events in the life of Tem’s family continue to unfold.
At the end of the day, the only escape from the harsh realities is the change of a mindset and of one’s heart. Ben chose to escape from the known into the unknown. Often, it was an escape into the world of Van Gogh or into his world of a plethora of colours spread across a canvass, an outcome of deep thoughts and emotions. It was under the ‘starry night’ of Van Gogh, his muse, that Ben found his escape. It was this muse that helped him find a way to ‘kindnesses.’ Some found death as an escape.
The Starry Night, as the name depicts, is inspirational. Through the darkest of times, one can get a glimpse of the stars allowing it to add value to one’s life. The glimpse becomes a source of strength and composure to carry on and find meaning in everything that the journey offers.
