Opening Chapters

I first heard of Celestial Bodies by Jokha Al-Harthi when it was long-listed for the Man Booker International Prize and was talked about by  @arablit  on Twitter. Translated from Arabic by Marilyn Booth. The book went on to win the prize which was something I wanted initially for sentimental reasons (having grown up in the Middle East).  At the heart of Celestial Bodies, are the stories of three sisters: Mayya, Asma and Khawla. We read about each of them through their pastimes, their married lives and so on. The story is a postcolonial, multi-generational narrative that takes us through different people. These chapters give the reader of picture as Oman changes from a collection of feudal, nomadic tribes to the Sultanate of Oman following the exit of the British. We learn about the effects of the British occupation that’s percolated different parts of society, the slave trade that was vibrant till the early twentieth century and how its society changed as globalization happe

When the Roswell adaptation was announced in 2018, many lamented that yet another remake was landing on their screens. Roswell, New Mexico , is adapted from the original Roswell High books written by Melinda Metz where Liz was Liz Ortecho of Mexican descent and not Liz Parker, as in the 1999 show that catapulted actors like Shiri Appleby and Katherine Heigl to stardom. Roswell, NM is a very different show that explores the story differently while making leaps in the area of representation. The 2019 series sees Liz Ortecho as a young biomedical scientist, the daughter of Mexican immigrants returning to Roswell, NM after 10 years, after the funding for her research has been slashed. The premiere episode shows her working at Crashdown Cafe, the alien-themed eatery owned by her father Arturo. The cafe is attacked by a gunman, who holds the Ortechos responsible for the death of two girls - friends of Liz’s older sister Rosa who had died in a car crash 10 years prior along with