These are some of the responses to the Apr-Jun 2005 issue received and our reactions. Several other responses are posted in the ‘Feedback’ column on this site. 


Pictures hamper quick downloads
The pictures while they are an excellent addition to the journal, hamper immediate download… That doesn’t mean that you should discontinue use of the pictures which are beautiful and reflect your artistic taste. Please use them; but don’t use too many. 

D Kesava Rao, Hindupur May 12, 2005

(We have introduced pictures to enhance aesthetic appeal, though we are aware this may slowdown downloading. Upgrading your PC may improve matters. We are using pictures mostly for poems. - Editors )

Good work!
Congratulations! The site is very inviting.

David Maulsby, Layout Editor, Postcolonial Text, Canada May 12, 2005

It was a pleasure to visit your beautiful and romantic site. My sincere compliments for the fine poetry and the excellent combination of poems with our photographs.

It is a pleasure contributing with our images to your wonderful cultural initiative.

Very best wishes from Sicily.

Saro Di Bartolo, Italy May 14, 2005

Inadequacy of translation
I have just gone through Muse India's Apr-June issue and felt like congratulating you. It is a tremendous effort.

The poetry section totally justifies the observations of the section editor. My only regret is that Surjit Patar's wonderful poem which sounds so well when he reads it in Hindi translation is somewhat lost in English translation, perhaps because those indigenous punjabi words had to be annotated, thus stemming the flow of the poem.

The article section is obviously the richest part of this issue. I was wondering if a brief section highlighting important literary and book events taking place in various languages can be introduced. This may enhance the interest of the magazine.

Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, Editor, Indian Literature May 26, 2005

(Thank you for your very warm words and the feedback. We will certainly keep in mind your suggestion regarding news on literary and book events. - Editors) 

Facility for sequential browsing
Is it possible to have "Previous" and "Next" buttons provided at the bottom of the articles, to browse through the contents one after the other, after entering a particular section?

Mukunda Ramarao, Bangalore June 1, 2005 

( We'll see how best to incorporate this. -Editors)

Increase frequency of the e-journal 
Three months’ time is quite a big gap for the journal to re-appear. I edited a community magazine quarterly, and every time the issue was published, I had to remind people about it. Most of them would conveniently forget it over a period of 90 days. For the start, good; down the lane, you may think of increasing the cycle.

I think Authors’ photographs could have been better exhibited on the pages itself. Only for other details, one could go in for a click.

Title of the write-up, whether a poem, a story or an article, could also be given in the Index on the front page along with the name of the author.

MK Raina, Thane Jun 4, 2005

(We started Muse India as a Quarterly and decided to review its periodicity after a year, taking into account various factors. We have now announced that it will become a bi-monthly from Jan 2006. We feel author's photograph should be alongside the profile. In the index, space does not permit carrying both the title as well as author's name. We appreciate your suggestions and will bear them in mind. - Editors)

Contributing Editors bring incredible flexibility

To be sure I am very excited about the e-journal. One of the things I love about what you are doing is that you turn the journal over to contributing editors every issue. This gives an incredible amount of flexibility and means that you don't ever represent on aesthetic, which is wonderful because you are the first. If you continue to succeed and build a stronger base of members, all the journals to follow your example will have to fill the smaller niches. I've seen this in America with Salon.com as the earliest successful online e-journal, which has since become a terrific stopping place for prose, poetry, interviews, and book and movie reviews. I also really appreciate the "paper look and feel" of your layout. As a writer I can say that I am always weary of electronic journals because it doesn't feel like 'real' publication. I think this is largely due to presentation, and you do a good job of presenting a product that looks and feels legitimate - no easy task in html. 

You have started something really special and I applaud you for it. To misquote Octavio Paz, running a small journal is never for profit, they are not children of knowledge, but of love. ... I love your first two issues and I'm sure you'll make a hundred more.

Thom Blaylock, Editor, Columbia, a literary and art journal, USA Jun 13, 2005

(Thanks for your warm words and wonderful wishes for us to turn 100! -Editors)

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