Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery its the sincerest form of learning. George Bernard Shaw

I learned to draw by copying from my favorite comic books, trying to understand each heros pose, their expression, and how their muscles fit together under all that spandex. (Superheroes have soooo many muscles!)

I think that we all learn that way. How to act, how to dress, how to move through the world. You see someone doing something amazing, and you try your best to do it the same way. Its only natural, right? So why does it feel so bad being called a copycat?

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My new book The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow & Sorcery came out in early November. Its the third book in a series that Ive written with a total of eleven different writers, and weve always tried to create a wide-reaching, inclusive world where each child in the kingdom can express themselves with homemade costumes and creativity. In Snow & Sorcery, that sense of play and adventure inspires kids from the nearby neighborhood of Parkside to join in the fun. But things do NOT go well.

When Mr. Millionaire waves a hand drawn million-dollar bill to prove he really is a millionaire, Alice the Alchemist calls him a counterfeiter and a crook. She is a hard-working young entrepreneur, and shes offended by his fakery.

When Jack the Sorceress sees Nando the Necromancer show up in a cool costume with snazzy eye makeup, Jack asks, Youre a BOY dressing up as a dark magic diva?! But, he says, Thats MY thing!

And then theres the Copycat, who wears a mish-mash of costume parts that shes proudly copied from other Cardboard Kingdom kids.

Needless to say, the new kids from Parkside are not warmly welcomed into the Cardboard Kingdom, setting up a string of misunderstandings and conflicts that will escalate over the course of the book.

As I developed the stories of Snow & Sorcery with members on my writing team, we kept circling around the same questions: Why is it so uncomfortable seeing ourselves reflected in others? When is it okay to be a copycat? How inclusive and expansive can the Cardboard Kingdom really be?

I like to ask a lot of questions with my work, and I dont claim to come up with answers for all of them. But heres some of what Ive learned while working on Snow & Sorcery.

What we fear in the mirror:

We all have faces. Theyre awkward, expressive things that we use to interact with those around us: to talk, to display emotion, to interpret the feelings of others. But theres this strange, uncanny thing about faces: you can never really know what yours looks like. You can look into a mirror, which certainly helps, but you can never actually know how everyone else sees you. Not unless they show you.

I think that the fundamental horror of being mimicked, imitated, or caricatured is discovering something ugly about ourselves that we hadnt seen before. It can lead to anxiety and insecurity, the fear of ridicule or even replacement.

Thats what drives Jack the Sorceress to see Nando the Necromancer as a rival rather than a new friend. Later in the book, Jack explains that to Nando:

If were insecure about ourselves or our place in the world, seeing someone else like us can feel threatening, as if theyre going to steal whatever spot weve carved out for ourselves. Worse yet, if they show us something about ourselves that we dont like, weve got to either adjust our own self-image or deny reality.

Imitation and caricature are powerful things. They can be hilarious and insightful, or they can be absolutely devastatingeven unintentionally so. As an artist, I hesitate whenever someone asks me to draw a likeness of them. Capturing a likeness means identifying someones most distinctive traits, what sets them apart, but those specific things are often what theyre the most insecure about. Even with the best of intentions and the lightest touch, its a challenge. Whenever another artist draws me, I brace myself before looking at their work! (Insecurity apparently has no age limit or expiration date.)

The power of a costume:

At its heart, The Cardboard Kingdom is a kind of pastiche, an homage to all the superhero, fantasy, and science fiction stories that have inspired me and the entire creative team. Its an exploration of how we project our favorite imaginary worlds onto our everyday lives, using a cardboard costume to transform into a towering robot or an enchanting sorceress. Theres something incredible about copying, about costumes, and about creativity.

In The Cardboard Kingdom, each childs costume provides an opportunity to cosplay as a different character, but it also provides an option to try on a different personality for a while, to test drive a different aspect of themselves they might not be ready to deal with outside of it. Jack feels much more confident and powerful when in costume as the Sorceress, and he gradually learns to feel a bit more of that magic at school and at home.

The Copycat prides herself on her costuming craftsmanship, eagerly copying the cardboard pieces of everyone elses outfits. Its a skill she develops alongside her mimicry, as a means of fitting in.

As George Bernard Shaws quote conveyed at the start of this article, copying is about learning. Its a kind of rehearsal, trying to learn through repeating what you see, faking it til you make it.

People say that I have a distinctive illustration style, that they can tell from just a quick glance at a books cover that I drew it. But I dont really know what that style is. Its like my own face: its too much a part of me to get a proper look at. My artistic style only took shape after countless times copying and being inspired by others art, and somewhere along the way, it became uniquely mine.

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And now I have the distinct pleasure of seeing readers copy costumes from our book, dressing up as Jack the Sorceress or Seth the Gargoyle for Halloween. Its profound and inspiring to see the reverberations of your own creative work ripple out into the world, to see glimmering reflections of it shine back at you. And I hope its just as powerful for those kids to see themselves reflected in our book, to read characters that look and act just like them.

There are a lot of lessons to learn from copycats.

Meet the author

Chad Sell grew up in a small town in central Wisconsin. He lived in a neighborhood much like the Cardboard Kingdom, where he and his friends bounded through backyards in imaginative games and outfits! His favorite characters to play were the villains because, despite being different and misunderstood, they were powerful and confident, and they got the best costumes. Chad lives in Connecticut with his husband and cat. Chads other books include Doodleville and The Stupendous Switcheroo.

About The Cardboard Kingdom #3: Snow and Sorcery

The kids of the Cardboard Kingdom go on a new adventure! This time, they are in search of new friendsbut what they discover is a lot more likeenemies

Its winter break in the Cardboard Kingdom, and kids from the town across the park want to play together! But according to the evil Sorceress, not just anyone can join the kingdom So its not long before the two communities spiral into battle.

Will the Sorceress realize the error of her ways before all hope is lost? Will friendship still manage to win the day?

The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcerywas created, organized, and drawn by Chad Sell with writing from seven other authors: Jay Fuller-Ng, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Barbara Perez Marquez, and Jasmine Walls.

ISBN-13: 9780593481639 Publisher: Random House Childrens Books Publication date: 11/07/2023 Series: Cardboard Kingdom Series #3 Age Range: 9 12 Years

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Copycats and Conflict in The Cardboard Kingdom, a guest post by ... - Teen Librarian Toolbox

Bill Logans love affair with the works of Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw goes back to his days as a college student at the University of Houston in the late 1970s.

But throughout the intervening years, he had never had the opportunity to work on a production of one of Shaws most popular plays, Candida until now.

Logan directed the play for The Gingerbread Players of Saint Lukes Church in Forest Hills. It opened last weekend and two performances remain on Nov. 18 and 19.

Logan, who lives in Forest Hills, got his feet wet as a Shavian actor early in his theatrical career, appearing in a production of Getting Married. Four decades later he came full circle when he directed the play for the Gingerbread troupe.

Among the other Shavian plays with which he has been involved either as actor or director are The Philanderer and You Never Can Tell.

So delighted is he by Shaws writing that he claims, One of my most pleasant discoveries was on a business trip to Boston where I found a six-volume set of the complete works of Shaw for $35.

He appreciates that Shaws plays have a serious yet humorous way of approaching topics that are still relevant.

Candida, which was written in 1894, is a case in point. The themes, among them the examination of a womans place in marriage and the meaning of marriage itself, are pertinent to today, Logan said.

Shaws portrayal of independent women must have startled audiences back then, Logan said.

The plays three central characters are James Morell, a well-known English reverend and moralist (played by David Ezra Stein); his devoted wife, Candida (Lauren Snyder); and a passionate young poet, Eugene Marchbanks (Joey Mignone), who tries to win Candidas affections.

Snyder says her character is surprisingly a lot like me. She is good-natured and likes taking care of people a bit more than I do.

She first became acquainted with the role when she took a workshop at HB Studio, one of the original acting studios in New York City, under famed actor and teacher Austin Pendleton. He had a wealth of knowledge about Shaw, she said. I worked on my character in class. Now, she says, I notice things differently about her.

Rounding out the cast are Farah Diaz-Tello, Andrew Dinan and Mike Miller.

Not only does Candida question Victorian notions of love and marriage, but, as is typical in many of Shaws works, it also touches upon political issues of the day, though, according to Logan, theyre not central in this play.

Following open auditions, rehearsals for the production began in late August. Logan has found the experience to be great. The cast is very dedicated. They work very hard. Theyve learned how to play Shaw; they get the humor and all his points across.

Remaining performances take place at Saint Lukes Church, at 85 Greenway South, on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit gingerbreadplayers.org or call (718) 268-7772.

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Shaw's 'Candida' probes the power of love - Queens Chronicle

PEN TO PAPER: Letters shape history and peoples political and personal lives.

In 1527, King Henry VIII put ink to paper to write his future second wife, Anne Boleyn, telling her that he had written with the hand of him who wishes he were yours.

Letters now have a place in museums and estate houses, as well as on stage.

On Thursday evening in London, Letters Live, the literary event that brings together celebrities and critically acclaimed writers to read letters to a live audience, celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall with a helping hand from Montblanc, the German luxury goods brand dedicated to writing instruments, as well as timepieces, leather goods, accessories, fragrances and eyewear.

A jam-packed audience at the concert hall listened, laughed, cried and clapped as letters were read aloud by Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Minnie Driver, Stephen Fry, Will Sharpe and Woody Harrelson.

It was only natural for Montblanc to unite with Letters Live, as both share an unwavering devotion to the written word and the influence it wields on individuals and communities. Montblancs very inception was rooted in a visionary concept to transform the way people connect through the art of writing, and we are thrilled to extend this incredible legacy through our partnership, opening fresh avenues for people to rediscover the magic of words, said Vincent Montalescot, chief marketing officer at Montblanc.

Cumberbatch, a coproducer of Letters Live, kicked off the evening with a letter by playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw to The Times of London from 1905.

Shaw wrote about of his evening at the Royal Opera House to watch a performance of Don Giovanni, which was disturbed by a woman wearing a large white bird, which looked exactly if someone had killed it by stamping on the beast, and then nailed it to the ladys temple.

I wore the costume imposed on me by the regulations of the house. I fully recognize the advantage of those regulations. Evening dress is cheap, simple, durable, prevents rivalry and extravagance on the part of male leaders of fashion, he wrote.

Other famous letters in the lineup included Jackie Morris note to the BBC; one from Nina Simone to Andy Stroud, and Anas Nins message to The Collector, an anonymous collector that would pay a dollar a page for the erotic stories of Nin, Henry Miller and their group of friends.

Tom Odell, Angelique Kidjo, The Spirituals Choir and Kae Tempest performed musical and spoken-word numbers in between the letter readings.

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Montblanc Fetes Letters Live 10th Anniversary With A-list Celebrities - WWD

If Thomas Edison hadnt repeatedly tried and failed (1,000 times), paid attention to results, and modified his approach to fix each flaw, the invention of the light bulb might have been in question. Trial, and error, admitting mistakes, acknowledging the obvious, and correcting course is the basis of scientific endeavor. Unfortunately, any such objective scrutiny of results and applied remedies is often missing in the public policy process, particularly when it comes to sanctuary policies for illegal aliens. Unlike Edison, leftist politicians who put in place sanctuary havens for lawbreakers now refuse to recognize the cause and effect of their colossalmistakes.

Yet, in the midst of Bidens Border Crisis that fuels massive flows of migrants to states and major urban areas within them, the evidence is now crystal clear: Sanctuary policies are an abject failure resulting in skyrocketing costs, increased gangs, drugs, crime, housing shortages, and publicoutcry.

Sanctuary policies generally referring to municipalities (or even entire states) that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities exist in some 600 cities and counties. Three sanctuary jurisdictions, in particular, are currently experiencing dramatic cause and effect due to theirpolicies.

George Bernard Shaw once observed, No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answers are obvious. While sanctuary-supporting politicians, blinded by the pursuit of power and corrupted by special interests, may have difficulty seeing the obvious, the citizens of New York, Chicago, and Boston can see it, and for them the answer is easy: End sanctuary policiesnow.

Sanctuary policies lack any inherent public benefit and impose adverse impact on local communities. They must be reversed because if not now in the middle of unprecedented turmoil with incontrovertible proof of failure, then when if ever would it betime?

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Time to End the Sanctuary Cities Experiment: It Couldn't Be More ... - Federation for American Immigration Reform

Check out all that Carlow has to offer this November weekend.

Friday 17th November:

Palatine GAA Clubhouse will host a fundraiser table quiz at 8pm on Friday.You can enter the quiz as a table of four for 40, with raffle prizes up for grabs on the night. The fundraiser is in aid of Carlow'sBrooke Cassidy whowill travel to Cape Town, South Africa in March alongside thirty-five other volunteers withFreeland projects.

Man Down byCarlow based choreographer Roisn Whelan will be in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre at 8pm on Friday. This dance show brings together evocative lighting and a foreboding set design that amplify the turmoil of one mans internal world. Tickets cost 16 and can be purchased online HERE

"Chopin by Candlelight" is a mesmerizing concert that will take place inSt Mary's Church of Ireland, Carlow at 9pm Friday night. Tickets cost21.35 and can be purchased online HERE

Saturday 18th November:

Dance Republic's 2023 show will take place on Saturday in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre. They will take to the stage and show off what they have been working on all year at classes and rehearsals. The shows will take place at 12pm, 3.30pm and 7pm with tickets costing 10-15 available to purchase HERE

Mayor Cllr. Tom O'Neill & Santa will turn on the Christmas lights this Saturday atLightfest. The familyevening will be filled with music, fireworks, and much more. Gates open at 4pm with lights being turned on at 6pm. The event is free to attend but you must reserve your place on eventbrite

Irish contemporary folk harpist, singer and composer BRDNwill perform at Carlow Pembroke club D'Art on Saturday at 8pm. Tickets cost 17 and can be purchased online HERE

The Foundry presents a Party Powerhouse night with DJ A/K at 10.30pm on Saturday. Tickets cost 8 and can be purchased online HERE

Sunday 19th November:

The Step House Hotel will host their Winter Wedding Showcase on Sunday between 2pm and 5pm.

Dorothy DoLittle's Magical Adventure Puppet Show comes to the George Bernard Shaw Theatre on Sunday at 3pm. Tickets cost 7-10 and can be purchased online HERE

WAR PONY film comes to the Visual this Sunday. It is a tender portrait of two boys' troubled passage into adulthood and a winner of the top prize in the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard. The film will be shown at 7.30pm onSunday November 19th 2023. Tickets cost 7 and can be purchased online HERE

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What's On: We've compiled a list of everything Carlow has to offer ... - Carlow Live

Compiled by Dr Cormac Moore

18 November, 2023 01:00

November 20 1923

THOUGH nothing will be done in the matter of the Ulster boundary until after the election, we are assured that at the same time considerable anxiety is felt amongst politicians who are friends of the Six Counties over the question.

This anxiety, it is hardly necessary to say, was discovered by the Northern Whig's expert in revelations. He had a weird and disquieting tale to tell yesterday: -

Some time during last week a Government Departmental Committee sat to discuss what steps should be taken in the future so far as it concerns the Imperial Government.

No fault can be found with the Imperial Government for asking a Departmental Committee to discuss what steps should be taken regarding either the boundary question or the future which of the two concerns the Imperial Government is left doubtful in the text though Mr [Stanley] Baldwin and his colleagues are more concerned with the future than with the boundary for the passing time. But and here are the terrible facts that causes considerable anxiety amongst friends of the Six Counties: -

This committee's activities were kept very strict indeed, so much so that I understand even ministers who should have known about its existence were kept in the dark. Another most important fact, so far as Ulster is concerned, is that the composition of the committee is extremely unsatisfactory. Scarcely a member of it could be described as a real friend of the province.

If the friends of the committee are not friends, they must be enemies. Neutrality is unknown nowadays Crazy bogies which would not delude an intelligent infant elsewhere are paraded before the eyes of the loyalist electorate.

(Irish News editorial deriding the paranoia and conspiracies propagated by Ulster unionists looking to maintain a siege mentality, where no threat existed, to gain electoral advantage.)

A 'Twelfth' Story in Liverpool

With as much pride in his native city as any other son of Belfast, Mr St John Ervine has no great relish for its celebrations of July 12th, says a contributor to the Liverpool Daily Post. He made that quite evident in the story he told, with a rich Belfast brogue, to the Rotarians yesterday.

An American who was in Belfast for a day was amazed at all the processioning and the drum-beating that was going on. What's up? he asked a bystander. It's the Twal'th. he was told. I know it's the Twelfth, but what's all this about? he persisted.

Such ignorance was too much for the fervent Belfastian. For God's sake, man, he burst out, away and read your Bible.

(An amusing anecdote from novelist, playwright and biographer St John Ervine who wrote biographies of James Craig, Edward Carson, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, amongst others.)

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Crazy Bogies Paraded Before 'Loyalist' Electorate - On this day in ... - The Irish News

Some served as settings for great written works, others hosted renowned authors while they worked on their masterpieces. They might house stunning libraries or celebrate written word traditions with special events. If youre a true bibliophile, consider adding these eight literary destinations to your travel list!

Die-hard book fans will find themselves right at home in Buenos Aires. The Argentinian capital boasts more bookshops nearly 700 than any other city on the planet. El Ateneo Grand Splendid, converted from an old theater, is routinely named one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. The city also organizes an enormous annual book fair, bringing in more than a million readers each year.

Trinity College Library in Dublin

Irelands capital with its long storytelling tradition and definite love of craic produced a total of four literary Nobel laureates: W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heane. You can get to know the men and their works over a few pints during a literary pub crawl. Pay homage to another favorite Dublin son in Merrion Square, where a colorful statue of playwright Oscar Wilde lounges across a large boulder. And make time for a stop at Trinity College to peek at the ancient Book of Kells, the incredible gospel books illustrated by Celtic monks.

Many famous authors have made Edinburgh their home, from Sir Walter Scott to J.K. Rowling who dreamt up Harry Potter. You can learn more about them all at the citys Writers Museum. Edinburgh also hosts festivals and celebrations throughout the year focused on the written word. Perhaps the most famous Burns Night is held January 25. Scots host traditional dinners and toast Scotlands most beloved poet, Robert Burns.

It might be a small Midwestern town, but Iowa City punches above its height when it comes to literary tradition, thanks to the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. Established in 1936, 17 Pulitzer Prize winners have completed the prestigious creative writing program. Star alums include Kurt Vonnegut and Flannery OConnor. Even UNESCO took notice, naming Iowa City one of its Cities of Literature in 2008.

In Istanbul, I was captivated by the history, the daily calls to prayer, and all the books! Used bookshops, or sahaflar, are all over the city. One of the oldest and most popular is Sahaflar ars, not too far from the iconic Grand Bazaar. Writers have gathered here since the 16th century, and today, its still a great place to pick up older tomes and rare finds. The sultans loved their books, too; make sure to wander through the Iznik-tile-laden library if you visit Topkap Palace.

A man in police costume stands outside the Sherlock Holmes Museum

Londons long been known as a star of the global literary scene. Shakespeares original Globe Theatre was built here in 1599 but destroyed by a fire 14 years later. Today, audiences from around the world visit the new Globe, a replica of the historic spot. The Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street is dedicated to Sir Arthur Conan Doyles famous detective. You can step through the space where Dickens wrote Oliver Twist at the museum bearing his name on Doughty Street and also check out the Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey, where many of Londons most loved authors are buried or memorialized.

Many critically acclaimed American authors lived and wrote in New York City and still do! From James Baldwin and Jack Kerouac to Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, theres no shortage of literary glitterati associated with New York. You can still grab a drink at the White Horse Tavern, frequented by Hunter S. Thompson and where poet Dylan Thomas spent his last night alive. The Chelsea and Algonquin Hotels both played host to author meet-ups and still retain a funky feel. For the ultimate glam bookstore experience, head to Albertine. Housed inside the Payne Whitney mansion, here youll find books in both French and English.

Last but certainly not least, the City of Light has had its share of learned luminaries. A century ago, Paris enjoyed a writing heyday when expats, including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, all flew to France for its creative and bohemian salon scene. Retrace their steps and pick up some of their work at Shakespeare & Co. the Left Banks legendary bookshop.

Building a trip based on books and the people who penned them can be a terrific way to really get to know the culture, people, and traditions of a place. While they make a great take-home gift or souvenir, make sure to do your reading beforehand, too. Engaging in just a bit of research about a city is one of the best ways to build excitement and boost your confidence as you head to a new destination!

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8 Top Literary Destinations Around The World - TravelAwaits

George Bernard Shaw famously said that you could spell "fish" in English as ghoti; gh as in enough, o as in women and ti as in any of the words ending in tion such as motion. There are 44 sounds in English, which could be represented by our current alphabet with a few hybrid additions. Words could then be spelled phonetically (feneticaly) and phonics would rule. Of course, we would need the political will to do this (Congress could not even adopt the simpler metric system used by the rest of the world), and we know that the most pressing political issue is whether Biden stole the 2020 election from Trump.

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Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

17 November, 2023 00:16

A letter written by Joe Lycett to the former home secretary Suella Braverman has been read out at the Royal Albert Hall.

Stephen Fry gave a rendition of the communication, on behalf of Lycett, at the 10th anniversary of Letters Live which is held in association with a charity supporting refugees.

Mrs Bravermans name being mentioned on Thursday night attracted shouts of boos from some in the audience.

Before being ousted as home secretary, the Conservative MP attracted criticism over her comments about rough sleeping being a lifestyle choice, people from the LGBT+ community seeking asylum in the UK and the Metropolitan Polices managing of pro-Palestine protests.

The letter from Lycett, who has identified as pansexual, was previously revealed by the comedian in October.

Fry read it out saying: Dear Home Secretary, I am contacting you on an urgent matter as I was very interested to read your claim that asylum seekers are attempting to abuse the immigration system by pretending to be I too am disgusted by men pretending to be gay and think we should weed out this scourge from our society.

He added a radical plan has been devised that would involve Lycett monitoring applications through setting up a company to help the Government with asylum claims.

The Lycett letter also read: Just because you or your family have benefited from a system doesnt mean that system should not be smashed to bits.

For example I am vehemently against people pretending to be gay simply to achieve a better life, despite that being exactly what I did to progress in showbusiness.

Following Frys rendition, there were cheers and claps from the audience.

Ahead of performances at the event, Choose Loves chief executive Josie Naughton said: We dont believe in deporting people to Rwanda.

The reference to the Governments immigration policy attracted applause.

Earlier this month, Lycett referenced Mrs Bravermans remarks as part of a campaign to raise 50,000, which he reached, for homelessness charity Crisis UK.

Elsewhere, Jodie Whittaker performed a letter sent by fellow Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi to a nine-year-old fan of the BBC science fiction series.

Whittaker had followed Capaldi in playing the Time Lord, known as the Doctor.

Benedict Cumberbatch also dramatically rendered George Bernard Shaws voice as he read out his letter of complaint to the Times about an opera event.

Putting on a voice, Cumberbatch as Shaw objected to a woman wearing a bird on an outfit.

Oscar winner Olivia Colman, Outlander star Tobias Menzies and Sex Education star Gillian Anderson also performed other letters.

Anderson read out American writer Anais Nins letter to a client who was paying her for erotic fiction.

Colman, who starred in an BBC adaption of Great Expectations, read a letter written to the corporation in which childrens author Jackie Morris objected to being asked to pay the licence fee when she had no TV aerial.

The actress also soliloquised aletter of complaint to a funeral parlour by novelist Lydia Davis.

American actor Woody Harrelson, who is performing in the Ulster American at the Riverside Studios in London, read letters from novelists Kurt Vonnegut and John Cheever.

The show supports Choose Love, which help refugees and displaced people.

Excerpt from:
Joe Lycett letter to Suella Braverman read at refugee charity event - The Irish News

The incomparable James Baldwin pronounced with profound simplicity that one writes out of one thing only ones own experience, and from that experience tries to wrench out the last drop, sweet or bitter it can give. How true of the writers craft, even that of a lowly hack! This composition is, after a fashion, the upshot of an association of ideas, events and people relating to the experience of corruption. In the end, it is a story of a nemesis confronting hubris!

A recent essay on the monstrous corruption under the present regime provoked remonstrations from some critics who chastised me for describing the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement steered by Arvind Kejriwal as messianic and a force for good, for ramming through the groundbreaking Lokpal Act in 2013. I was admonished for bestowing a halo on what was a sanctimonious and disingenuous middle-class uprising against political corruption that, in tandem with the infamous Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Vinod Rai and his trumped-up national loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crores to the Exchequer apropos of the 2G spectrum allotment, cleared the way for the alleged but now absolved conductor of Gujarat 2002.

In my critics view, it was ultimately not about fighting corruption but a deep-rooted RSS-backed plot to wrest control of the polity. One should have but didnt smell the rat when Kejriwal roped in Hindutva icons Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravishankar to the IAC fold. Much later, Prashant Bhushan, one of IACs leading lights, conceded that his outfit was propped up by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Ironically, almost all my critics were at one time passionate devotees of Kejriwal and gang. Who wasnt? The entire country was initially suckered into believing the third-rate cops-and-robbers narrative spun by these self-righteous do-gooders. A decade ago, Kejriwal and his cabal with Anna Hazare as bewildered talisman were perceived as starry-eyed idealists on a mission to awaken people to the rot in the system. Despite a host of seasoned professionals and intellectuals in the IAC, it was chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the upstart who usurped the leadership mantle through sheer ingenious guile. To give the devil credit, he was undoubtedly the moving force in the crusade against corruption.

What was unknown at that time was his absolute craving for power. And his unbridled ambition was far from quenched by bringing the venal UPA government to its knees and forcing through the Lokpal Act. Having got a taste of power, albeit without accountability, he lusted for more. Kejriwal realised that the anti-corruption movement had run its course and he needed to migrate to where the real power was to remain relevant in the public sphere.

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In late 2012, Kejriwal broke away from Anna Hazare who had, in any case, expended his usefulness as titular head of the anti-corruption campaign. But the rumoured trigger for the parting of ways was the issue of converting the IAC movement into a political entity. Even as the old man faded into insignificance, Kejriwal formed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), determined to exploit the mass public support and goodwill generated by the IAC movement. His instincts were spot on as the new kids on the block emerged ahead of the Congress and BJP with 28 of the 70 Assembly seats in the 2013 Delhi election.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwals Latest Gambit is Politics as Deadly Poker With Deities as Cards

In the 2015 Delhi assembly elections, this fledgling party won a resounding victory, claiming 67 of the 70 seats, decimating the two major political parties. AAP struck a chord among all sections of the masses with its message of a moral political order based on the sovereignty of the people and devolution of powers to the grassroots. It denounced caste and community-based politics and upheld the dignity of the individual and her right to essential goods including free water and subsidised electricity. It purveyed an ideological neutrality that sought to absorb the best in capitalism and socialism. A party comprising academics, lawyers, technocrats, bureaucrats, actors, holy men, et al spoke an audacious democratic idiom that held out hope of a brave new form of governance free of corruption and based on the well-being and collective will of the people.

As it has turned out, AAPs success is based on a big lie! The Bible proclaims that God created man in his own image. Likewise, a powerful leader inevitably moulds his party into a mirror reflection of his personality and character. And when the leader is self-obsessive, the party is subsumed under the sheer weight of his egomaniacal persona. Both AAP and the BJP have been morally crippled by such supermen.

There are striking similarities between Kejriwal and the Vishwaguru. Although the bush shirted and mufflered aam aadmi (common man) is sartorially very different from the dandy accoutred in Maybach shades and flashy kurtas, they share much in common. They are machiavellian realists possessed of an all-consuming lust for power, who refuse to be distracted by considerations of right and wrong. They traffic in falsehoods and are so addicted to lying that exaggeration is their nearest link to the truth. They shamelessly parade religion in the public square for personal benefit, heedless of the damage it does to the secular fabric. They take credit when things are going well but are deft at deflecting blame when anything bombs. The universe is only about them!

Very early in the piece, Kejriwal decided to hitch his lot to self-serving power politics. Autocratic to the core, he went about neutralising anyone who was seen as a competitor or pricked his conscience. Much like the Vishwaguru who, without ado, consigned BJPs veteran leaders L.K. Advani and M.M. Joshi to the margdarshak back burner, Kejriwals first significant move was to banish Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav who represented the conscience of AAP and incessantly reminded him of the moral code that was the raison detre of the party. In another cynical move, he nominated two nonentities a businessman and a CA belonging to his caste to the Rajya Sabha, ignoring luminaries who had slaved for the party, provoking allegations that he had traded the seats.

Perhaps the clearest pointer to Kejriwals metamorphosis into an amoral, power-hungry politician has been his stance on the Lokpal as head of the Delhi government. The Jan Lokpal Bill passed in 2015 by the Delhi assembly has still not been ratified into law the casualty in an unending saga of obfuscation and bitter recrimination between the AAP and the Lieutenant Governor, neither keen on an independent ombudsman. Another indicator of his transformation into a hardened, reprobate leader was his abortive attempt to wrest control of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the state in direct contravention of the IACs sacred credo that anti-corruption units should be independent of the political executive.

Also read: Neither Pro-Hindu nor Anti-Hindu, Kejriwal is a Monetary Genius in Modis Mould

A mans real character is revealed in dire adversity. Long ago, Dante said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who are non-aligned in times of grave crisis. The riots in North-East Delhi in 2020 called Kejriwal out for the diabolically amoral politician that he is. The mayhem over four nightmarish days was an awful exhibition of human depravity, perhaps the worst since the Sikh pogrom in 1984. At this critical time, the chief minister went missing, using the fig leaf that law and order was not his domain. A man who has sought the limelight in every situation, played the artful dodger when his people needed him most for the treacherous reason that any intervention would antagonise the majority community; so he let people die. English revolutionary Thomas Paine had people like Kejriwal in mind when he observed that the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf.

A memorable quotation credited to Kejriwal reads: Power does not corrupt men; fools (and I would add knaves), however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power. The author of the phrase is, in truth, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Ironically, the Shaw quote that he usurped fits him like a glove. Having betrayed the enormous faith and goodwill of his people, the hubristic preacher on public morality is today running scared, fearful of being sent to jail for alleged corruption. Is it karma catching up?

And yet, in the next election, confronted with a Hobsons choice of deciding between the devil and a bigger devil, the elector might still opt for the devil. Thats how far gone we are in the all-pervasive venality of our politics!

Mathew John is a former civil servant. Views are personal.

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Arvind Kejriwals Fall From Grace - The Wire