The Elephant In The Womb by Kalki Koechlin
Vol #18
Hi friends,
Recently, I have been intentionally trying to listen to what my body has to say. This is a lot harder than I had imagined. Probably, because I have ignored signals from my body for so long, that she thinks it’s pointless to even communicate.
Tuning into my body has meant pausing to create space for discomfort, rather than focusing on how to get rid of the discomfort right away. It has involved asking myself what am I feeling? where is the feeling registering in my body? what is my body trying to tell me? It goes against the grain of how I have coped all my life. While rewarding, it is incredibly hard and not always possible.
Over the past quarter, as we read about peoples’ relationship with their bodies, I am encouraged to take the effort, however slow, to befriend my body and give it the honor it deserves.
Love,
Tvisha
About the book and author (via goodreads and wiki):
Motherhood is the greatest job in the world…right?
In this unique graphic narrative, we finally have that candid, funny and relatable book on pregnancy and parenting that mothers, expectant mothers, and anyone even thinking about motherhood have been waiting for. Actor and writer Kalki Koechlin opens up about so much that we don’t talk about—the social stigma of abortions and unmarried pregnancies, the toll that pregnancy takes on a body, the unacknowledged domestic labour of women, the emotional rollercoaster of giving birth, bouts of postpartum melancholy, the unsolicited parenting advice from every corner, and of course the innumerable moments of joy and delight in bringing a real little person into this very weird world.
With whimsy and compassion, with uproariously funny art and spellbinding honesty, The Elephant in the Womb blends the deeply private with the blazingly political. It’s an eye-opener for anyone who has ever thought that pregnancy was all about the glow and that motherhood was all about fulfilment. From fixing broken parts to enduring untimely farts, Koechlin’s nuanced prose—gorgeously illustrated by Valeriya Polyanychko—tells us the bare-faced truth about the physiological discomfort and manic expectations that make it a bittersweet experience.
Kalki is a French actress and writer who works in Hindi films. Known for her unconventional body of work, she is the recipient of many awards and accolades. Although a French citizen, she has been brought up and lived most of her life in India. Born in Puducherry, India, she was drawn to theatre from a young age and has written, produced, and acted in several stage productions. She is also an activist and promotes various causes ranging from health and education to women empowerment and gender equality.
Memorable Illustrations:
Questions that arose:
Did this book impact how you view motherhood? In what way?
How can we create a world where it becomes more ok to be honest about the challenges that come with motherhood? Instead of constantly glorifying it and sweeping all realities under the carpet?
What were your thoughts on the tone and writing? What did the illustrations do for you?
Any personal experiences and memories invoked by the book that you’d like to reflect on or share with us?
Links: An excerpt from the chapter ‘Post Partum Blues’ narrated by Kalki herself!
This book marks the end of our theme for May-September - Body.
SHELF INDULGENCE PICK for OCT & NOV 2022
Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India's Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence by Shrayana Bhattacharya
As always, happy reading and lots of love,
Miti and Tvisha
P.S. If you’re interested in being a part of Shelf Indulgence, write to us!