Jahnavi Gogoi is an Assamese writer based in Canada. Her first published work was written for children but since then she has reinvented herself many times as a poet and essayist with the occasional fiction piece. She lives in Ontario. 

Her short story ‘The Invitation’ features in THE BARE BONES BOOK OF HUMOUR. 

Ankit Raj Ojha, the editor of the anthology, describes it simply: “An English teacher breaks bread with his new boss’ family.” 

Ankit interviewed Jahnavi about the story and its quiet humour.

Tell us about your perspective on humour and its place in writing and in life.

Laughter has always been a mandatory element in my life. It is that special ingredient which in my opinion helps us to accept things as they are. Life is absurd, and there is no need to make sense of everything. Sometimes, we must sit and guffaw at the way things unfold. Being the youngest in my family, I have always had this tendency to giggle at the wrong moments. It could be a teacher’s nasal tone, someone hiccupping during morning assembly at school, startling my father in the corridor at home, an old lady casually rinsing out her dentures after a feast, someone’s smelly socks during a serious discussion, etc. 

Humour in writing stems from our observations in life, and how we perceive things. It might also reveal a lot (or not) about the author. In my case, I just can’t seem to help it. There are days when I have realised that I can be either overtly sentimental or make my reader laugh. There is no in-between. Given a choice though I would love to bring a smile on someone’s face, make them forget how hard life can be. Whenever I have felt overwhelmed by all the world events that we are experiencing currently, I have taken refuge in humour. 

What are the things, works, and authors that have influenced your writing? 

The works of Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, O. Henry, P.G. Wodehouse, Jerome K Jerome, E.B. White, Joseph Heller, Katherine Mansfield, Dorothy Parker, Helen Fielding, Lakshminath Bezbarua, and many others. The first half of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, I feel, is Charles Dickens at his finest, along with THE PICKWICK PAPERS. Even J.D. Salinger’s THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is an unputdownable book with its elements of dark irony and wry tone. The fun in J.M. Barrie’s PETER PAN, ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, and some of the stories by Rabindranath Tagore too have much to offer in terms of subtle humour while commenting on social norms of the era. Let’s also not forget the poetry of Edward Lear here. These are some of the influences in my writing and in life. I must mention that the razor-sharp wit of my daughter who says the darndest things, and my father’s witty observations, have always found their way into my work and will continue to do so in the future. 

Is there any image, phrase, idea, place, person, or memory that became the seed for ‘The Invitation’? 

The story is based on a few anecdotes and real-life experiences. Some of the characters were created when I recollected the people I met daily during the years I grew up in Gauhati, Assam. Now, things have changed a lot, and the old ways of living have undergone a massive transformation. My story is a tribute to those simpler times, in a modern setting.