A MILLION DESTINIES is 17th work of English poetry by Dr. J.S. Anand, an Indian author who has tried his hand at fiction, non-fiction, poetry and spirituality. Dr. Anand has also penned 8 poetry books in the vernacular, i.e. his mother tongue, Punjabi. It is the philosophical thrust of his writings which sets him apart from so many other poets writing in English or Punjabi. Dr. J.S. Anand's most famous work was his volume of poems, 'Beyond Life! beyond Death' published in 2001, about which Princial N.S. Tasneem, former fellow of Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, had remarked that "this work cuts new ground in English poetry". This work was accompanied by paintings drawn by the author's daughter, Kiran, who had captured the themes in amazing colurs. AN EXHIBITION OF HER PAINTINGS BASED ON DR. ANAND'S POEM IN THAT VOLUME are available at www.drjsanand.com. Another major success that came his way was the publication in 2007 of his book: BLISS: the ultimate magic. This work is neither religious, nor irreligious, but supra-religious, in its content, as it superimposes the idea of spirituality in its most pristine form. Dr. Anand's book BLISS is being translated into Persian by an Iranian Professor of English Translation at Mashad university. This book is also being translated into Arabic. This is an attestation of the versatility of writing in case of Dr. J.S. ANAND, who has not kept himself restrained to a particular genre. Dr. Anand has so far published 25 books in toto, and he has several more books in the pipeline. JUSTFICTIN.COM have just published his work THE WOLVES OF MALWADI.. which is an emotional drama of loss, pain, revenge, and self-sacrifice, set in the backwaters of Punjab, a fictional region called Malwadi. So far as spirituality is concerned, Dr. Anand came up with his workd I BELONG TO YOU which was an instant hit because of its intimate language, and deep experiences shared in a workaday style. Dr. J.S. Anand is at present Principal of a high-profile institution: DAV College, Bathinda, Punjab, India. He is also an eminent educationist, a philosopher, a spiritualist, and an environmentalist as well, as he has planted 20000 saplings around his city, to keep up the eco-balance. Commenting on Dr. Anand's poetic genius, Professor Rana Nayar, Professor of English, Dept. of Cultural Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh says: Prof J.S. Anand's poems possess a rare simplicity, pristine grace and profoundly moving depth, all of which make a friendly overture to the reader, intriguing and mystifying him at the same time. Like a true impressionist, he applies his brush strokes gently though surely, varying his hues and tones with the deftness of a consummate artist. From the everydayness of the mundane and the quotidian to the intensely touching ruminations and reflections of a philosopher, he covers a very vast spectrum of human emotions and experiences, with the ease of a trapeze dancer. Though his voice is engagingly intimate and personal, his tone changes from subtly ironic to gently self-mocking, and almost always transcends the personal and the contingent. According to Roghayeh Farsi, the Iranian scholar who is researching Dr. Anand's works, Anand's poetry is not of the type that simply gives pleasure to the reader. By contrast, the reader is invited on the stage to see, feel, suffer, and act. Most of the time, the points on which his speaker lays hands are so complicated that even he himself is seen to be caught in a maze. Thereby, the reader is also dragged into a deep philosophical and intellectual labyrinth. Dr. Roghayeh Farsi [Iran] A Million Destinies is Dr. J.S. Anand's most convincing volume of English poetry which relates to the paradoxes of post-modern living. Here is the brevity, the wit, and the ultimate truth of life, said in fewest possible words: " Life is a poetic expression a little said and a lot left unsaid"
About the Author: Author of two dozen books in English poetry, fiction and non-fiction, Dr. J. S. Anand is an established name in the field of education, philosophy, and spirituality. Born on 15th Jan., 1955, he hails from village Longowal [Distt. Sangrur, Punjab, India]. He got his school education from the best schools in Ludhiana, the highly industrialized city of Punjab, famous for its hosiery and cycle parts industry. He was a student of famous Govt. College, Ludhiana, during his graduate studies, and he did his M.A. in English literature from Punjabi University, Patiala, securing 2nd position in the University. His doctoral thesis, submitted to Panjab University, Chandigarh, was on "A Comparative study of Mysticism in the poetry of Walt Whitman and Prof. Puran Singh". Dr. Anand is an educationist, an able administrator, a talented writer, a novelist, a poet, and a philosopher, who is a multi-dimensional personality, particularly, in view of his interest in Saving the Earth. He planted around 20 thousand saplings in and around Bathinda. He has also delivered lecturers on Spirituality, Human Rights, and Moral Values. "We are inheritors of the wealth of this earth and this sky, and it belongs equally to us all" - Anand