From: nlp54@cas.org ()
Subject: Biographical Sketch of KODAVATIGANTI KUTUMBARAO
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 23:23:51 GMT


	  Anand Kishore opened the eyes and dusted the memories of several
	  Telugus in the civilized world who are connected by this electronic
	  information weapon and ultimately brought Sri Kodavatiganti Kutumbarao
	  in front of us.  No Telugu soul who is familiar with Kodavatiganti
	  Kutumbaro's (KK's) contributions to Telugu literature can easily
	  forget this Sarasvati Tanayudu.  During the days while Kishore was
	  posting translations of KK's works on the SCIT, a friend of mine asked
	  me a naive question "Who is Kodavatiganti Kutumbarao?  But sure, the
	  gentleman looks like a genius."  I am sure several Telugus still don't
	  know who is KK inspite of Anand Kishores eye-opening translations on
	  KK's penmanship.  I take this opportunity to post a few lines on the
	  biography of KK here.  Anand!  Pl. forgive me if I had done any
	  mistakes.  Please correct them and add any omissions.


	  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF SRI KODAVATIGANTI KUTUMBARO (KK)
	  ******************************************************

	  Sri KK was born on the 28th of October, 1909, in Tenali of Guntur
	  district.  He finished his high school education (school final) in
	  Tenali.  He lost his dad in 1914 and his mother in 1920.  He spent his
	  childhood under his uncle's shadow.  His brother, Sri Venkata
	  Subbaiah, a famous poet, writer, and a scholar, relinquished home.  KK
	  developed friendship with his brother's friends.  This friendship
	  inculcated a taste and interest in literature in KK.  During the
	  period of school final exams, KK got married to Metta Padmavati in
	  Vijayawada.  It was a traditional child marriage.
	     KK studied intermediate during 1925-27 in AC college, Guntur and BA
	  (physics) during 1927-29 in Maharaja's college, Vijayanagaram.  He had
	  an extensive exposure to international literature which inspired him
	  to write excellent stories in Telugu.  He was determined to take up
	  the job.  He joined the Banaras Hindu Univ. to do his M.Sc. in physics
	  in 1929.  He was attracted by the terrorist movement those days.  His
	  first literary work was "Cinema" published in the Oriental Weekly
	  in 1930.  His first story, Pranadhikam, was first published in 1931,
	  in the montly magazine called Grihalakshmi.  He discontinued his 2nd
	  year of M.Sc. program due to financial depression which was an
	  international problem then.  In 1931 he lived in Warangal where he
	  used to tutor.
	     In association with Chakrapani, Pillalamarri Balakrishna, and
	  Pillalamarri Sambasivarao, KK established the YUVA PRESS and initiated
	  the publication of YUVA magazine.  He published his stories KARUNYAM
	  and ILLARIKAM in 1937 and SVAGATAM in 1939.  His wife Padmavati died
	  in 1939.  During 1940-42, he was an employee of ANDHRA PATRIKA.  He
	  worked for 4 months in a metal factory in Bombay in 1942.  He was a
	  copy editor in the NATIONAL WAR CREATIVE PUBLICITY UNIT, Simla, during
	  1942-43.  He was a foreman in the INSPECTORATE OF METAL AND STEEL,
	  Jayapore, in 1944.  His second marriage with Sri Avasarala Jagannadha
	  Rao's daughter did not last more than 2 months.  He became a widower
	  again.  In 1945, on the 30th of Nov., KK and Varoodhini were married.
	     He was an acconts clerk in the AIR INDIA office at Bombay for 3
	  months during 1948.  He took up a job in the ANDHRA PATRIKA daily in
	  the Oct. of 1948.  In 1950-51, he became the EDITOR of ANDHRA PATRIKA
	  weekly.  KK was then the key figure to reshape the Andhra Patrika
	  weekly into a literary magazine.  He was also the EDITOR of KINEMA
	  (montly) for some time in 1951.
	     He was working in CHANDAMAMA publications from Jan. 1st of 1952 to
	  7:15 PM of August 17th, 1980 - the time and day and year he passed
	  away.
	     He was a member of NAVA SAHITYA PARISHAD (1935-42), ABHYUDAYA
	  RACANA SAMGHAM (1943-70), and VIPLAVA RACAITULA SANGHAM (1970-80).

	     One does not need a yard stick or a measuring tape to measure the
	  length of his writings.  He generated more than 12 thousand pages of
	  literary power - excellent gift to the lovers of the Telugu
	  literature.  The number of KK's published writings are:

		   stories         : more than 400
		   Galpikalu       : nearly 80
		   novels          :        20
		   radio plays     :       100
		   cine scripts    :         3
		   essays          :       600-700

	  He also translated several works.

	  Is there a replacement for KK??????
	  Telugu Talli is proud of you - SAHITYARATNA KODAVATIGANTI.

	  --BASED ON CHADUVU BY KODAVAGANTI
********************************************************************************
PARANANDI LAKSHMI NARASIMHAM
CAS
Columbus, OH 43202
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed above are not those of the CAS.
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian.telugu