Seth's Gout

Shortly after arriving in Australia to promote Two Lives, Vikram Seth was diagnosed with gout. His stoic response: "Gout is a patrician disease. I am suffering in a patrician way." On the brighter side: "I've discovered," says Seth, "that alcohol may actually be very helpful in the treatment of gout." And as for what he's working on at present, "I'm bookless," he says. "Free but puzzled. I'm not an intrinsically industrious or disciplined person. But luckily I am an obsessive person, which is good for writing."