Writing as a Sadhana
When I tell people that I’m a writer, they inevitably ask if I am published and where they can read my work. Until very recently, I had not been published,… Read more Writing as a Sadhana →
Books on South Asian Diaspora
A friend recently mentioned that they haven’t come across books or movies that depict the lives of South Asians in the Diaspora. Rather than listing any book that takes place outside of South Asia, I am including books or stories that depict characters and conflicts specific to the South Asian immigrant and diaspora experience and cultural gaps and differences. As always, I am only including books that I have read and liked. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri The Good Talk by Mira Jacob Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J… Read more Books on South Asian Diaspora →
Desi Feminist Literature
Books by Desi women that I read, liked, and have feminist elements to them (in no particular order). I’ll add to the list as I read more books. Neela: Victory Song by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins The Good Talk by Mira Jacob White Dancing Elephants by Chaya Bhuvaneswar Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed Amal Unbound by… Read more Desi Feminist Literature →
Pittsburgh Pride 2019
This year, I was lucky enough to attend the 2019 Pittsburgh Pride Parade and witnessed the most joy being celebrated and shared that I’ve seen in a very long time.… Read more Pittsburgh Pride 2019 →
Women’s March PGH – Building Bridges Stronger Than Hate
Since 2017, the Women’s March on Washington has united women in America to advocate for rights and raise awareness of issues affecting women. This year, I was fortunate enough to… Read more Women’s March PGH – Building Bridges Stronger Than Hate →
Culling Bookshelves
There comes a point in every bibliophile’s life when we have too many books. There are a few facts that are true for bibliophiles: We keep buying books. E-books, audiobooks, hardcovers, paperbacks We keep going to the library We have multiple copies of books We give books as gifts and are given books as gifts Recently Marie Kondo gave some advice on her Netflix series Tidying Up about…tidying up. One of the pieces of advice the sparked a great deal of debate was to throw away your old books. Of… Read more Culling Bookshelves →
Review: Invisible Traces
Invisible Traces by Sarina Dahlan is an imaginative and poignant tale contained in a brief and beautiful moment that fully conveys the grandeur of love between two people. It begins with an all too familiar question, “Will you remember me?” Set in a futuristic world, Sarina Dahlan’s world-building is masterful as if it were a gentle brush stroke and her writing is evocative of the subtlest emotions that envelope us in the smallest of moments. Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43389151-invisible-traces
Reading Challenge – 2019
Reading and writing are a form of meditation for me. They help me understand myself and improve my life. As a writer, my reading affects my writing. As a person, my… Read more Reading Challenge – 2019 →
My “Rules” for Creative Writing
Written in response to Johnathan Franzen’s rules published in LitHub. Write for yourself. Write to discover yourself and the world. There is no shame in writing for money. Getting paid to do what you love is a wonderful blessing. The tortured, starving artist stereotype is unhealthy. Let’s strive to replace that with a more positive image and encourage our children to become writers, artists, and poets. Language is like clay. You can mold it however you wish. Grammar and syntax rules are nice for academic and technical writing, but when… Read more My “Rules” for Creative Writing →
