tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27844437619965490412024-02-20T09:27:00.360-05:00Pandora's BoxOpinions, opinions & more opinions!My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-26487867832025285202014-03-24T17:17:00.000-04:002014-03-24T17:17:35.436-04:00My Writing Process Blog Tour
Big thanks to Sara Lippmann, author of the forthcoming
story collection, Doll Palace, who is as chic a dresser as awesome
she is a person and as talented a writer. To read Sara’s response to the
Writing Process blog or to check out her work, click here.
What am I working on?
I am one of those who works best when multitasking and
working on different genres at the same time. Not My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-69572643704792993412012-06-13T08:40:00.000-04:002012-06-13T08:40:30.321-04:00Have we met before—maybe in another life?
I have always wondered about what happens to people when
they die. Death does not put an end to the entirety of one’s being, does it?
Someone recently asked me if I believed in reincarnation.
I said, “Yes, I do. I believe in new beginnings rather than just endings. Reincarnation
gives me a hope for the future.” Mind you, my answer bears no reflection to the
fact that I was born into and My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-74046820606222677892012-05-30T22:32:00.000-04:002012-05-31T16:37:54.350-04:00Reading and Ranting...
Dear all,
Winter was a myth this year, and spring
just flew by like words out of a book of poetry.
Hope your summer is off to a good
start. After a lazy, relaxed Memorial Day, it’s time for me to make some noise.
Okay, partake in some upcoming readings and conferences. And I really hope to
see at least some of your friendly faces in the audience.
Thursday, May 31, 6:30-8:30 pm
Ken My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-23199486301816766292012-05-01T10:58:00.000-04:002012-05-01T10:58:44.474-04:00Revealing the Dirty Indian Psyche?
Sorry for being MIA. Work, work, and more work had kept me away from you guys. But I did read and watch the news. And a few stories ate me up alive! And many others filled me with shame.
Despite all the economic growth and materialism flooding India, certain behaviors and attitudes remain unchanged about the country. We still don't respect our women. It starts at home and the culture is My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-30657571476711460342012-04-12T07:52:00.002-04:002012-04-12T08:31:06.244-04:00Children killing children!<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 531 3030 Columbia University 25 6 3721 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-38198684767681874352012-03-31T22:34:00.000-04:002012-03-31T22:35:23.850-04:00Yes, I protected myself<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 722 4118 Columbia University 34 8 5057 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-34532712385712203092012-03-28T09:18:00.003-04:002012-03-28T09:29:46.785-04:00Is your child THE ticket to your social life?<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 723 4123 Columbia University 34 8 5063 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-29370663800589207832012-03-13T22:46:00.003-04:002012-03-13T22:57:03.633-04:00Don't blame the kids!<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 811 4625 Columbia University 38 9 5679 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-23261380514182852052012-03-07T07:05:00.003-05:002012-03-07T09:22:39.736-05:00The battle continues, not!<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 716 4086 Columbia University 34 8 5017 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-967680363953010402012-02-21T09:53:00.003-05:002012-02-21T10:01:32.425-05:00Will your child have a criminal record?<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 701 3998 Columbia University 33 7 4909 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-75586544286603347372012-02-14T09:04:00.002-05:002012-02-14T09:18:15.660-05:00Back from the dead<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 323 1846 Columbia University 15 3 2267 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-15105170092807840522011-10-06T10:22:00.005-04:002011-10-06T10:33:44.551-04:00Dussehra brings nerdy news... <!--StartFragment--> Over 18 months ago, I went to Portugal for a writing residency. The residency was in the southwestern part of the country. The afternoon that I reached, the director drove a bunch of us to see eucalyptus forests. Most of the eucalyptus trees were being replaced with oak trees. That very trip sparked the idea for my upcoming chapbook of poems, Beyond the Scent of Sorrow. My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-33032622106721134472011-09-22T08:39:00.003-04:002011-09-22T09:22:50.602-04:00I write to a dead man<!--StartFragment--> In the past few years, I have lost quite a few of my aunts and uncles—on both my mom and dad’s side of the family. None of these people were old. Early sixties. Having seen death visit my family so closely and frequently, the person inside of me feels guarded; the philosopher, emotional around words. When I was in India in the month of August, my mausa (Mom’s sister’s My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-9648141970832222362011-09-12T10:57:00.004-04:002011-09-12T11:10:52.413-04:00What a month away in India taught me<!--StartFragment--> Yes, I am back from my almost four-week long trip to India. Many of you have emailed and asked me to share my experiences and pictures from the book launch and other events. I apologize for the delay. A few days after I returned from India, we headed to Minneapolis to attend my husband’s cousin’s wedding. Any excuse to meet with the family, catch up on chitchat, and dance My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-57785452352134796052011-07-29T10:08:00.004-04:002011-07-29T10:28:42.267-04:00Embarking on a journeyI know, I know. I have been MIA for a while. My schedule has been nutty. Pardon me if I haven’t responded to your notes or messages. Or haven’t initiated communication. So, aside from the day-to-day commitments, what’s kept me buried is the upcoming launch of my novel: Perfectly Untraditional. The formal event is in New Delhi on Friday, August 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Attic. A week from today. So…My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-79021974114574735112011-06-21T10:08:00.003-04:002011-06-21T10:17:58.301-04:00Are adults messed up?<!--StartFragment--> My friend’s five-year-old spotted a lady in a burqa the other day and said, “Mom, that is such a cool Ninja outfit!” My friend, who is an awesome mother, was relieved to find out that the woman hadn’t heard her little one’s comments. I was amazed when I heard the story. The kid’s observation wasn’t tainted by time, politics, or society. He made sense of the garb, from his My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-74270233758637958872011-06-09T22:58:00.003-04:002011-06-09T23:26:06.796-04:00Living on borrowed time<!--StartFragment--> Sorry, I have been absconding for over a month now. My husband and I were on a literary, artsy tour in Europe followed by a wonderful trip to Wisconsin. Both the visits were incredibly special in their own way. While Europe was a revelation on an emotional level and a treat to the exhausted mind, Wisconsin was brilliant for meeting our deadlines, spending quality time with My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-78080452345839954832011-05-04T22:08:00.005-04:002011-05-04T22:22:33.218-04:00Introducing "Perfectly Untraditional": My first, fiction novel <!--StartFragment--> <!--StartFragment--> Some prayers go unanswered. Some carve a path and make wishes come true.Indescribable amount of hard work, frustrations, tears, fears, smiles, heartaches, and perseverance went into turning my dream into reality. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you: Perfectly Untraditional (Niyogi Books)—my first fiction novel. I am ecstatic, delirious, and My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-58188864558563878272011-04-29T07:57:00.002-04:002011-04-29T08:17:38.934-04:00Their graves will not be unknown<!--StartFragment--> We were in Maryland this past weekend, celebrating my aunt-in-law’s surprise 60th birthday. As always, it was amazing meeting all the cousins and partaking in regular family fun: food, chitchat, cackle, and stories. We all got talking. The family in the room knew that I was a writer. But they didn’t know about my deadlines or forthcoming books. I, personally, don’t fancy My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-63613401901465281772011-04-21T10:46:00.004-04:002011-04-21T10:58:18.229-04:00Gay or straight, doesn’t matter. It’s the Y chromosome!<!--StartFragment--> It’s my husband’s birthday today. A friend suggested that I write a post about him—my husband. Initially I found the idea odd only because I rarely plan my posts. The ideas come to me. I have to be consumed with a topic to blog about it. But as I sat down with my laptop earlier today, I had an epiphany. After all, Mr. Frost said, “Writing is discovery.” My husband, a man ofMy two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-61087473094093090802011-04-14T08:04:00.005-04:002011-04-14T09:19:52.479-04:00Are we ready to clean, India?<!--StartFragment--> <!--StartFragment--> When I was growing up, I didn’t know of anyone who wanted to enter politics in India. None of my friends, peers, or acquaintances. We might not have had official “Career Day” in school, but every time youngsters discussed their career aspirations, politics didn’t appear in the list. Politics was meant for certain people. People who were not only okay My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-31813576601414058882011-03-31T00:22:00.005-04:002011-03-31T09:34:18.904-04:00Cricket brings out the bigot in all of us!<!--StartFragment--> Wednesday, March 30, 2011 was a nail biting day for Indians and Pakistanis across the world. Some of our friends made it to Mohali, India to watch this legendary match. Legendary: umm, this was probably Cricket God Sachin Tendulkar’s last world cup. So, yeah. Legendary! The saying, “Cricket and cinema are India’s religion,” isn’t an exaggeration! When we woke up on the My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-45778668075025705742011-03-23T18:24:00.010-04:002011-03-24T06:18:03.473-04:00"Not All Birds Sing"The world is trembling. A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks: massacre in Libya; earthquake in Japan; bomb blast in Jerusalem. The legendary Elizabeth Taylor is dead. I have endured a few personal losses too. And so have others close to me. But let's not talk about the chaos and my thoughts on the mayhem until next week. It's Thursday morning. Another day closer to the weekend. Time to My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-40141888027375913352011-03-10T09:01:00.002-05:002011-03-10T09:07:05.443-05:00It’s okay to shut up<!--StartFragment--> At the beginning of this week, I received a few emails from some wonderful readers. They wanted to know about my “missing” blog. Since I didn’t post anything last week, folks asked if all was well. I know, it’s hard to believe that someone as opinionated as me had nothing to say for an entire week. :-) Hardly the case, I promise. :-) I had plenty of thoughts racing throughMy two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2784443761996549041.post-32785545320851885822011-02-24T08:38:00.000-05:002011-02-24T08:42:26.328-05:00Childhood memories replaced with nightmares<!--StartFragment--> I have had a transient life growing up. Different schools, different friends, different, countries, different cities. One of those countries where my parents lived and I visited for fifteen years was Libya. I studied in the Indian International School in Libya for a few years. That is until my parents realized that school was a piece of cake, and all my teachers were My two centshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13496531750564481902noreply@blogger.com3