Letter
With healthcare costs and prescription drug prices soaring more and more every year, on Nov. 8, Indian-American voters will have the choice between two measures
Blog
A Magical World
HOW PARVATI WON THE HEART OF SHIVAby Harish Johari and Vatsala Sperling. Illustrated by Pieter Weltevrede. Bear Cub Books, December 2004. Hardcover, 32 pages. A
Colour and Color
I was astonished at myself. I had written “color” instead of “colour.” Three years of living in America had finally started taking its toll on me. In my
The Interconnectedness of Life
HE DROWN SHE IN THE SEA by Shani Mootoo. Grove Press, 2005. Hardcover, 324 pages. $23.00. Shani Mootoo is one of those rare writers who really know how to tell
What About My Needs?
Q: My boss for five years is very intelligent, creative, and successful. I admire him, and our company prospers by his talents. But I am finding it harder to de
Fragments of Glass
That letter for Suresh, his first one from India in a long time, arrived unexpectedly. The pale blue aerogramme stood out instantly in the little pile of bills,
Lush Prose
MAPS FOR LOST LOVERS by Nadeem Aslam. Knopf, 2005. Hardcover, 379 pages. $25.00. One of the first things that struck me about Maps for Lost Lovers was its sheer
Shoebox Shuffle
BOOKLESS IN BAGHDAD by Shashi Tharoor. Arcade, 2005. 277 pages. $25.00. Have you ever visited a distant friend or extended family member and been rewarded with
Don’t Be Afraid of the Opera
Have you wondered what opera is all about? Have you been hesitating to ask someone, or to go to the opera, for fear of standing out in the crowd? Recently, I ha
My First Visit To A Real Bollywood Theater
I was pushed like a pebble in a seabed. The crowd around me had real physical waves moving through it, rows of heads rippled up and down as I tried to keep my e
A Passage To Bangla
I went to Brick Lane in search of the perfect rosogolla. I knew it had street signs in Bangla. I knew you could ask the price of boal fish in perfect Sylheti Ba
Missing the Comfort of Home
My parents grudgingly paid up the $5,000 and packed me off to Spain along with my three pieces of luggage—a violin, a backpack, and a pull-on. I was going hal
