Comments on: A Brown Girl in Italy

By: Deez Nuts In Yo Mouf

Deez Nuts In Yo Mouf — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:32:33 +0000

I laugh when average looking, dark Desi girls say they look “Italian” or “Mediterraneana”.

By: Silvia

Silvia — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:20:06 +0000

One thing I do know - Indian fiction ROCKS!!!! I have a fetish for it and look for every book written by an Indin (In English. I'm not Indian). In my opinion, as a group, Indian fiction and Indian authors are some of the best in the world today.

Is "A golden age" good? Has anyone here read it?

By: Pablo

Pablo — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:04:13 +0000

If you are a brown woman visiting or living in continental Europe, you will be IDOLISED there, especially if you give it all the sari - bindi - Indian Princess vibe. The men will be exoticised beyond sanity, the women ask you about yoga and all the rest of it.

Brown fellows, unless you're very good looking and rich, not so good all the time. Brown man to be feared etc etc etc. But make yourself presentable and quite a few European women think you're hot too.

England is different, what with there being lots of Indians here, Indians are kind of 'de-exoticised' as it were.

By: V.V. Ganeshananthan

V.V. Ganeshananthan — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:37:11 +0000

PTarrrrr, interesting pirate imitation. I kind of thought the flower was a stripped-down lotus, but I'm no botanist so maybe I'm wrong. Also no idea what the women are standing on in T's cover. Guesses?

As for exotic... I like this essay.

By: Ashish

Ashish — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:23:23 +0000

Rose … long time no see! I’ll have to buy the book.

By: ptr_vivek

ptr_vivek — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:32:27 +0000

there be some serious exotic in them covers, arr! What are those two sari-clad women standing on in Tahmima Anam’s book? Is that a tea flower on your cover?

By: melbourne desi

melbourne desi — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:59:17 +0000

I've been on here since last December, when Preston Merchant and I did some reporting in Singapore and Malaysia.

ah yes. I remember. Thanks for refreshing my weak memory.

By: zazou

zazou — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:20:22 +0000

Congrats on the book! Glad you enjoyed Italy. Wish I had known and I would have had my cousins keep an eye out for you. If you go ANYWHERE near Florence next time, let me know and I'll send you to my cousin who would love to talk lit and show you around the underground art scene there. BTW, do you know/know of Laila Lalami? If not, e-mail me off list and I'll put you in contact with her (Moorish girl).

Also, if you are doing a reading in San Diego, let us know and we'll take you to dinner.

By: V.V. Ganeshananthan

V.V. Ganeshananthan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:56:17 +0000

Tahmima was born in Bangladesh and now lives in London.

By: Meena

Meena — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:06:22 +0000

Beautiful country and great people. Is the other author also Italian? I’m a bit unclear on that.