Comments on: Q&A: Interviewing Jhumpa Lahiri

By: Wanderer

Wanderer — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:26:17 +0000

http://books.google.com/books?id=EK3PpQWV51MC&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=new+punjabi+novel+novelists&source=bl&ots=zuztYa6yra&sig=r8hKEYMplzLo4VWFczn-Dc4gPhQ&hl=en&ei=iUgES7u7GIvMjAf9_a23AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=new%20punjabi%20novel%20novelists&f=false

Of interest..it would be interesting to see what the score has been since 2001 and also include Pakistan’s and Valait’s experience ( I am thinking of Roop Dhillon and Juggi Kussa)

By: V.V. Ganeshananthan

V.V. Ganeshananthan — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:09:34 +0000

Hey y’all,

Thanks… lots of these are terrific!

I know that those of you who can’t be there would love to be in on the answers. I’m going to have a hard time taking notes as I’m sitting up there, but I think there is going to be some coverage of it. I’ll try to find out by whom and where, and if that’s not happening… I’ll do my best to blog it once I’m done.

I am mercifully done with travel for awhile, phew and yes, lucky me…

By: Arani

Arani — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:05:40 +0000

Does she read Bengali? Was she influenced by any of the Bengali authors -- either novelists or short story writers?

The questions that you get from here and ask her -- would you please post her response in a follow-up article?

By: maxwell smart

maxwell smart — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:52:36 +0000

three things:

In the namesake movie, the most poignant scene was probably in the barbershop. Do you wish you had thought of that?

The namesake movie shifts the action from Cambridge, MA to NYC: did it detract?

In hell-heaven, presence/absence in photographs is a big deal. With the modern proliferation of cell phone cameras and facebook and all of that, what do you think the role of photography is?

By: Zazou

Zazou — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:55:21 +0000

V.V., also could I ask you a favor? If you have time, if you could pass on to JL that I use the Namesake in my film classes- both native speaker and ESL, and everyone finds the film very touching. The ESL students find it that way because it gives them an idea that immigrating to the US is not always some Hollywood style dream, and for my native speakers it gives them imagery they don't normally see, and for the ones who are immigrants or children of immgrants, it gives them a way to talk and relate to their own experiences. For my own father, the scene where the father dies, reminded him of his own parents' reactions to the deaths of various relatives whom they never saw again after immigrating.

Anyway, this only if you have time.

Thanks!

By: zazou

zazou — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:37:10 +0000

V.V.- Lucky you! What a fabulous oportunity!

I have a q for JL- Your writing about the immigrant experience, especially that of the 2nd generation and issues of identity and language, resonates with a lot of groups whose 2nd generation offspring (Latinos, Middle Eastern-Americans, Italian-Americans) are struggling with the same issues to a greater or lesser degree. Do you find that writing about these issues is easier in the short story form/collection or does the expanded focus of the novel form provide an adequate forum? Also, do you find readers of other groups more interested in your short stories or the novels?

Thanks V.V.! (if you need a real name, it's Rebecca)

By: Yo Dad

Yo Dad — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:19:00 +0000

I second the opinion rendered above by A and A's Dad @ 22 regarding her stories. You always feel that there is this deep-rooted melancholy in all her stories. Ask her if that is true. But then again, I remember the lines of English Poet, I believe Shelly: "Our sweetest songs are those that tell us about our saddest thoughts". Keep us the good work. Some folks will remember you beyond the 20 years !

By: AV

AV — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:44:19 +0000

Will you marry me?

By: ankur

ankur — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:01:37 +0000

"She is good enough at it that you can tell how they're feeling without her having to explain it. It turns out better than having to come up with overblown, effusive and excessively dramatic descriptions of emotions."

Have you read her work?

Late night snark aside, I would ask what I love to ask writers. What's next?

By: Asha and Anjali's Dad

Asha and Anjali's Dad — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:57:13 +0000

A lot of your stories deal withe tragedy and unhappiness. Do you find it easier to write about tragedy rather than comedy or a love story with a happy ending?