The Mistress of Words
Her name is Sara. In India it was something else. Saraswati? Sarayu? Sarojini? She doesn’t tell me. It’s not important, not at this time of her life. Does she believe that her name will wait for her, obedient as a brooch one has put aside because it is too old fashioned, until she is ready to wear it again?
- “The Vine of Desire” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Her words read like morning dew, hitting the reader with a serene kind of intensity, a sense of freshness and a definite something that every desi in the United States will be able to relate to. In an email interview, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, award-winning author and poet based in California, talks about the very Indian tradition of story-telling, about Indian-English writers and about Indian immigrants in the United states.
This word weaver’s repertoire consists of eleven books, including seven novels, of which Mistress of Spices was made into a movie starring Aishwarya Rai in 2006. She also won the Los Angeles Times Best Books in 1997 for the same book. Ms. Divakaruni was awarded the American Book Award for her highly acclaimed collection of short stories, Arranged Marriage. Her rich collection also includes a two-part fantasy series for children, The Brotherhood of the Conch. Her latest work, The Palace of Illusions, is a retelling of The Mahabharatha from Draupadi’s perspective.
The author who received her doctorate from Berkeley University in 1985 teaches creative writing in the University of Houston. She is also the co-founder of Maithri, an organization, that has a helpline for South Asian women dealing with abuse.
Nazar: How did you make the transition from writing for adults to writing for children?
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: I started writing children’s books after 9/11. I felt that it was important to write books where children of Indian origin in this country could see themselves reflected in art. And I wanted other children to relate to Indian characters.
Nazar: Do you consider yourself a better writer of poetry or prose?
CBD: Prose, now, since for the last several years, I’ve been focusing on it.
Nazar: Being involved in women groups dealing with immigrant issues, how serious is domestic violence an issue among newly married couples? In India, newspapers are full of reports of violence against newly married brides in the US, the central government has even launched a campaign warning people to be wary of grooms from abroad.
CBD: It is a serious problem. Women who come here are often cut off from family and their support system. It is easy for abuse to happen in isolation. That is why organizations such as Maitri and Daya that I’m involved with are so crucial. They give a lot of support to the victim.
Nazar: Is “creative writing” a discipline that can be taught?
CBD: The students come with talent, we help to sharpen and direct it and give feedback, which helps improvement. In retrospect, I find that teaching makes me a better writer.
Nazar: Mistress of Spices was made into a movie; as a writer, do you really think movies can do justice to books?
CBD: I enjoyed the experience of watching the movie. Movies are a different kind of medium- their strength is different from books, they create powerful visual images. Books allow you to go inside characters’ heads.
Nazar: There are other authors who write about immigrant Indians in the US too, but somehow, you stay far away from stereotypes. Is that a conscious decision?
CBD: I try to write about what I feel strongly about. I try to write about different or new issues. There are many excellent Indian American writers today. They each write about something different, according to their interests.
Nazar: Do you think Indians make natural story tellers, given the generous amount of mythology and folklore, we’re exposed to from a young age?
CBD: Definitely that helps. My grandfather and mother told me a lot of stories when I was growing up. It really influenced me.
Nazar: Do you ever plan to write a book based in today’s India?
CBD: I would love to, but first I will have to live in India for a few months and do research.
Nazar: Of all your work, which would you rate as the best?
CBD: Currently, The Palace of Illusions.
Nazar: Do you have an author that you’re influenced by, in terms of style?
CBD: Maxine Hong Kingston and Louise Erdritch - I love their subject matter and style.
Nazar: Do you read much Indian English fiction?
CBD: Yes, I do. I most admire Amitav Ghosh and Rohinton Mistry. I have learned a lot from Rushdie too.
Photo Courtesy: ChitraDivakaruni.com
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This interview feature is well crafted. It is precise and comes to the point immediately. Hamsini, it pretty well demonstrates your writing prowess. Also, the questions were thoughtprovoking. Keep it up. All the best.
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