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Chitra Divakaruni: Acclaimed Novelist and
Poet
Other Links
Books 
Sister of My Heart
Mistress of Spices
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CHITRA
DIVAKARUNI Realism meets fantasy and social commentary meets
idealistic dreaming in the wide net of Chitra Divakaruni's novels and
poems. A teacher, poet and social activist, her works of magical forces
and everyday lives have been translated into 11 languages and have won
accolades the world over.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author
and poet. Her work is widely known, as she has been published in over
50 magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker, and her
writing has been included in over 30 anthologies. Her works have been
translated into 11 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew and Japanese.She
was born in India and lived there until 1976, until she was nineteen,
at which point she left Calcutta and came to the United States. She continued
her education in the field of English by receiving a Master's degree from
Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from the University
of California, Berkeley.
Divakaruni currently teaches in the nationally ranked Creative Writing program area at the Univ. of Houston and divides her time between Houston and Northern California. She serves on the board of Maitri in the Bay and on the Advisory Board of Asians against Domestic Abuse in Houston. What does Chitra talk about?
Live and In Person
In this dynamic and fascinating presentation Chitra Divakaruni explores the writer's craft, and how her own background has influenced her creative process. As someone who only started writing when she was in her 30s, Chitra's work is very much influenced by specific events and life experiences. In particular her work with women suffering from domestic abuse was one of the things that first prompted her to put pen to paper. The connection between her activism and her writing is one of the key themes of her talks, and helps audience members from all backgrounds understand that writing is not some magic gift. Instead it's about having something to say and the willingness to put in the time and the work required to gets those words down on paper. Interspersed with small selections of reading from her poetry and prose, this talk pulls together creativity, autobiography (including a near-death experience in the Himalayas), and practical advice on writing that will engage audiences of readers and writers alike. Celebrating Diversity and Building Community
One of the central themes of Chitra Divakaruni's work is our quest
to find community and connectedness in a diverse society. In this
compelling and heartfelt talk she challenges audiences to think about
what diversity means in modern America, and how they themselves can
contribute to building a community of diversity in their own schools,
workplaces, and neighborhoods. Drawing on her own struggle to craft
a new identity as an Indian woman in America, she points to the metaphor
of the mosaic -- not the melting pot -- as best suited to building
a vibrant, tolerant, and diverse country that celebrates common traditions
while making room for and embracing new additions to the American
fabric. Listeners will come to understand how multicultural our country
has become, and the steps they can take to build communities of diversity
where they live. With a writer's grace and vision, she helps audiences
to see the beautiful possibilities inherent in a diverse society. A Writer on Activism
In this bold, compelling, and informative talk, Chitra Divakaruni
explores her life as an activist against racism and domestic abuse.
Beginning with her early efforts to break the silence surrounding
domestic violence in the Southeast Asian cultures, she connects
the ongoing challenges and struggles of building a just society
with an overarching structure of patriarchy. She then moves on to
look at solutions to these problems, and how individuals and groups
can make practical contributions that make a real difference in
the lives of the disenfranchised and marginalized in our midst. | |
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