In Conversation with Cynsations

Suma Subramaniam interviewed me for Cynsations, Cynthia Leitich Smith’s blog about books for children and teens, and the interview went up this month. Her questions were about Why Is My Skin Brown?, and my answers wandered, as they do.

She asked where the book came from, and I went all the way back to the joint family. We talked about why “colorism” is the closest word I have for what I grew up with in India, and still not big enough. About the WhatsApp group that keeps my publisher, my publicist, and me in touch across an ocean. About the US paperback I am still waiting on.

Then she asked about food, and I was surprised. I never planned it, but every book I have written has food in it. Navaratri. Lunchboxes. Anita akka teaching Sarayu to cook in Bangalore. Felix made it in too, as Sarayu’s puppy.

Thank you, Suma, for reading so closely. The full interview is up at Cynsations.

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