Improper Jhumpa
Hometown girl Jhumpa Lahiri, Boston University grad, made the cover of this week’s Improper Bostonian (thanks, G). She drew rockstar attendance at her MIT reading. The Boston public library system has over 200 hold requests for her new book. Its 300,000-copy first printing is from four to twelve times the sales of Rushdie’s last book, depending on which figures you believe.
No matter what you think of her style, and I’m lukewarm on it, every desi lit author should thank her. She’s single-handedly expanding their market in America.
Previously: Dork and Mindy
on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008, 7:29 pm in Fashion, Jhumpa Lahiri, Literature, Photographs › 
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I kind of like her style manish..simple and funky, ethnic too..just like her writing..
yap she singlehandedly expanded desi market with her minimalistic style of writing carving a new immigrant story niche for herself..intelligent writing..
I second Prakruti. An understated elegance, and much more inviting than others in desi lit and beyond.
haha, just admit it guys … you totally have the hots for jhumpa!
nice manicure manish……though it takes nothing away from jhumpa’s striking visage
OK, I admit it! Amazing how she can go from Boston Brahmin chic to, would it be, Guatemalan, just by doing her hair differently.
And BTW, Manish, by collecting all those reviews of Unaccustomed Earth and linking them in, you’ve done more to publicize the book than her actual publicists could ever have hoped for in their wildest dreams…there’s no such thing as bad publicity, you know…
Oh hush. I just figured out opposable thumbs :)
I’m sure the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reaches more people. (But we’re all about quality, eh? :))
whats up with the cleavage? if a nice rack is a requirement of a good writer- I’m all over it!!!
dang. all of her pix are so ‘exotic’. her neck bones are a bit scary. have some egg curry, girl!! :)
hmm.. you;re right. it def’ly worked for salman.
:-)
mridangamroll for meenakshi.
I’d jhump’a.
you know what… i just realised I dont know how her name is pronounced.
Is it Jhooompah or Jh-um-pah? I’ve been using the first version (in my hed) since i first heard of her.
Depends on whether you’re from Yorkshire.
Koofia, thanks for the mridangam roll! How many beats would that be exactly?? ;)
Also, I think she looks a little scolding school teacher in the pic, “did you do your English homework Vij? Naughty, naughty boy!!” :)
Of course, I am just hatin’. I am happy she is putting Indian writers on the map. I just hope it decreases the amount of mango pickle and aloo paratha books that are out there. I needs me some kwality!
I find it endearing how uncomfortable she looks.
Manish, is that your sexy thumb? Swoon swoon.
I’ve never see a picture of Jhumpa smiling. What’s up with that??
Salman vs Jhumpa?
I think Salman (sans Padma) might lose to Jhumpa on picture-worthiness. :)
She is beautiful and a world famous author - I think I hate her ;-)
a-ha!
Manish,
Second your thought about her anethesized prose. But that post of her on the cover is naughty. She’s definitely got that ice queen hotness.
salman or Jhumpa..
salman will win I think..he has a huge following in India..considering india’s population salman will win..salman is the best selling writer in India in 2007 or 2006 when he published shalimar the clown, he bet vikram seth and every other indian writer..
I think reason why Jhumpa was paid more was probably bec. she had wider western audience and greater bargaining capacity.
that way vikram seth made a lot of money for equal music and his last novel..he is supposed to be a big bargainer with publishers..though his agent passed away I think last year or a year before.
Thats soo sexist…you must be Obama supporter :)
The NYT book review of Unaccustomed Earth is #4 on the “most-emailed” list.
How often are book reviews on the “most-emailed” list?
I’ll readily admit that. Have for a while. But of course, she’s very much taken. In all seriousness, though, she generally seems very admirable and well-spoken. Thanks for the pictures, manish and bess.