Rishi Reddi

As a follow-on to Jabberwock’s post, here’s a gloss on envio lawyer and author Rishi Reddi’s Karma and Other Stories:

In “Lord Krishna,” a teenager is offended when his evangelical history teacher likens the Hindu deity to Satan, but ultimately forgives the teacher against his father’s wishes. In the title story, “Karma,” an unemployed professor rescues birds in downtown Boston after his wealthy brother kicks him out of his home. In “Justice Shiva Ram Murthy,” which appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2005, an irascible retired judge reconnects with a childhood friend while adjusting to a new life with his daughter and her American husband. In “Devadasi,” a beautiful young woman raised in the United States travels back to India and challenges the sexual confines of her culture. [Link]

An interview with Reddi:

How did you get the idea for Justice Shiva Ram Murthy?

I read a news item a few years ago about an Indian vegetarian who was accidentally served meat in a dish. He sued the restaurant… [Link]

Been there :P (Damn you, Tamarind.)

Pulimamidi is my middle name and my parents’ middle name — actually our family name in India. It means ‘tiger’s mango tree’. The name refers to a story about my male ancestor who nine generations ago was born under a mango tree. That tree was supposedly part of a tiger’s territory…

What is your next book going to be?

It is a novel set in the early part of the last century and revolves around the Sikh community in California, and among the subjects it will explore is the marriage of many Sikhs to Mexican women. [Link]

Here are excerpts from ‘Justice Shiva Ram Murthy‘ (Aasif Mandvi reads it on WNYC), ‘Karma ‘ and ‘The Validity of Love .’

“Too much freedom is not good,” I added.

She rolled her eyes. “Duty is beauty, and rights make fights.”

I got a small smile.

“Sex act is sacred for Hindus. For vulgar Amrikans, if skin touches skin, it means nothing.”

… Sameer Murthy’s average eyes watched us as we walked by that evening, wearing our Victoria’s Secret bras and low-rise panties. I was surprised to find it still lying there the next day. [Link ]

Previously: Rishi Reddi’s Karma & Other Stories

manish on Friday, December 14th, 2007, 3:23 pm in Food, Literature, Vegetarianism › Email this › Facebook this › Reddit this › Link › Reader links

1shlok on December 15th, 2007, 2:05 pm › Link

an Indian vegetarian who was accidentally served meat in a dish.

These types of Indian idiosyncrasies in the book was what made it most enjoyable to read. I mean you know in the back of your head that your parents aren’t the only one that refer to restaurants as hotels. But to see such peculiarities occur in other people’s lives — even if they are fictional — is very strange, and comforting.

2Khoofia on December 15th, 2007, 2:17 pm › Link

just to share a personal moment, a waiter in meatloving muscular motorcity paused when i ordered minestone and pasta with arrabiata and politely asked if i’m vegetarian because the soup’s made with chicken stock. i appreciated that.

3shlok on December 15th, 2007, 3:37 pm › Link

Funny you say that Khoofia. I was at a company party yesterday at a hotel — not a restaurant ; ) — and when this Indian waitress noticed that I was making certain with others waiters if the appetizers and the meals had meat in them, she made sure that I wasn’t exposed to anything non-veg for the rest of the night. And she even got this bangin dish made specifically for me in the kitchen. i appreciated that.

4Khoofia on December 15th, 2007, 4:45 pm › Link

indeed shlok. reddy’s generation* of writers has had a different experience than most of us. the next gen will have a different perspective and probably why previous posters cringed at this type of diasporic-lit. it no longer reflects their world- much as it likely resonated with their older cousins.**

*this isnt necessarily an age thing - i feel writing is an act that happens when the writer has arrived at a level in life where his/her perspective of the world at large is more or less stable. so he/she can post tacks in a mental diorama and string a story around them.

**i’d proofread and wax further - except there is a guy reading over my shoulder. this is making me uncomfrtable.

5tamasha on December 15th, 2007, 6:39 pm › Link

I once got a meat samosa at Vatan, which is an entirely vegetarian restaurant…

6khoofia on December 15th, 2007, 6:50 pm › Link

I once got a meat samosa at Vatan, which is an entirely vegetarian restaurantÃ¢â‚¬Â¦

ok… i am really sorry for your experience… but that’s so weird i cant stop laughing :-)

on the other hand that’s a killer story if one can unweave the punchline to the originating spools.

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Rishi Reddi

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