Minal Hajratwala's Blog, page 13

Amazon and Invisibility

Action

Sign the protest petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/in-protest-at-amazons-new-adult-policy

Call Amazon customer service: 1-866-216-1072

Complain via email form: http://bit.ly/amazoncomplain

BackgroundOr, How Amazon Disappeared Me (Us)

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Book tour pictures - Part 1

I’ve had a great time over the past few weeks jet-setting and Amtrak-ing hither and thither to talk about the book.  Of course I wore my tiara as much as possible.  I think it’s part of my gender now.  

The fun continues: I have San Francisco events coming up on April 10 (call in to KQED radio’s “Forum” show and ask me a question!), April 11 (Writers With Drinks), and May 9 (K’Vetsh).  My summer plans include Chicago, New York, Boston, Las Vegas… so please stay tuned and do get in touch if you ha

Live web radio today!

I’ll be doing a ‘virtual reading’ and conversation with live callers today, 10am-11am California time, 1pm-2pm Eastern Standard Time (see your local time here: http://bit.ly/minaltime ).  I’d love to hear your questions and comments, as well as your own diaspora stories.  A few of my relatives who appear in the book may also join the conversation.  We’re expecting callers and commenters from around the world so please join us if you like!

Here’s how to listen or participate:

ONLINE:

listen live or

First reviews!

Quick post to say I’m so excited to read these first reviews of my book — what a great way to begin the weekend!

San Francisco Chronicle review by ABRAHAM VERGHESE:

Leaving India gives us a means to understand the forces that took so many Indians (my parents included) away from their birth land … Echoes of V.S. Naipaul … Rich, entertaining and illuminating. 

 

Washington Post review by SADIA SHEPARD:

Meticulously researched and evocatively written … searingly honest … Leaving India is a story of migr

I heart New York

So busy, so full of art and dirt and food and hunger, so hot (art again, pretty people, trendspotting), so cold (I love my coat and the hat-scarf my mother made for me), and so much fun!

I landed at JFK at 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday; was welcomed with frigid air, a warm car, and a home-cooked aloo-gobi sabzi; danced with the stars and (mostly) their friends at Basement Bhangra; re-learned the subways; and entered a whirlwind of activities as part of the weekend SAWCC Literary Festival, “Stranger L

LEAVING INDIA book tour and launch

Here’s a list of my book tour and launch events! Would love to see you there. NY, DC, LA, SF, and more, March and April 2009.

View as Google calendar

View as Facebook events

3/18/09 Official Launch Date!3/18/09 Radio: “The World” from PRI

When: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Where: More than 200 public radio stations across the United States. Listen online at www.theworld.org or use the station finder to find the schedule for your local public radio station.

3/19/09 Washington DC: Reading

When: Thursday

‘Slumdog’: Don’t just watch, do something

Long after the Oscar parties fade into tomorrow’s hangover, the reality of the suffering portrayed in “Slumdog Millionaire” will persist.  If the film moved you and you want to know, “Why isn’t anyone DOING anything about this horrible situation?” … well, maybe someone is. And maybe that someone could be you.  Read on for scenes from the movie, the corresponding reality, and what’s being done about it.

 

movie: Jamal rescues a pre-teen Latika from a brothel where she is forced to dance for older m

Slumdog vs. Oscar the Grouch

Tonight I get to do two things I’ve never done before: be part of a webcast, and act like an official Oscar critic!  If you feel like chatting about “Slumdog Millionaire,” please tune in tonight right after the Best Picture Award is announced.  Here are the details for how you can join the conversation in a few different ways — by phoning in like a conference call, listening on the web, or following it on Twitter:

http://bit.ly/slumdogdeconstruct 

I usually consider this Oscar better company tha

New website, events, pre-orders, and soon … books!

I’m super excited about my spiffy new website (http://www.minalhajratwala.com) and lots of exciting events coming up in March and April!  Please come by and say hi if you’re in NY, DC, LA, or SF, and invite your friends too.

I am staying very busy, counting down to launch date…  Today I heard from my editor that the finished, hardcover, REAL books are in her hands.  How exciting!  I haven’t even seen one yet.  They ship out from the warehouse today, on their way to bookstores all over the country

Man-on-the-street reviews of Leaving India

My inbox was full o’ fun today.I was alerted to the the first pre-pub customer review on Amazon.com.  (Amazon gives certain advance copies to certain readers, who agree to write reviews.)  Mr. von Moller called Leaving India  ”a rousing tour through a century of world events and personalities as seen from the perspective of one family, highly recommended” and gave it four stars, meaning that he liked my book more than Harold Bloom, less than a vibrating wristwatch/alarm clock.I also received a w