chitra.divakaruni.list@gmail.com
Website: http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/
Houston, TX
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning and bestselling author, poet, activist and teacher of writing. Her work has been published in over 50 magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker, and her writing has been included in over 50 anthologies, including The Best American Short Stories, the O.Henry Prize Stories and the Pushcart Prize Anthology. Her books have been translated into 29 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Bengali, Russian and Japanese, and many of them have been used for campus-wide and city-wide reads. Several of her works have been made into films and plays.She lives in Houston with her husband Murthy and has two sons, Anand and Abhay, who are in college. She loves to connect with readers on her Facebook page.
What did the Fellowship or Laureate mean to you at the time you received it?
It was very empowering. Gave me a real sense of being an author. The money was helpful in buying me some writing time.
What do you do now? Has your art evolved or changed?
I am an author and teacher. I teach in the Creative Writing program at the University of Houston. As an author, I have gone on to publish more books and win awards for my novels and short stories. Go here to see a list of my books: http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/books/
What is one piece of advice you would give to an emerging artist?
Keep at it. Don't give up. Find a supportive community.
Briefly, how would you describe the state of the arts locally, as well as national and beyond?
Artists need more help now!