V.V. Ganeshananthan
Encyclopedia
V.V. Ganeshananthan is a Sri Lankan American
fiction writer, essayist, and journalist.
Ganeshananthan is the author of Love Marriage, a novel set in Sri Lanka
and North America, which was published by Random House in April 2008. Love Marriage was named one of the Washington Post Book World's Best of 2008 and appeared on the longlist for the Orange Prize. It was also selected as a Barnes & Noble
Discover Great New Writers Pick. Ganeshananthan began the novel as part of her senior thesis at Harvard University
under the direction of Jamaica Kincaid
. In a series of vignettes, Ganeshananthan's novel chronicles how Sri Lankan politics have affected and continue to affect a particular family. Its narrator, Yalini, is a young woman born to Sri Lankan parents in New York on July 23, 1983—the same day as one of the most violent episodes in the Sri Lankan Civil War
, Black July
. The novel follows Yalini and her family from suburban America to Toronto, where they reunite with an uncle who has left Sri Lanka after a life of militancy with the Tamil Tigers.
V.V. Ganeshananthan's work has appeared in many leading newspapers and journals, including Granta
, The Atlantic Monthly
, and The Washington Post
. She is a past vice president of the South Asian Journalists Association
and now serves on the board of the Asian American Writers' Workshop
, as well as on the graduate board of The Harvard Crimson
. She graduated from Harvard College
in 2002, and later earned her M.F.A. at the University of Iowa
in 2005. In 2007, she earned another master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
, where she was a Bollinger Fellow specializing in arts and culture journalism. She is currently the Zell Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Michigan
.
Sri Lankan American
Sri Lankan Americans are Americans of Sri Lankan descent. Sri Lankan Americans are persons of Sri Lankan origin from various Sri Lankan ethnic backgrounds who are born or raised in the United States or are naturalized citizens of the U.S. They incorporate American values into their lives and...
fiction writer, essayist, and journalist.
Ganeshananthan is the author of Love Marriage, a novel set in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and North America, which was published by Random House in April 2008. Love Marriage was named one of the Washington Post Book World's Best of 2008 and appeared on the longlist for the Orange Prize. It was also selected as a Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
Discover Great New Writers Pick. Ganeshananthan began the novel as part of her senior thesis at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
under the direction of Jamaica Kincaid
Jamaica Kincaid
Jamaica Kincaid is a Caribbean novelist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in the city of St. John's on the island of Antigua in the nation of Antigua and Barbuda...
. In a series of vignettes, Ganeshananthan's novel chronicles how Sri Lankan politics have affected and continue to affect a particular family. Its narrator, Yalini, is a young woman born to Sri Lankan parents in New York on July 23, 1983—the same day as one of the most violent episodes in the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
, Black July
Black July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
. The novel follows Yalini and her family from suburban America to Toronto, where they reunite with an uncle who has left Sri Lanka after a life of militancy with the Tamil Tigers.
V.V. Ganeshananthan's work has appeared in many leading newspapers and journals, including Granta
Granta
Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
, The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
, and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. She is a past vice president of the South Asian Journalists Association
South Asian Journalists Association
The South Asian Journalists Association was founded in 1994 in New York City. South Asia refers to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal. The current president is Jigar Mehta, Previously a Video Journalist for the New York Times.SAJA celebrates its 15th anniversary July...
and now serves on the board of the Asian American Writers' Workshop
Asian American Writers' Workshop
The Asian American Writers' Workshop is a nonprofit literary arts organization founded in 1991 to support of writers, literature and community. The Workshop also offers the annual Asian American Literary Awards and sponsors Page Turner: The Asian American Literary Festival.-External links:* *...
, as well as on the graduate board of The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates...
. She graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 2002, and later earned her M.F.A. at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 2005. In 2007, she earned another master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
, where she was a Bollinger Fellow specializing in arts and culture journalism. She is currently the Zell Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Books
- Love Marriage (2008)
Short Fiction
- "Hippocrates." GrantaGrantaGranta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated, "In its blend of...
, Winter 2009.
- "Enter the Body." Himal SouthasianHimal SouthasianHimal Southasian is a monthly newsmagazine of commentary, reportage, criticism, opinion, review, fiction and poetry, based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Published and distributed by The Southasia Trust, Himal Southasian is an independent, non-nationalist and pan-regionalist magazine, offering stories for...
, October/November 2009.
- "A Just Country." EsquireEsquire (magazine)Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, May 7, 2008.
Selected Articles
- "The Buzz Board." The Daily BeastThe Daily BeastThe Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
. December 28, 2009.
- "Two Mr. Foxes, Two Views of Food." The Atlantic. December 14, 2009.
- "I Don’t Want To Fight (in conversation with Amitava Kumar)." Guernica." November 2009.
- "The Buzz Board." The Daily BeastThe Daily BeastThe Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
. October 25, 2009.
- "Written in the Stars." The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. October 19, 2008.
- "The Buzz Board." The Daily BeastThe Daily BeastThe Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
. July 28, 2009.
- "I Wrote a Story, Not the Whole Story." The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. July 13, 2008.
- "Whale Country." EGO MagazineEGO MagazineEGO Magazine is an online magazine geared towards the Desi [South Asian] diaspora. It publishes articles on issues dealing with culture, fashion, design, travel & entertainment. It also has sections that deal with economic & political issues and translations of Urdu and Hindi poetry...
. September 20, 2007.
- "The Big Picture." (Co-authored with James FallowsJames FallowsJames Fallows is an American print and radio journalist. He has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly for many years. His work has also appeared in Slate, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker and The American Prospect, among others. He is a...
) The Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
. October 2004.
- "The outsider-geeks of the Dean campaign join forces with Al Gore, the most mainstream geek in American politics." The American ProspectThe American ProspectThe American Prospect is a monthly American political magazine dedicated to American liberalism. Based in Washington, DC, The American Prospect is a journal "of liberal ideas, committed to a just society, an enriched democracy, and effective liberal politics" which focuses on United States politics...
. December 11, 2003.
- "The Late-Decision Program." The Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
. November 2003.
- "Home School." The American ProspectThe American ProspectThe American Prospect is a monthly American political magazine dedicated to American liberalism. Based in Washington, DC, The American Prospect is a journal "of liberal ideas, committed to a just society, an enriched democracy, and effective liberal politics" which focuses on United States politics...
. September 22, 2003.
- "Retro Active: Bill Clinton can still work a crowd like no other Democrat -- which is both a good and bad thing." The American ProspectThe American ProspectThe American Prospect is a monthly American political magazine dedicated to American liberalism. Based in Washington, DC, The American Prospect is a journal "of liberal ideas, committed to a just society, an enriched democracy, and effective liberal politics" which focuses on United States politics...
. September 16, 2003.