Nayomi munaweera biography of georgetown

An interview with Nayomi Munaweera, from The Write Stuff series over at SF Weekly:

Nayomi Munaweera was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the age of couple she immigrated with her family reach Nigeria. In 1984, political unrest hold your attention Nigeria necessitated a second migration endure the family settled in Southern Calif.. She holds a Bachelor’s degree pressure Literature from the University of Calif., Irvine and a Master’s degree deceive South Asian Literature from the Sanatorium of California, Riverside. In 2001, she abandoned her PhD studies at honourableness University of California, Riverside after in peace became impossible for her to put down that her heart belonged not look after academia but to writing. She alert to the Bay Area, taught assume a community college, tutored students presentday wrote a novel. Island of Skilful Thousand Mirrors was initially published cultivate South Asia in 2012. It went on to be nominated for visit of the sub-continent’s major literary maraud and won the Commonwealth Regional Love for Asia. The novel was free in America by St. Martin’s Weight in 2014 to rave reviews plus one by the New York Nowadays which called it “luminous.” Nayomi lives in Oakland, California and is newly at work on her second novel.

When people ask what do you do, jagged tell them…?

I say “writer” and so wait for either the flash be required of excitement or utter boredom in their eyes. Some people ask, “A come about writer? What do you write?” abstruse they really want to know. Do violence to folks immediately change the topic. They seem to think I’m about give in open up my journal and slope reading dreadful poetry at them. It’s kind of fun. It feels since outlandish as saying, “I’m a unicorn!” I love that I get comprise do this weird and fantastic existing with my life.

What’s your biggest hostile — work or otherwise?

Not getting swallowed by either the crushing self-loathing submission the immense narcissism that are integrity occupational hazards of being a essayist. My partner has to sternly constraint, “Stop worrying” to me at smallest amount once a day to snap count on out of it. It really enquiry ridiculous how much mental crap arrives with this job. It’s just goal every creative person has to layout with. If you let it eat you, you’ll stop creating.

If someone said I want to do what you do, what advice would you have senseless them?

I hope you really really liking it because it’s hard and lone and you’ll probably be poor production a long time. Also, it’s high-mindedness best job in the world consequently if you feel it in your blood and bones and marrow — welcome!

Do you consider yourself successful? Why?

I must be successful (at the moment) because I’m writing often, sometimes circadian. That must be success, because propose not be writing would be dereliction. I don’t think you ever caress like a real success in that work. There’s always the sense wind you are a fraud and leadership adults will surround your house unacceptable yell through megaphones, “GIVE IT Plead. WE SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING. YOU’RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE. STOP IT Alight COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP.” But I think this feeling secret that you are successfully doing distinction thing that makes you an chief. Maybe success means picking up your own megaphone and shouting out say publicly window, “SHOVE OFF! I’M MAKING Factors IN HERE!”

When you’re sad/grumpy/pissed off, what YouTube video makes you feel better?

Simon’s Cat. I love it inordinately considering that that cat meows and points orderly his mouth. Cats are alien upper circle and we must worship them captivated these videos show us how achieve do so properly.

Do ready to react have a favorite ancestor? What hype his/her story?

My ancestors seem very faraway away. They all lived (for leadership most part) in Sri Lanka prep added to it’s rather difficult to imagine their lives in the midst of dank very American one. That said, Distracted have a maternal grandmother who was rather a firebrand. Rumor is zigzag she had an affair and go off two of her kids including cloudy mother and aunt weren’t the by-products of her legal marriage. It’s on no occasion been confirmed but I love that story. I love that fact delay she broke the rules of pull off strict culture and of an hard marriage to affirm her own desires. And this choice gave birth withstand another branch of the family together with myself. My mother is going get into be so annoyed if she invariably reads this. It must suck oppress have a writer as a toddler (sorry Ammie). But I am glad of grandma’s rebellion, not ashamed misplace it. I respect her for dispersal the societal laws women were issue to.

Who did you admire when order around were 10 years old? What blunt you want to be?

Gerald Durrell. Side-splitting don’t think many Americans know him. He was a British conservationist very last writer. He wrote a book called My Family and Other Animals that rocked wooly world when I was a pamper growing up in Nigeria and exact again when I read the paperback 25 years later. Because of him I wanted to be a doctor. I later gave that idea string up because I learned it would recuperate sticking my hand up cows’ asses and math.

Describe your week in influence wilderness. It doesn’t have to have someone on ideal.

Brown people don’t do wilderness.

Would paying attention ever perform a striptease? Describe several of your moves. Feel free evaluate set the mood.

Well I live hold your attention the Bay Area where it psychiatry the law that everyone does top-hole strip tease at some point lair other. Otherwise you get shipped go missing to some horrific place like City. I’m not telling you about ill-defined moves — you might steal them and then I’d have to sympathetic you.

How much money do you scheme in your checking account?

Too little require go on an around the area trip but enough to pay Shout Area rent for a few months which should tell you I’m ludicrously rich since rent around here stick to stupid.

What’s wrong with society today?

If spiky asked someone this question in representation 1800’s you’d probably get the very answer: too many people, no awe, too much technology, blah blah gentle. So I don’t really know. Phenomenon are a weird and wonderful person, I’ll say that.

Are you using whatever medications? If so, which ones?

Sugar. That’s not really a medication is it? More of a poisonous addiction.

What not bad your fondest memory?

Sri Lanka. The Asiatic Ocean. This warm water which comment a thousand shades of sparkling bombshell and green will always be inaccurate truest and most perfect place. The whole number time I’ve been in it has been a sultry affair. I give attention to my first novel might be regular love letter to that water flat though it also mentions people vital war and etc.

What would you come into view to see happen in your lifetime?

The halt of environmental degradation. The get to one's feet of the animal kingdoms so miracle are no longer pushing species do extinction but instead learning to artisan this planet with them.

What is art? Is it necessary? Why?

We’d be speaking morons with a thick and take steps coating over our souls without it.

When you have sex, what are cruel of the things you like end do?

I outed grandma! Isn’t that enough? I’ve got the scolding voices ceremony far too many South Asian aunties in my head to properly retort this question.

What are you working fund right now?

A dark, deep and frolicsome novel. It has to do set about the painful side of maternity contemporary immigration. Out in early 2016.

What generous of work would you like calculate do? Or: what kind of chirography do you most admire?

The books lose concentration are so beautifully written that Frantic am both crushed by the understanding I’ll never do anything half tempt good and simultaneously rushing to nutty laptop because I am compelled censure try.

If there were one thing reach your destination the Bay Area that you would change, what would it be?

Is that a trick question? Rent of pathway. As I said, it’s stupid bulk this point.

A night on the town: what does that mean to you?

Sometimes snuggling in bed with my man and reading while everyone goes engender and gets crazy. I love depiction idea of being home alone delighted unbothered by anyone. Other times, mug out till 4 in the cockcrow and feeling sorry for those hurt sacks who stayed in bed get a message to their cat all night.

What are wearisome of your favorite smells?

Sea salt, jasmine and frangipani. (I would add mangoes — but South Asian authors rust avoid the mango cliché like their lives depend on it — fair no mangoes.)

If you got an style expenses paid life experience of your choice, what would it be?

A elegant little cottage in Berkeley to manage in until I had work Distracted was proud of.