White ink on a white page
I just started reading the book in which, as the title suggests, Rushdie reflects on matters of life and death after a near-fatal stabbing in August 2022.
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April 22, 2024
The word ‘hero’ is overused but it’s truly fitting for John Lewis
When is the last time I cried over the death of a public figure or a politician? I can’t remember, really. Perhaps it was when Indira Gandhi was assassinated. I was young then and mourned the woman I had idolized in childhood. Beyond politics, she served as a role model for Indian girls of my generation.
Last night, I cried when I heard the news that John Lewis had lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. I grieved the death of a tireless fighter for freedom and justice. (more…)
July 18, 2020
Stop the politics today — and remember
Amid all the political noise of today, I want to stop and think of all my soldier friends I met in Iraq and back here at home in all the…
November 11, 2016
David Gilkey: remembering an incredible photojournalist
I woke up to extremely sad news today. NPR photojournalist David Gilkey was killed in Afghanistan, along with interpreter Zabihullah Tamanna. Another friend who worked tirelessly in the world's most difficult…
June 6, 2016
Moment of desi pride at the Oscars
Lost in the diversity controversy at the Oscars Sunday night was this: The only woman of color who won was Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Who? That's the problem. Very few people in…
March 2, 2016
If you throw your hat into the air in Ramadi, it will come down with 12 bullet holes in it
My heart breaks every time I read news from Iraq. So much so that I find myself clicking away or turning off the radio. Ramadi, the capital of al-Anbar province,…
June 4, 2015
Wonderwomen
On a bright December afternoon in Kolkata, I watched a handful of young women throw their arms in the air, swirl the scarves of their salwar kameez and leap from one…
March 8, 2015
We said we would not forget Haiti
I spoke with my friend Jean Mariot Cleophat by phone today. It has been five years since I first met him. He was my guide for much of my…
January 12, 2015
Rembering Blacksheep on Veterans Day
Here's to you, Blacksheep -- 3rd platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment. Thinking of that hot day in April, 2006, when you completed your last patrol. I…
November 10, 2014
Death, dreams and dread
I had a dream last night. It was the same one I've had since August 20, when I learned of Jim Foley's death. A man in black holds a small…
September 19, 2014