Ask the Author: Jenny Bhatt
Answered Questions (5)
Jenny Bhatt
I always have multiple writing-related projects in the works. That way, if I hit a block on one, I can switch to another. At any given time, I'm usually tinkering with an essay, a book-length project, and a translation project. And, of course, my podcast, Desi Books.
Jenny Bhatt
Writing is about a regular discipline, a practice, a habit. It is both art and craft. It's not something the world requires of you as much as something you're driven to do for your own reasons and motivations. The fuel and fire both have to come from within.
Jenny Bhatt
All the stories in my upcoming collection, Each of Us Killers, are woven at the intersection of labor and our emotional lives. Our occupations and professions are as much a part of our identities as our place of origin or our relationship status or our religion. More than just a means to earn a living, they shape who we are. Yet, as Stuart Dybek has said, we have a lot more fiction about love and sex than we do about work. Closer home for me, my mom's favorite Gujarati writer, Dhumketu, was fond of reminding people that societies are shaped by individuals but individuals are shaped by their work. For most of my own adult life, I've had some job or other. From tuition teacher to shop assistant to bartender to engineer to consultant to financial planner to editor. Through this collection, I wanted to explore the lives of working men and women — auto-wallah, housemaid, street vendor, journalist, architect, baker, engineer, saree shop employee, professor, yoga instructor, bartender, and more — to see how the intersecting issues of gender, class, religion, caste, age, color, ethnicity, race, and nationality shape our lives and our luck.
Jenny Bhatt
That you're always exploring and learning new things. I don't glorify this work of writing. There are plenty of noble occupations out there that take a lot more effort and courage. But this is one discipline that, first and foremost, helps the writer respond to and engage with their world in a meaningful way. Writing, for me, is a way of being, of existing.
Jenny Bhatt
I've been a journal-writer since my teens. My daily journal practice helps me loosen my writing muscles and keep the flow of ideas going. But avoid simply cataloging your day. Try to free-write on a set topic or respond to something you've seen or read or heard. If it helps, set a timer for 15-30 minutes and don't stop or censor yourself during that time. Just write.
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