World Hotel

by Reetika Vazirani

Born in India and raised in the U.S., Reetika Vazirani is at the forefront of a group of young immigrant writers who are questioning citizenship and the effects of migration and immigration on the discovery of one’s self. The topics she writes about—eastern culture meeting west—are both timely and timeless, as she demonstrates a love for storytelling, delights in the music and flavors of the world, and displays a subtle understanding of cross-cultural conflicts for women. Divided into two sections, "Inventing Maya" and "It’s Me, I’m Not at Home," World Hotel gives voice to those who are struggling with the burden of being different while also experiencing the thrill of transformation. There are poems written in memory of family members, to husbands, to lovers, and poems from mother to daughter. Through her exquisite formal skills and linguistic range, Vazirani ultimately creates a home in poetry; for her readers she creates penetrating portraits and keen glimpses into a world which—for all its unfamiliarity—we recognize as strikingly similar to our own. The Chapel Hill Rotary invited me twice,
and I wore Aunty’s yellow sari. I laugh,
for ten years I lived on a mountain.
I show them Mussoorie.
They say it looks like the Blue Ridge.
They’re fascinated by so much silk—six
yards on one girl—but I like dresses and
scarves, red nail polish, and I will
have to learn to dance. . . .
—from "Friday Mixer" Born in India, Reetika Vazirani ’s first book, White Elephants , was selected for the Barnard New Women Poets Prize. She has received much recognition for her poetry, including a Pushcart Prize, a "Discovery" award from The Nation , and inclusion in Best American Poetry . Educated at Wellesley College and the University of Virginia, Vazirani serves as an advisory editor for Callaloo .

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Emily Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Reetika Vazirani’s World Hotel, the poems explore the transition from India to the United States. Vazirani uses the character of Maya, who is an adolescent when India becomes independent, to show the efforts to fit into Western culture, specifically coming to the United States. Maya comes from money, but lacks parental support, instead relying quite heavily on faculty from the schools she attends to look after her.

Many of the poems address Maya’s burgeoning sexuality and focus on physical appearance. Vazirani’s poems in World Hotel heavily rely on naming, especially place names and product names. Maya struggles with being considered alternately exotic and forbidden, sometimes finding herself under the American rules of segregation due to skin pigment.

I have read these poems before, but this time around I was struck by the presence of class and money. Maya attends expensive schools and has expensive friends. Her clothes and cosmetics amount to expensive tastes. While she finds herself in an uncomfortable situation due to prejudice based on skintone, she has entirely different challenges than many stories of American immigrants because her family is so well-off.

The rest of the poems in the book continue to consider culture, specifically what is considered to be typically American, such as Jazz and movie stars.

While the poems have their moments, the language does not have the same surprise that I prefer in poetry. The subjects explored make the book worth reading.

[Mizannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for 2022 Popsugar challenge prompt "An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner." Folks are tagging this as "emotional" but I found it curiously lacking in emotion.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this collection. Some of the poems are much stronger than others, but the techniques Vazirani plays with in this book are raw and affecting.