Gee, That's How One Feels, Too

In a forthright interview with The Toronto Star, Kiran Desai speaks of growing up in Delhi:

"There was the feeling that books were the only thing that led you to the world. You read really hard; that was the only thing you could do."

(And here's another blunt comment: "Who is going to write an honest book? To look at something straight takes a lot of work. So who is going to do it? It's much more fun to go to a literary festival and drink champagne or whatever, attend a conference and have a fantastic time. There's no better time to be a writer in that sense. You get so many goodies thrown at your head. You are writing for Travel & Leisure and eating sushi for breakfast.")