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• The Best at It Balzer + Bray (New York, NY), 2019
• Nikhil Out Loud Balzer + Bray (New York, NY), 2022

1. Nikhil out loud LCCN 2022938131 Type of material Book Personal name Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author. Main title Nikhil out loud / Maulik Pancholy. Edition First Edition. Published/Produced New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2022] ©2022 Description 312 pages ; 22 cm. ISBN 9780063091924 (hardcover) 0063091925 (hardcover) CALL NUMBER PZ7.1.P35743 Ni 2022 FT MEADE Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 2. The best at it LCCN 2019009804 Type of material Book Personal name Pancholy, Maulik, 1974- author. Main title The best at it / Maulik Pancholy. Edition First edition. Published/Produced New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, [2019] Projected pub date 1111 Description pages cm ISBN 9780062866417 (hardback) CALL NUMBER PZ7.1.P35743 Bes 2019 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms

• Maulik Pancholy website - https://www.maulikpancholy.com/

  Pancholy’s debut middle grade novel, THE BEST AT IT, is a 2020 Stonewall Honor winner.

  His second novel, NIKHIL OUT LOUD, is a 2023 Lambda Literary Finalist and a Kirkus Best Book of 2022.

• Wikipedia -

  Maulik Pancholy

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  Maulik Pancholy
  Maulik Pancholy 2019 Texas Book Festival.jpg
  Pancholy at the 2019 Texas Book Festival
  Born Maulik Navin Pancholy
  January 18, 1974 (age 49)
  Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
  Education Northwestern University (BA)
  Yale University (MFA)
  Occupations
  Actorauthor
  Years active 1998–present
  Spouse Ryan Corvaia ​(m. 2014)​
  Website maulikpancholy.com
  Maulik Navin Pancholy (/moʊliːk nɑːvɪn pænˈtʃoʊli/, born January 18, 1974) is an American actor and author who is best known for his roles as Jonathan on 30 Rock, Baljeet Tjinder in Phineas and Ferb, Neal in the first season of Whitney, and as a character named Sanjay Patel in both Weeds and Sanjay and Craig. His debut novel, The Best at It (from Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins), is about a gay, Indian American boy coming into his own.[1] In 2022, he released Nikhil Out Loud, which tells the story of eighth grade theater kids rising up against homophobia in their community.[2]

  Early life
  Pancholy was born in Dayton, Ohio to Gita Jayantilal and Navin Chimanal Pancholy. He moved around while growing up, living in Ohio, Indiana, and Texas before his family settled in Tampa, Florida, where he attended junior high and high school at Berkeley Preparatory School.[3] His family comes from Gujarat, and his grandparents lived in Ahmedabad.[4] He is a 1991 graduate of the Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, and went on to major in Theatre at Northwestern University, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1995.[5] He then attended the Yale School of Drama, where he received his Master of Fine Arts in 2003.[6]

  Career

  Pancholy in 2007
  Pancholy played the character of Jonathan on the award-winning NBC series 30 Rock, Sanjay Patel on Showtime's Weeds and Nickelodeon's Sanjay & Craig, Neal on the first season of NBC's Whitney, and voiced the character of Baljeet Tjinder on Disney's Phineas & Ferb.[7] Additional television work includes guest roles on The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Elementary, Dynasty, Friends from College, Tracey Takes On..., The Sopranos, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and The Comeback.[6]

  On February 13, 2017, StarTrek.com stated that Pancholy will play Nambue, Chief Medical Officer of the USS Shenzhou in the upcoming TV series Star Trek: Discovery. His character appeared in the pilot episode, "The Vulcan Hello", which aired on 24 September 2017, and streamed on CBS's online service in America and Netflix abroad.[8]

  His stage credits in New York City include the Culture Project's production of Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom in 2004, a workshop of the play Morbidity & Mortality at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in 2005, and the lead role in India Awaiting at the Samuel Beckett Theatre. In January 2015, he joined the cast of Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play, replacing Rupert Grint when the production's Broadway run was extended.[9] Washington DC stage credits include Katherina in an all-male version of the Shakespeare Theatre Company's "The Taming of The Shrew" in 2016. He starred as 'Kevin' in the world premiere engagement of Ken Urban's The Remains at the Studio Theatre in 2018.

  In 2019, Pancholy played 'Tommy' in Bess Wohl's Grand Horizons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.[10] It was announced that he will reprise the role in Second Stage's Broadway production of the play at the Helen Hayes Theater.[11]

  Personal life
  Pancholy came out as gay in a November 2013 interview with Out in which he discussed his partner of nine years, chef and caterer Ryan Corvaia.[12] They were engaged at the Taj Mahal in January 2014 and were married in September that year.[13]

  Pancholy speaks Gujarati and Spanish. He is also proficient in Hindi, which he speaks in the 30 Rock episode "Khonani".[4][14]

  Political activism
  On April 25, 2014, Pancholy was named to President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as part of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.[15][16][17] On February 25, 2017, Pancholy and nine other members of the commission resigned from their positions, citing administrative actions by President Donald Trump that they claimed went "against the commission's principles".[18][19]

  Pancholy is active with several non-profit and social policy organizations including Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, the New York City Anti-Violence Project, and OutRight Action International, formerly known as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.[17][16]

  Pancholy is the Chair and Co-Founder of the anti-bullying nonprofit Act To Change. He helped launch the campaign during his time serving on President Obama's Advisory Commission. Act To Change was transitioned outside of the White House after the 2016 presidential election.[20]

  Filmography
  Film
  Year Film Role Notes
  1999 Pokémon Trading Card Game: Trainer Video Adult Card Trader
  2005 Hitch Raoul
  2006 Friends with Money Flirtatious Waiter
  Quarter Life Crisis Neil Desai
  Park Babar
  2008 27 Dresses Trent
  2009 Love N' Dancing Gunmay
  2010 Love Ranch Samir Singh
  Good Sharma Samir
  Tug Carl
  See You in September Roger
  Raspberry Magic Amrish Patil
  2011 Horrible Bosses[21] Gregory Voice only
  Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension Baljeet Tjinder / 2nd Baljeet
  Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur Doctor
  2012 Treasure Buddies Babi
  2013 Super Buddies Curly the Pig
  2020 Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe Baljeet Tjinder
  Television
  Year Show Role Notes
  1998 USA High Achmed Episode: "Jackson Moves Out"
  City Guys Rasheed Episode: "Jamal Got His Gun"
  Malibu, CA Haji Episode: "Surf Sale"
  Felicity T.A. Episode: "Finally"
  1999 Tracey Takes On... Roberto Episode: "Road Rage"
  Jack & Jill Barto's Classmate 2 episodes
  Charmed Treasure Hunter #1 Episode: "That Old Black Magic"
  1999, 2000 The Wild Thornberrys Kazi/Tenzin/Construction Wallah (voice) Episode: "Happy Campers"
  "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti"
  2000 Family Law Clerk Episode: "Metamorphosis"
  2005–2009, 2012 Weeds Sanjay Patel Recurring seasons 1–5; 8
  2005 The Comeback Kaveen Kahan 3 episodes
  2006–11, 2012 30 Rock Jonathan Recurring seasons 1–2; Main seasons 3–5; 7
  2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Aziz Gabriel/Dani Hasni Episode: "Stress Position"
  "World's Fair"
  The Sopranos Dr. Ajit Gupte Episode: "Stage 5"
  2007–present Phineas and Ferb Baljeet Tjinder Voice only
  2009 The Replacements Kamil Sattar (voice)
  2010 Running Wilde Himself Episode: "Mental Flaws"
  2011 Web Therapy Kamal Prakash Recurring; season 1
  2011–2012 Whitney Neal Main (season 1)
  2013–2016 Sanjay and Craig Sanjay Patel Main role, voice only
  60 episodes
  2014 The Good Wife Dev Jain Episode "Parallel Construction, Bitches"
  Wander Over Yonder N/A
  2016 The Muppets Photographer Episode: "Got Silk?"
  2017 Star Trek: Discovery Dr. Nambue Episode: "The Vulcan Hello"
  Friends from College Patel Episode: "A Night of Surprises"
  2017, 2019 Milo Murphy's Law Neal
  Baljeet Tjinder 6 episodes
  2018 Elementary Alfonse Kapoor Episode: "Our Time Is Up"
  2019 Dynasty Kenneth Desai Episode: "Filthy Games"
  2019, 2020 American Dad! Nudist/Improv Actor (voice) Episode: "Stan & Francine & Connie & Ted"
  "100 Years a Solid Fool"
  2019 The Good Fight Dev Jain Episode: "The One Where Diane Joins the Resistance"
  "The One Where Kurt Saves Diane"
  Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures Jasper (voice) Episode: "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!"
  Helpsters Robbie Runner Episode: "Amazing Alie/Robbie & Rhonda Runner"
  2020–2022 Mira, Royal Detective Ranjeet/Gardening Vendor/Uncle (voice) 10 episodes
  2021 Q-Force N/A 2 Episodes
  Only Murders in the Building Arnav 3 Episodes
  2022 Would I Lie to You? (US) Himself Episode: "Show Goat"
  Stage
  Year Title Role Location Category
  2003 Aunt Dan and Lemon Marty Acorn Theatre Off-Broadway
  2004 Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom Ruhel Ahmed Lynn Redgrave Theater Off-Broadway
  2005 Morbidity & Mortality — Cherry Lane Theatre Off-Broadway
  2014–2015 It's Only a Play Frank Finger Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Broadway
  2016 The Taming of the Shrew Katharina Minola Shakespeare Theatre Company at Sidney Harman Hall Regional
  2018 Good for Otto Alex Pershing Square Signature Center Off-Broadway
  2018 The Remains Kevin Studio Theatre Regional
  2019 Grand Horizons Tommy Hayes Theater Broadway
  2022 To My Girls Castor Tony Kiser Theater Off-Broadway

• Author Village -

  Maulik Pancholy (he/him)
  “I grew up reading voraciously, but I never saw myself in the books I read. It’s why I wrote The Best at It. Getting to speak to young people directly, to engage them with laughter, and to inspire them to tell their own stories has been one of the most rewarding parts of being a middle grade author.”

  Biography
  Maulik Pancholy is an award-winning actor, author and activist.

  He is best known for his comedic turns on television playing Jonathan on NBC’s critically acclaimed 30 Rock, Sanjay on Showtime’s Weeds, and Neal on NBC’s Whitney. He is the voice of Baljeet on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb and the title voice of Sanjay on Nickelodeon’s Sanjay and Craig. On Broadway, Pancholy starred in Terrence McNally’s It’s Only A Play and in the Tony-nominated production of Bess Wohl’s Grand Horizons.

  Pancholy’s debut novel, The Best at It (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins), is about a gay, Indian American boy coming into his own. It was named a 2020 Stonewall Honor Book, a 2019 Junior Library Guild Selection, a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, a New York Times “Best Audiobooks for Road Trips with Kids,” and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and the American Library Association’s Booklist. His second novel, Nikhil Out Loud (also with Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins), is slated for a fall 2022 release.

  A longtime advocate for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and LGBTQIA+ communities, Pancholy was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs. As a Commissioner, he helped launch the anti-bullying campaign ActToChange.org—an organization which he continues to Chair today. Act To Change is now a national nonprofit dedicated to ending bullying for AAPI youth and fostering a world where all young people can celebrate their identities.

• Publishers Weekly - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/81194-q-a-with-maulik-pancholy.html

  Q & A with Maulik Pancholy
  By Erin M. Fry | Sep 17, 2019
  Comments Click Here

  Maulik Pancholy is best known for his acting roles in such shows as 30 Rock and Phineas and Ferb. He also served on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Recently, Pancholy helped launched an anti-bullying campaign called Act to Change. His debut middle grade novel, The Best at It, which releases next month, stars 12-year-old Rahul Kapoor, who is beginning to think he might be gay and, as an Indian American who already feels “different,” that thought worries him quite a bit. When he is taunted by a school bully, he decides he must prove to himself and the world that he is the best at something. Though Rahul and his story are fictional, Pancholy shares in the book’s foreword that the character’s struggles mirror many of his own as a pre-teen. We spoke with Pancholy about writing, acting, and the life experiences that led to the idea for this book.

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  Tell us a little bit about yourself as a kid. What was it like growing up?

  I was born in Dayton, Ohio. When I about two years old, we moved to Wabash, Ind., and lived there until I was about seven. Those years were magical—full of riding bikes in the neighborhood and leaving doors unlocked and walking to school. I eventually moved to Tampa, Fla., where I spent my middle and high school years. But even there, in a much bigger city than Wabash, I still had a sense of being different. At the time that I was growing up, no one was talking about being gay. That was a long time ago, but in a lot of smaller towns in America and in the Midwest, I think that’s probably still true and still a challenging situation for kids. It’s one of the reasons a small, Midwest town felt right for this book.

  Your main character, Rahul, is extremely good at math. Did you enjoy school, and were you also a math whiz?

  I was actually a very good student. I studied a lot and got good grades. I was also a Mathlete so math competitions were a big part of my junior high and high school experience. A teacher who I’m still friends with ran the math club, which was a big deal at our school. We traveled to international math competitions in other countries. For me, winning those competitions was a way to prove my self-worth, which then became a huge theme in the book.

  You’ve talked in interviews about being an avid reader as a child. What kind of books did you read?

  I had all these book sets: The Hobbit, The Black Stallion, even Little House on the Prairie. What I remember, though, is that while I related to those characters, I never saw any who looked like me. I don’t think I understood what that meant until I first started auditioning for television shows as an adult. I had a really hard time seeing myself in the roles, mostly because I never saw anyone on television who looked like me. I realized that, as a kid, I’d felt like I had to be somebody else if I wanted to emulate a character in a book. It’s exciting to be entering this literary world now because there is a lot of support for diverse storytelling. I think young people are actually hungry for it, too. We don’t live in a homogenous world. Kids want to see truth in the stories that they read.

  When did you know that you wanted to write a book, and that it was going to be a book for kids?

  As an actor, I had done a lot of animated series. I’d been around young people and got to see how much storytelling mattered to them and how influenced they were by the stories they saw on television. When I served on the White House commission under Obama, a large part of the work I did there was interacting with young people. It just felt like a natural fit, to be honest, to start writing a story for young people. For a while, it was sort of an extracurricular thing. Then we pitched the first 10,000 words and had multiple publishers bid on the story. Suddenly I was like, oh, my gosh, I really have to write this book.

  How long did it take you to write?

  It took me longer to write this book than I think it takes most authors. Right after I sold the story, I was hired to act in two back-to-back plays. That stretched out the process a little bit.

  Did you have it all planned out in your head or did the story unfold as you wrote?

  My original instinct for the book was to take a humorous perspective toward a lot of the issues that Rahul deals with, including his sexuality, his cultural identity, the anxiety, and the behaviors that go along with that anxiety. I credit my editor a great deal for pushing back on that, because as we delved into the story, it felt more honest to be truthful about those things and let them be emotional. I think we found a nice balance between having it be a funny story, but also exploring these topics in a deeper way.

  Rahul struggles with obsessive-compulsive behaviors that he seems aware of and tries to hide from his family. Can you talk about why this became a part of his character?

  This is something that’s really personal to me. I was careful in the book to not label it OCD because I know there’s a technical definition for it. But I myself have struggled with some checking behaviors that have gotten better as I’ve grown up. I remember there was a period when I was really young when I would do things like check the stove and the locks. I was very good at hiding it, though. The conversation that I’ve written in the book between Rahul and his dad isn’t a conversation I was able to have. My parents were amazing, but it was something we weren’t talking about. It was exciting to get to write something that might offer a path for a young person or a parent reading this story to think, “This is a conversation that can be had in a positive and loving way.” Also, even though Rahul is aware of these behaviors, he’s really confused by them. When his mom asks him why it embarrasses him that his Indian aunties came to school in saris, he doesn’t really know why—he just knows that feeling different feels uncomfortable.

  Rahul has both a supportive best friend and family. Why was it important to have Rahul’s family be such an integral part of his journey?

  I tried to find a balance between having him going on this journey by himself but also having support. There’s a moment at the end of the book where Rahul has to jump in the fray and stand up for himself. But I also know from my own experience there is fear and anxiety around coming out. I was actually met with so much love when I finally did, though it took me a lot longer than it took Rahul. I wanted to offer the possibility to young people that having the courage to be yourself can actually be met with a lot of love.

  In this book, you address an important and relevant theme to many middle graders: accepting who you are. What would you say to a young reader who reads this but says, “He’s a famous actor. It’s not easy for someone like me.”

  Yes, life turned out pretty well for me because I followed my passions and did the things I want to do. But I also want to share with kids that I’m not really that different from them. The struggles that I went through in middle school probably look a lot like their struggles. I hope this book will find its way into the hands of LGBT kids and Asian-American and South Asian American kids, but I also think there are a lot of universal themes in it, such as struggling with being different, trying to find your place in the world, and wanting to be accepted. Those were things that I dealt with as a middle schooler, and I hope I can relate to young people on that level and let them know that I get what they are going through.

  If you read the “perfect” review of this book, what would it say?

  These initial positive reviews have been more than I could have ever hoped for. What I love most, though, is that there is a sense that people really empathize with Rahul and understand what I intended to do with this story. As a writer, you put in all this work and you just hope that it’s going to land. The fact that people are really, truly getting it is as good as it gets.

  Do you have any plans to write more books?

  I do actually have an idea that I’m tinkering with. It’s a little too early to talk about, but I really loved the writing process. Being an actor doesn’t always fulfill me in terms of getting to tell the exact story that I want to tell. But when you write a book, you get to delve into so many different characters at once. That was a part of the process that I really loved. There was also this moment for me where the story started to tell me what it wanted to be. That process of discovering was really fulfilling. It made all those days when I was sitting at the computer and had no idea what to write worth it. So, yes, I would love to do this again.

  The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy. HarperCollins, $16.99 Oct. 8 ISBN 978-0-06-286641-7

• The Nerd Daily - https://thenerddaily.com/maulik-pancholy-author-interview/

  Q&A: Maulik Pancholy, Author of ‘Nikhil Out Loud’
  Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·October 22, 2022·5 min read

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  From the acclaimed actor and Stonewall Honor–winning author of The Best at It, Maulik Pancholy, comes a new middle grade novel about a gay Indian American boy, the voice actor of a hit animated series, who learns the power of using his own voice after his family moves to a small town in Ohio.

  Hi, Maulik! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

  Sure! Something that I love about myself — and my work life — is that there’s a lot of diversity in it. I’m Indian American, I’m gay, I was born in the Midwest, but I’ve lived in Brooklyn for so long that I think of myself as a New Yorker. I’m married to an incredible man. We have the most awesome puppy. My acting career has let me work in a range of mediums: from TV and film to animation and theatre. I’ve written two middle grade novels, but I’m also writing for television and scripted podcasts. So every day is very different for me!

  When did you first discover your love for writing?

  When I set out to write my first novel, The Best at It, I realized just how much joy there is in the writing process. Don’t get me wrong, I think writing is really hard and sometimes downright painful. But there are moments when I get lost in the page, when characters start to come to life and the world around them starts to feel full. And those moments are incredibly satisfying. And of course, seeing kids and adults light up when they talk about my books is beyond rewarding.

  Lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, a book that made you want to become an author, and a book that you can’t stop thinking about!

  Oh wow! Do picture books count? The first thing that popped into my head was when my sister and I were kids, my parents and grandparents had these books from India with colourful pictures of Hindu deities in them. More than teaching us about religion, I think my parents wanted us to know our culture. My mom and dad were the first in their families to immigrate to the US, so trying to assimilate while still retaining our heritage was important to them.

  As a middle schooler, I read Encylopedia Brown, The Lord of the Rings, The Black Stallion and the Little House on the Prairie boxed sets.

  When I set out to write The Best at It, I read a lot of current middle grade novels. From Wonder to Better Nate than Ever, to The School for Good and Evil and The Thing about Jellyfish — they each inspired me in different ways.

  A few books that I’ve LOVED over the last few years are Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home, Kyle Lukoff’s Too Bright to See and Mark Oshiro’s You Only Live Once, David Bravo.

  Your latest middle grade novel, Nikhil Out Loud, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

  Generations, Friendships, Finding your Voice!

  What can readers expect?

  Readers will follow thirteen-year-old Nikhil Shah, the star voice actor on a hit animated series, who has to move from Los Angeles to a small town in Ohio so he and his mom can help take care of his sick grandfather. Starting a new school, making new friends and meeting grandparents you don’t really know isn’t as easy as disappearing into make-believe worlds in a sound booth. And when Nikhil is faced with a group of angry parents protesting the fact that he’s the openly -gay lead of the school musical, Nikhil might just have to find the power in using his own voice to stand up for what he knows is right.

  Where did the inspiration for Nikhil Out Loud come from?

  When I went on tour for The Best at It, a group of parents got angry that an openly gay author had spoken to their students. I was particulary shocked because it happened after a really incredibly school visit where I got to connect with nearly 700 middle schoolers. These parents tried to shut down school assemblies and said some really horrible stuff about me online. A number of kids from the school started messaging me on social media to express how hurt they were, wanting to know what they could do to make things better. Which got me thinking…where are the voices of all the kids in this? Who’s listening to them?

  Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

  I really love the relationship between Nikhil and his single mom. For most of Nikhil’s life, it’s been just the two of them taking on the world together. But when they move to Ohio, Nikhil’s mom has to find her own voice in standing up to her parents. It’s through this mirrored story line that a lot of the generational aspects in the book come to play.

  See also

  Q&A: Serena Burdick, Author of ‘Find Me In Havana’
  What do you hope your readers will take away from Nikhil Out Loud?

  Well, first, I hope young readers will be drawn into the story, and see themselves in Nikhil and his journey. I also hope that they’ll see that there are so many ways to live “out loud” – from quietly holding a grandparent’s hand, to expressing yourself through the art you make, to stepping up to a microphone at a rally and speaking up for what you believe in. Regardless of which path they choose, I hope this books shows kids that they have a voice, and that they deserve to be listened to.

  As an actor, author, and Act To Change co-founder, along with the usual day-to-day, how do you find balance?

  It can get really tricky sometimes. But I try to prioritize things. I make to do lists for myself and delineate how much time to spend on things, and then I do my best to stick to the schedule I create. I also make gratitude lists of specific things in the day I’m thankful for, which really grounds me. I like to exercise and get to the gym. And I make time to be with my husband and my puppy!

  What’s next for you?

  I’m creating and writing a scripted podcast series – it’s a murder mystery set at an Indian American family-owned motel. And The Best at It is in development for television, with myself set to Executive Produce and co-write the script.

  Lastly, what have been some of your favourite 2022 reads? Any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?

  Although it came out in December 2021, I just read Neel Patel’s Tell Me How to Be. I really loved his complex portrayal of not only a gay, Indian American man, but also of the character’s family. And Jasmine Warga’s A Rover’s Story, is so stunningly beautiful!

• School Library Journal - https://afuse8production.slj.com/2022/08/31/speaking-up-and-faithless-vocal-chords-a-talk-with-maulik-pancholy-about-nikhil-out-loud/

  Speaking Up and Unreliable Vocal Chords: A Talk With Maulik Pancholy About NIKHIL OUT LOUD
  August 31, 2022 by Betsy Bird Leave a Comment

  Here’s how the typical celebrity writes a children’s book for kids:

  They don’t. They just don’t. They hire someone to do it for them. Or, if they’re feeling spunky, they’ll whip up a 32-page picture book in 20 minutes and reap the subsequent rewards.

  I am not interested in those people. Far more interesting is the celebrity that thinks to themselves, “I’d like to write something for kids that might actually be pretty good and is something that could help them out a lot with some of the issues they’re struggling with.” So what do they write? A friggin’ middle grade NOVEL, my friends! And not just one (even though it goes on to receive three starred reviews and win the occasional Stonewall Honor) but two!

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  Maulik Pancholy is the kind of actor you’ve probably seen on shows like 30 Rock or Only Murders in the Building. Today he’s talking with me about his new novel NIKHIL OUT LOUD which is probably best described this way:

  Thirteen-year-old Nikhil Shah is the beloved voice actor for Raj Reddy on the hit animated series Raj Reddy in Outer Space. But being a star on TV doesn’t mean you have everything figured out behind the scenes. . . .

  When his mom temporarily moves them to the small town in Ohio where she grew up to take care of Nikhil’s sick grandfather, Nikhil feels as out of orbit as his character.

  Nikhil’s fame lands him the lead in the school musical, but he’s terrified that everyone will realize he’s a fraud once they find out he can’t sing. And when a group of conservative parents start to protest, making it clear they’re not happy with an openly gay TV star being in the starring role, Nikhil feels like his life would be easier if only he could be Raj Reddy full-time.

  Then Nikhil wakes up one morning and hears a crack in his voice, which means his job playing Raj will have to come to an end. Life on earth is way more complicated than life on television. And some mysteries—like new friendships or a sick grandparent or finding the courage to speak out about what’s right—don’t wrap up neatly between commercial breaks.

  And now, this:

  Betsy Bird: Hi, Maulik! Thanks so much for answering my questions today. First off, congrats on the reviews you’ve been getting for NIKHIL OUT LOUD. Kirkus, in their starred review, said, amongst other things, that it contained “squeeworthy joy” (a phrase I am now stealing). Can you tell us a little bit about its origins?

  Maulik Pancholy
  (photo credit: Luke Fontana)
  Maulik Pancholy: Hi Betsy! I was excited to see that phrase in the Kirkus review, because even though NIKHIL OUT LOUD takes on some big issues, there’s a lot of joy in the book.

  When I was on tour visiting middle schools with my first novel (THE BEST AT IT), a group of conservative parents got angry that an openly gay author had spoken to their kids. These parents wrote a lot of horrible things about my visit online and lobbied to change the school’s policy on assemblies. Later, a number of the kids from this particular school messaged me on social media to say how sorry and hurt they were that this had happened. Which got me thinking – who’s listening to the kids in all this? Where’s their voice?

  That was the inspiration for Nikhil. He’s a thirteen-year-old, gay, Indian American boy who actually has a voice – in fact, he’s the star voice on a hit animated series. But when his mom moves them from Los Angeles to a small town in Ohio, he has to find the power in using his own voice to stand up for what he knows is right.

  BB: It’s your second middle grade novel thus far. After finishing THE BEST AT IT, did you intend to keep writing for kids or did the urge sneak up on you?

  MP: Engaging with middle schoolers who have read THE BEST AT IT continues to be one of my favorite things to do. Watching their eyes light up when they talk about a character they love, or seeing them open up to the emotional journey of the book, is incredibly rewarding. It made me want to write a second novel for kids.

  I also think, as far as we’ve come, there’s still a need for more diverse stories for young readers. I wanted to write another book with an Indian American family and a lead gay character, but who had different perspectives and trajectories than the family and characters in my first book.

  BB: Whether you’re writing a picture book or a YA slasher, readers are going to read your life into the pages of anything you produce. Kids who were already fans of your previous novel THE BEST AT IT will be particularly keen to parse the truth from the fiction. I don’t think it’s wildly out of the realm of speculation to say that you may well have been a theater kid in your youth, but how much of this book beyond that is autobiographical?

  MP: Well, I was definitely a theater kid, so I was able to draw on those experiences for sure. I’m also a voice actor (I play Baljeet on Phineas and Ferb and Sanjay on Sanjay and Craig), so I know what it’s like to get inside a sound booth and disappear into make-believe worlds.

  But, I’d say the biggest autobiographical piece is the courage it took me to find my own voice. As an actor, I was given a platform that I wasn’t entirely comfortable using at first – whether it was to speak out on LGBTQ issues or the concerns facing the Asian American community. I’d spent a lot of my life trying to fit in—afraid to be “different”—and I’d thought of acting as a way to disappear. What I’ve learned—and what I think Nikhil learns in this book—is that there is a great power in both being yourself and in using your voice for good.

  BB: You’re releasing a book for kids about standing up to hate at a time when book banning and the censorship of LGBTQIA+ titles for children has never been more coordinated or threatening. Was this on your mind at all as you wrote the book? What audience do you hope finds it?

  MP: What’s interesting is that I started writing this book before this current, very prominent wave of book bans. Because, as I mentioned, it was already happening to me and to so many other authors on a more personal level. Now, THE BEST AT IT has been outright banned in certain districts, and of course, that could happen with NIKHIL OUT LOUD. The ramifications of this are really horrific, and I think it’s important that we speak out, educate others on how they can help, and vote for candidates who support inclusive curriculums—ones who allow kids to see themselves in the books they read.

  I hope NIKHIL OUT LOUD empowers kids to speak out as well–that it lets them know that they have a voice. Whether it’s through a quiet conversation with a grandparent at home, or making art to express themselves, or organizing a rally at their school, they deserve to be heard.

  BB: This question is for the busy adult writers out there that have a tricky time balancing writing and their jobs. A full-time actor yourself, when do you find time to write these books? Do you take writing retreats, do a little every evening, etc?

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  MP: It’s always a bit of a juggling act, to be honest. What I find is that things tend to get busy in spurts – when I’m in full-time rehearsals for a play, or spending long hours on set, it’s more challenging to write. So when there’s downtime from that, I throw myself into my writing and try to get as much accomplished as I can. When multiple things are happening at once, I try to be diligent about carving out time to meet writing deadlines. I often can’t control exactly when that time will be—the projects I’m working on dictate my schedule—but I’ve learned that if I keep showing up to the page it somehow all gets done!

  BB: You’re two for two in terms of great reviews. Any desire to try for more? Are there more children’s books on the way or are you good for now?

  MP: For sure there are! I’ve really fallen in love with writing. Not only books, but I’m also developing a few scripted series—including a TV adaptation of THE BEST AT IT with HBO Max. I’m excited to write more for the middle grade audience, and I’m also really interested in exploring the YA space.

Nikhil Out Loud

Maulik Pancholy. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-06-309192-4

Actor Pancholy (The Best at It) draws upon his experience as a voice actor in this sophomore novel about a queer 13-year-old advocating against homophobia. When Indian American voice actor Nikhil Shah's grandfather, Nana, becomes ill, the rising eighth grader and his mother travel from Los Angeles to Ohio to help. Though Nikhil is able to remotely record his lines for his lead voice role in animated TV series Raj Reddy in Outer Space, which recently garnered him a Kids' Cartoon Award, his future on the show feels uncertain when his voice begins to change. Loath to confide in his mother, who is navigating tensions with her Gujarati parents, Nikhil throws himself into new friendships with musical theater-loving DeSean, who is Black, fashionable Korean American Monica, and shy Mexican American skateboarder Mateo--on whom Nikhil quietly crushes. After Nikhil is cast as the school musical's lead, and mentions that he's gay during an interview for the school newspaper, protestors descend on the production, but the cast provides public heartwarming,support as Nikhil considers options around using his voice. Told in Nikhil's earnest, compassionate narration, this look at authenticity and representation richly layers themes of family and community, and the support needed to grow into oneself. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 PWxyz, LLC
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"Nikhil Out Loud." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 36, 29 Aug. 2022, p. 106. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A716641335/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c6fee89e. Accessed 14 May 2023.

Pancholy, Maulik NIKHIL OUT LOUD Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (Children's None) $17.99 10, 11 ISBN: 978-0-06-309192-4

Eighth grade theater kids rise up against homophobia in their community.

A grandparent's sickness brings 13-year-old Indian American voice acting star Nikhil Shah and his family from Los Angeles to Ohio. Starting eighth grade in a new school gives Nikhil anxiety, but he quickly befriends a crew: DeSean (who is Black), Monica (who is Korean American), and Mateo (who is Mexican American). Once his celebrity identity is discovered, Nikhil doesn't just sign autographs and repeat, to his classmates' delight, a catchphrase from Raj Reddy in Outer Space, the animated show he works on, but gets cast as the lead in the school's musical revue. His profile rises even higher when Nikhil discloses to the school newspaper--and, essentially, the world--that he is gay. The overwhelming support is overshadowed by his Nana's negative reaction and a community member's homophobic letters and protests. But the cast members rally their school community behind Nikhil, using their art to make a powerful statement. Pancholy's sophomore effort is a layered coming-of-age tale, melding puberty's woes with familial expectations and grief. Unresolved tensions rise quickly in his Gujarati Nana and Nani's household as the family members get reacquainted with each other but also pave the way for some truly tender moments. The sweet, peck-on-the-cheek-level romance is delightfully middle school--as is the squeeworthy joy alongside more difficult moments.

A timely affirmation that hate has no place in school. (Fiction. 9-13)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Pancholy, Maulik: NIKHIL OUT LOUD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713722623/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1373d412. Accessed 14 May 2023.

PANCHOLY, Maulik. Nikhil Out Loud. 320p. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. Oct. 2022. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780063091924.

Gr 5 Up--After the Kids' Cartoon Awards, 13-year-old Indian American voice actor Nikhil Shah learns he'll be moving from Los Angeles to his mom's hometown in Ohio. His nana is ill, and they need to be there to help care for him. On the first day of eighth grade, Nikhil meets DeSean, who is Black, and is welcomed into the Sycamore Middle School theater crowd, which includes Korean American Monica and Mexican American Mateo. After being cast as the lead in the eighth grade musical, Nikhil reveals to the school newspaper that he's gay. Soon a homophobic community member threatens to protest the play if Nikhil remains cast. But the Sycamore community rallies around Nikhil and his friends, and together they show that there is no place for hate in school. Nikhil's cup is frill to the brim with complex family relationships, puberty, and his burgeoning community activism all vying for his attention. At times readers may feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything Nikhil is experiencing, but perhaps that's the point. Ultimately, Nikhil and his loved ones learn that running away from challenges doesn't make them go away--the only way to find happiness is to speak your truth. VERDICT A powerful and well-timed story that demonstrates just how much representation matters.--Dana West

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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West, Dana. "PANCHOLY, Maulik. Nikhil Out Loud." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 12, Dec. 2022, p. 85. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A729548037/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=775049e8. Accessed 14 May 2023.

PANCHOLY, Maulik. The Best at It. 336p. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. Oct. 2019. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780062866417.

Gr 3-7--When rising seventh grader Rahul Kapoor panics about fitting in at middle school, his grandfather tells him to find something he's really good at and be the best at it. But Rahul finds that difficult. Could he be the best at football? At acting? At math? Adding to Rahul's anxiety, his macho Indian uncles keep suggesting that he might be gay, and neighborhood bully Brent taunts him about it, too. Rahul's struggles will resonate with many kids. He works hard to come to terms with liking boys while having anxiety about being good at things, being well liked, and being Indian American in a small, predominantly white town. Rahul is a compelling protagonist, and his challenges ring true. Sometimes Pancholy talks around topics: though the book ends with Rahul coming out to his friends and family, his being gay was only previously mentioned in vague terms, primarily as an insult from Brent. Similarly, though Rahul exhibits some signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety, they are only briefly addressed near the end, when Rahul's dad decides to take him to a therapist. While the writing is always engaging, it is at times challenging to hold on to the many narrative threads. VERDICT Hand this to middle grade readers who are navigating changing social dynamics as they come of age.--Kelsey Socha, Ventress Memorial Library, Marshfield, MA

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Socha, Kelsey. "PANCHOLY, Maulik. The Best at It." School Library Journal, vol. 65, no. 9, Oct. 2019, pp. 81+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A601871537/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=361f78a7. Accessed 14 May 2023.

Pancholy, Maulik THE BEST AT IT Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (Children's Fiction) $16.99 10, 8 ISBN: 978-0-06-286641-7

An Indian American boy struggles with his sexuality and mental health while finding a place for himself in seventh grade.

Rahul Kapoor may not be sure about his sexuality, but he is sure of one thing: This year, he wants to make an impression. Inspired by a story his grandfather tells him, Rahul decides that the best way to impress his classmates--and, in the process, to protect himself from bullies--is to pick something and be the best at it. With the help of his fiery best friend, Chelsea, a white girl who wisely, consistently steers Rahul toward being himself and doing what he loves, Rahul tries a number of activities before settling on Mathletes, where he soon becomes a star. But when Japanese American Jenny asks him to the Sadie Hawkins dance, and when his Mathletes career doesn't go as planned, Rahul spirals into an anxious depression with symptoms of OCD that force him to confront and eventually accept exactly who he is. In his author's note, Pancholy notes that Rahul's story is semiautobiographical, and it shows. Every character in the story is nuanced and sympathetically rendered, and the book does not shy away from racism, sexism, ableism, or homophobia. The protagonist's devastatingly honest voice pulls readers deeply into a fast-paced journey riddled with heartbreakingly authentic moments of anxiety, confusion, and triumph.

This coming-of-age story about diverse characters coming to grips with their layered identities rings true. (Fiction. 10-14)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Pancholy, Maulik: THE BEST AT IT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A591278998/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=24dbce55. Accessed 14 May 2023.

The Best at It. By Maulik Pancholy. Oct. 2019.336p. HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray, $16.99 (9780062866417). Gr. 5-7.

Rahul, an Indian American boy in a small Indiana town, finds seventh grade unsettling. His longtime best friend, Chelsea, suddenly blushes and stammers around a friendly eighth-grader. And Brent, a bully, repeatedly makes disconcerting innuendos about Rahul having a crush on a boy he admires. Taking his grandfather's advice to choose one thing and excel in it, Rahul almost breaks his leg at football tryouts and meets racial prejudice at an acting audition before reluctantly joining the Mathletes team, where he works hard and excels. As his inner tension builds, he begins to check and double-check locks and the stove. After talking with a therapist, he thinks through his worries, confronts his nemesis, and finds that his friends are fully with him. Near the story's end, Rahul comes out as gay to his supportive parents. In his first novel, actor Pancholy creates a number of vivid characters, including Rahul, his grandfather, and his best friend, who counters his reluctance to join the nerdy Mathletes with "Ra, we are nerds!... That's what makes us fun!" More broadly, the author depicts Rahul's parents' friends as forming an unusually strong community of belonging for the whole family. An impressive first novel: well paced, sometimes amusing, and wholly engaging. --Carolyn Phelan

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Phelan, Carolyn. "The Best at It." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 1, 1 Sept. 2019, p. 106. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A601763711/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fdab117b. Accessed 14 May 2023.

"Nikhil Out Loud." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 36, 29 Aug. 2022, p. 106. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A716641335/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c6fee89e. Accessed 14 May 2023. "Pancholy, Maulik: NIKHIL OUT LOUD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713722623/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1373d412. Accessed 14 May 2023. West, Dana. "PANCHOLY, Maulik. Nikhil Out Loud." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 12, Dec. 2022, p. 85. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A729548037/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=775049e8. Accessed 14 May 2023. Socha, Kelsey. "PANCHOLY, Maulik. The Best at It." School Library Journal, vol. 65, no. 9, Oct. 2019, pp. 81+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A601871537/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=361f78a7. Accessed 14 May 2023. "Pancholy, Maulik: THE BEST AT IT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A591278998/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=24dbce55. Accessed 14 May 2023. Phelan, Carolyn. "The Best at It." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 1, 1 Sept. 2019, p. 106. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A601763711/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fdab117b. Accessed 14 May 2023.

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