SATA
ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: ONE SWEET SONG
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.jyotirajangopal.com
CITY: Yonkers
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: Vedika, Keerti (daughters).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. Teaches kindergarten.
AVOCATIONS:Reading, dancing, gardening, hiking.
AWARDS:Work in Progress Grant for Underrepresented Voices, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer and kindergarten teacher. She has Indian heritage and grew up in various countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, and India. Regarding her writing, she told Pooja Makhijani, contributor to the Publishers Weekly website: “I write my stories hoping that, whatever the age of the reader, they find some sort of emotional resonance with the heart of the story. I hope they think about possibilities: what are the possibilities that this story is revealing to me about myself, about the people that I live with?”
In 2022, Gopal released her first book, American Desi. The volume is written in verse and narrated by a young girl, who is both Indian and American. It includes references to Indian culture, mentioning bindis, Hinduism, and Indian garments. It also compares the two cultures’ sports, food, and languages. The book is illustrated by Supriya Kelkar. In an interview with a contributor to the KidLit411 website, Gopal stated: “American Desi was inspired by my own childhood straddling cultures, and by my daughters’ experiences with what being Indian and American meant to them. Being a third culture kid provided me with the unique gift of being a global citizen and yet it also created profound moments of alienation and feelings of displacement, and I know that bleeds into my writing in conscious and unconscious ways.” In an interview with Kelkar on the Publishers Weekly website, Gopal expressed her intentions for the book, stating: “I hope this book will serve as a springboard for teachers, families, and librarians to invite conversations about identity and belonging, and to find strength and joy in being fully who you are.” Reviewing the book in School Library Journal, Tracey S. Hodges called it “highly recommended.”
In My Paati’s Saris, Gopal tells the story of a young boy, who loves to see and learn about his grandmother’s saris. His grandmother helps him put on a sari, and he shows his look off to his supportive family. Kimberly Olson Fakih, reviewer in School Library Journal, called the book “a welcome and subtle celebration.” A Kirkus Reviews critic described it as “a simple yet empowering journey through a cupboard of saris and stories.”
In an interview with Carol Gordon Ekster, contributor to the Writer’s Rumpus website, Gopal discussed her next book, stating: “Desert Queen was inspired by a real-life encounter. In 2018, my parents were taking us on a tour of Rajasthan. One of the stops was the beautiful city of Jaisalmer. … We were gathering at an outdoor theater for a New Year Eve’s show called the Queen Harish show. I had no idea what was in store for us. For the next two hours, this beautiful, charismatic woman dazzled us with her talent and her effervescence, and as I watched her captivate all of us, the genesis for the picture book was born.” In the book, a boy struggles with being different from others, but finds joy in folk dancing, dressed as a woman. Eventually, the boy becomes Queen Harish, a celebrated dancer whose audience is thrilled by her talent. Booklist critic, Ronny Khuri, described the verse in Desert Queen as “rhythmic and free as a dancer, evoking feeling in every foot, as good as any song.” A writer in Kirkus Reviews called the book “evocative and electrifying.”
In One Sweet Song, individual music lovers in a neighborhood play their instruments from their windows and balconies, creating a symphony together. It starts when a young girl hears someone playing a flute. She gets her triangle and joins the flutist in a duet. Soon other people join in with a range of musical instruments and styles. The book was inspired by Italians who played music together from their balconies during lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic. A Kirkus Reviews critic called the book “a joyful celebration of music and community.” Alexandra Quay, reviewer in School Library Journal, described it as a “warm, endearing picture book that begs to be read aloud.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2022, Amina Chaudhri, review of American Desi, p. 50; October 15, 2023, Ronny Khuri, review of Desert Queen, p. 48.
Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2022, review of My Paati’s Saris; August 1, 2023, review of Desert Queen; November 1, 2023, review of One Sweet Song.
School Library Journal, July, 2022, Tracey S. Hodges, review of American Desi, p. 46; September, 2022, Kimberly Olson Fakih, review of My Paati’s Saris, p. 97; January, 2024, Alexandra Quay, review of One Sweet Song, p. 50.
ONLINE
Cynsations, https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/ (September, 2022), Suma Subramaniam, author interview.
Jyoti Rajan Gopal website, https://www.jyotirajangopal.com/ (July 8, 2024).
KidLit411, https://www.kidlit411.com/ (November 18, 2022, author interview.
Maria Marshall website, https://www.mariacmarshall.com/ (July 8, 2024), Maria Marshall, author interview.
Publishers Weekly Online, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (June 14, 2022), Supriya Kelkar, author interview; (November 1, 2022), Pooja Makhijani, author interview.
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Westchester website, https://scbwiwestchester.wordpress.com/ (January 17, 2022), Anne Vaccaro Brady, author interview.
Writer’s Rumpus, https://writersrumpus.com/ (December 12, 2023), Carol Gordon Ekster, author interview.
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom and Kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India and China. She now lives in New York, in a quirky old Victorian in Yonkers, with her husband, where they raised their two daughters. Her favorite place in the house is the wrap around porch where she loves to gather with family or friends, read, write and drink coffee.
Jyoti writes stories that speak to her heart, that reflect her multiple identities, that she wishes her daughters had growing up, that she wishes her students had now.
When not writing or teaching, she loves to read - a lot! - work in her garden, dance and explore the many New York State Park trails.
You can find her on Twitter or Instagram or connect with her through the Contact page of this site. She is represented by Wendi Gu of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.
Interview with WIP Grant Winner and Member Jyoti Rajan Gopal
Photo credit: Alison Sheehy
by Anne Vaccaro Brady
You recently were awarded the Work In Progress Grant for Underrepresented Voices from SCBWI. How did you feel when you received the news?
All I could think was “WHAT?!” I had submitted other manuscripts in previous years for other SCBWI awards and grants with no success, so I didn’t have any serious expectations. But you can’t win if you don’t put yourself in the game, so I knew this was an opportunity I had to go for. The application was due in March—I had submitted it and then promptly forgotten it because you know, life.
The day I received the news, I opened my email as I do every morning, and the first one I saw was from Lin Oliver herself!!! Gaaah—I was literally gobsmacked and could not believe it. I had to read the email several times before it hit me. It was such a thrill! I was able to share the news with my family and of course, my agent, but I had to wait to share on social media because SCBWI wanted to share the information first. That was very hard to do.
You received the grant for “A Pottu is a Promise.” What is the book about?
Pottu is the Tamil word for bindi, the mark that many South Asians wear on their forehead. In this story, as an inter-generational Indian-American family gathers and prepares for their baby’s naming ceremony, his big sister celebrates what the pottu means to the different members of her family and finally, what the pottu means to her. The story invites a deeper understanding of the pottu than is popularly held in Western culture, while highlighting the pride the little girl has in her heritage, the sense of community that holds her up and the love she shares with her baby brother.
You have several picture books coming out between 2022 and 2024. Tell us about them.
I have seven books under contract, six of which have been announced.
AMERICAN DESI (LBYR, June 2022) illustrated by Supriya Kelkar, is a rhyming picture book that celebrates the experiences of young children growing up Indian-American: straddling the two cultural worlds they belong to, embracing all they love of both worlds and refusing to be limited by either. This story reflects my own journey, and that of my daughters, as children navigating multiple worlds and trying to figure out where we belong.
MY PAATI’S SARIS (Kokila, Nov. 2022) illustrated by Art Twink, explores a child’s love for his grandmother and her saris, exploring the sari in all its versatility, while challenging the gender expectations of the wearer.
DESERT QUEEN (Levine Querido, March 2023) illustrated by Svabhu Kohli, is a picture book biography-in-verse of drag performer Queen Harish, known as the Whirling Desert Queen of Rajasthan. Lit by an inner fire and propelled by a family tragedy, Harish defied the conventions of middle-class Indian life, battled discrimination and intimidation, and grew up to dance with Bollywood stars and perform on stages across the world. I met Queen Harish in Rajasthan at one of her performances and was blown away by her talent, charisma and warmth. I knew right away that I wanted to tell her story.
ONE SWEET SONG (Candlewick, Fall 2023) illustrated by Sonia Sánchez is a counting story of community members in a city neighborhood, slowly pulled to their windows and balconies by the sound of music. One by one, each joins the medley as notes gather, counting from one to ten, and back again. Written at the height of the pandemic, this was inspired by the many videos of communities singing and playing music together to combat the isolation of lockdown. As I wrote this story, it moved beyond its beginnings to become an expression of hope that all communities, whatever their struggles, come together to heal.
SISTER DAY (FSG, Winter 2024) illustrated by Fanny Liem, follows two sisters and the rhythms of sisterhood—how despite their inevitable fights and disagreements—sisters will always find their way back to each other. This story was inspired by my two daughters.
LOVE IS HERE WITH YOU (Candlewick, Fall 2024) illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, was just announced and is a bedtime book inspired by a Malayalam lullaby and Carnatic classical devotionals from my South Indian heritage.
And then I have one more which is unannounced, so all I can say is that it’s an ABC book!
You’re a kindergarten teacher, how has that influenced your work?
It has been a HUGE influence! In so many ways.
1. I have been a kindergarten teacher for a very long time, and so picture books have been a part of my life forever. I have lived and breathed them in my work, and without even realizing it, I think I began to develop a feel for the way stories are written and how pictures and text come together to create magic for young children.
2. I also got a real sense of what stories were not being told, what I had to hunt down for my students, what I could not find, what was missing, what I wished was available!
3. A school day can be filled with the most unexpected inspiration. A story that is out on submission now was inspired during a nature walk in the woods with my students. I have other stories in my files (some that will probably go nowhere!) that were written because of a moment that happened with a student.
Can you give a brief capsule of your writing career—how you got started to having your first book ready to be published this year?
I started seriously writing for children recently. I have written articles for teacher magazines and monographs but never considered myself a writer. I had written one picture book biography many years ago, but it sat on my computer for years because I did not know whether it was any good and I had no idea how to find out. Every time I ventured into researching the world of publishing, I would become overwhelmed by the obstacles that seemed to be everywhere.
Four years ago, I decided to take it step-by-step. I imagined a published book and then I worked myself backward thinking about all that would need to happen to get to that point. Then I got to work.
I researched authors who offered critiques and reached out to Lola Schaefer for a critique. She was wonderful and offered me not only constructive feedback and advice, but hope—I could write! It wasn’t just my family and friends that thought so.
I joined SCBWI right away, including this chapter. Joined 12×12. Started attending workshops. Became a member of The Authors Guild. Got on Twitter (the first post was terrifying!) to connect with the writing community. Joined a critique group thanks to the Westchester Chapter (shout out to Kimberly Marcus who created that opportunity). And just started writing, writing, writing.
I found my first agent at a Highlights workshop. We spent a year shopping my PB biography which went nowhere, but thanks to her I got another story in front of a publishing house. At the end of our year together, we parted ways, but I am so grateful to her for believing in my writing and giving me the confidence to move forward.
I spent a ton of time researching agents, looking at their MSWL, reading interviews they gave, but also reading interviews by authors who were repped by them and listening to podcasts they were on. I created my dream list and went into the querying trench with a new manuscript. That led to being repped by the amazing Wendi Gu. Publishing is such a subjective business and can be so slow, it’s really important to have an agent that believes in your work and can be a partner on your journey. Seeing that first announcement in PW for my debut was surreal. And it wasn’t even for the first thing I wrote. That PB biography is still stilling on my computer waiting for its time!
QUOTED: "In writing American Desi, I wanted to acknowledge the truth of what it means to wrestle multiple identities, the switching back and forth, the moments of tension and dissonance that can be a part and parcel of that. I also wanted to share the joy and potential, the richness that straddling two or more worlds opens us to, and encourage readers to see the possibilities in that."
The Picture Book Buzz - Interview with Jyoti Rajan Gopal & Review of American Desi
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom and Kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India and China. She moved to New York twenty-eight years ago and lives in a quirky old Victorian with her husband, where they raised their two daughters, who are now 23 and 25.
Jyoti writes stories that speak to her heart, that reflect her multiple identities, that she wishes her daughters had growing up, that she wishes her students had now.
When not writing or teaching, she loves to work in her garden, dance, and explore the many New York State Park trails.
Jyoti’s debut picture book, American Desi, releases June 21, 2022. Her second picture book, My Paati’s Saris, releases Nov. 8, 2022.
Jyoti, thank you so much for stopping by to talk about your debut book and your writing.
Thank you so much for having me Maria!
Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite type of book to write?)
Growing up I never thought of myself as a writer. In fact, creative writing assignments were torture for me.
I wrote my first non-fiction manuscript about twelve years ago, but at that time I didn’t belong to any writing organization or critique groups - in fact, I didn’t even know they existed! So it sat on my computer until four years ago, when I decided to take the leap into the publishing world and figure out what it takes to get published. I was writing about women whose stories had not been told, stories that I thought were important for children to know. Non-fiction was my interest, my niche, it was where I thought I could fill some missing spaces in kidlit. I had no idea at all that I would also end up writing fiction!
I discovered that I could write in rhyme when I wrote American Desi. It came as a total surprise to me! My first manuscripts were all narrative non-fiction and were rooted in prose. Now, I write in rhyme, lyrical verse, and prose. I’ve discovered that I like writing in different styles. I just have to figure out what’s needed for the story I’m working on. Sometimes I know right away but sometimes, I struggle to find it.
Funny how you stumbled into writing in rhyme. What is something no one (or few) knows about you?
Thai was one of my first languages, along with Tamil and English! While I can’t speak it anymore, I can still count to 100 in Thai.
Interesting. I wonder how fast you'd pick it back up. What was your inspiration for American Desi?
American Desi was inspired by my own experiences navigating multiple cultures and trying to figure out where I fit in. It was also inspired by my daughters Vedika and Keerti, who grew up straddling being Indian and American.
Definitely following the advice to - write what you know or perhaps where your heart is. Have you found anything particularly helpful in keeping you inspired and writing these past couple of years?
Having started writing stories so much later in my life, I feel driven to explore this new side of myself and see what I am capable of. It’s terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time!
So, how many revisions did American Desi take from first draft to publication?
It took eight revisions, six of which happened before it was acquired. None of those revisions required major structural changes. They were more about word choice and flow. After LBYR bought it, I revised it one more time based on notes and a conversation with the acquiring editor, Esther Cajahuaringa. She loved the revision, and I thought I was done. But then she came back to me a couple of months later and asked if I would be willing to add four more couplets to make it a 40-page picture book. Of course, I said yes. That was the version that finally went to copyedit.
Always say "yes," and then figure out how to do it. What was the toughest aspect of writing American Desi?
The toughest part for this book was not the writing, or even the revising. The writing for this pretty much flowed out of me, even through all the revisions. The tough part was going through an acquisitions process at one house, getting an offer, waiting on a contract, and then getting pulled from that house many months later because of behind-the-scenes publishing business mergers. No one’s fault, just the way it goes sometimes in the business. And because that was the first book I sold; it was rather tortuous. My agent and I had already decided that we should maybe try to find another house for it, so I was prepared mentally and not devastated when we got that news. It was rather liberating actually, because it had been stagnating for so long, but of course, we had to repeat the whole process of submission and waiting. So, all that was pretty tough. Ultimately though, it landed exactly where it needed to be.
Wow. I love your mindset for dealing with getting so close the first time - shaking yourself off and diving back into submitting. As a child, who was your favorite author, illustrator, and/or favorite book?
Growing up in Thailand and Indonesia, we didn’t have access to a lot of picture books. I do remember reading Dr. Suess and Richard Scarry and loving both. My parents would get us Amar Chitra Katha comic books from India that told stories from Hindi mythology, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. I loved those and still have all of them. Tinkle comics from India were a big hit. Enid Blyton was a staple. James Herriot, PG Wodehouse and Alexander Lloyd were some favorites. In 4th grade, our teacher read Watership Down by Richard Adams to us. We couldn’t wait for the end of day to listen to the next chapter. I read it to my daughters when they were old enough and it remains one of my favorite books!
What a great diversity of books. Is there anything you want your readers to know about or gain from American Desi?
I hope that when readers of any age read this book, they see themselves in it, that they feel seen. Yes, it’s a love letter to young American desis, but it’s also a love letter to anyone straddling identities - cultural, religious or in any way that they feel pushed and pulled apart.
In writing American Desi, I wanted to acknowledge the truth of what it means to wrestle multiple identities, the switching back and forth, the moments of tension and dissonance that can be a part and parcel of that. I also wanted to share the joy and potential, the richness that straddling two or more worlds opens us to, and encourage readers to see the possibilities in that.
When you first saw Supriya Kelkar’s illustrations did anything surprise or amaze you? Which is your favorite spread?
Text © Jyoti Rajan Gopal, 2022. Image © Supriya Kelkar, 2022.
It was all amazement and wonder and I have so many favorite spreads, it’s hard to choose one! There are so many details that reflect my own home and daily life, and since Supriya and I never spoke at all until after the F&G arrived, that was kind of wonderful. The spread with the grandma putting coconut oil on the little girl’s hair, the father making dosas, the spread of a feast and the utensils used, the hanging lamp in the spread where the family is praying, all of it resonated so deeply. And recognizing myself and my daughters in the adorable little girl that Supriya created, that was priceless!
The illustrations are exquisite. Are there any projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
I sold a picture book that has not been announced yet so that’s all I can say about that! I can’t wait for it to be out in the world, but of course, that won’t be for at least two years! I have two non-fiction manuscripts that I’m so excited for. I went down rabbit holes of research for both of them and had so much fun doing it. For one, I found the structure very quickly. For the other, it took me more than two years to figure out the structure. My agent, the amazing Wendi Gu, and I are hoping we’ll find editors who love them as much as we do!
Best of luck and we'll keep our eyes open for their announcements. Last question, what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?
There are so many National Parks that I want to explore. My husband and I recently visited the Arches National Park and Canyonlands in Moab, Utah. WOW- absolutely breathtaking! The landscape felt like something out of this world and the trails and climbs were spectacular. I’m also lucky to live in New York – a very different landscape – which has some pretty amazing trails with beautiful views of the Hudson River. We explore those trails every chance we get.
Thank you, Jyoti for stopping by and sharing your time and thoughts with us. It was wonderful to chat with you.
Thank you so much for having me – it was such a pleasure!
To find out more about Jyoti Rajan Gopal, or contact her:
Website: https://www.jyotirajangopal.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JyotiGopal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jyotirgopal/?hl=en
Author Interview: Jyoti Rajan Gopal Reflects on Owning Her Identity as a Writer
Home » Author Interview: Jyoti Rajan Gopal Reflects on Owning Her Identity as a Writer
By Suma Subramaniam
We’re thrilled to welcome Jyoti Rajan Gopal to Cynsations.
When you look back on your writing journey, what are the changes that stand out?
There are several moments that stand out!
I knew that children’s publishing was extremely hard to break into, or even understand, because I had dipped my toes into trying to figure it out, and very quickly retreated. But one day, in the middle of a coaching session with other teachers as we worked in pairs about achieving personal goals, I shared that I hoped to get a picture book biography I had written published. Then, as part of the coaching work, I laid out the steps needed to realize that goal. That act of saying those steps out loud, in a public space, was a profound shift for me and the beginning of my writing journey!
The other was a moment that, coincidentally, also took place in a public space. I was at a writer’s workshop, about a year after I began my writing journey, workshopping a manuscript and learning about writing craft. It was during this workshop that for the first time, I believed that I was a writer. Until then, I did not believe that to be true. I would tell people that I was a teacher and that “I also write stories for children” or “I have a picture book biography I’m trying to get published.” Meanwhile I had written at least four other stories and had still not said those words to myself, much less out loud.
And finally, when I first started writing picture books, it was all nonfiction. That was the only thing that I was interested in writing, and the only genre I thought I could write. And yet, along the way except for Desert Queen, illustrated by Svabhu Kohli (Levine Querido, March 2023). which is based on a true story, the six other picture books I have sold are all fiction and four of them are in rhyme!
What was this weird twist in my writing journey? Who knew I could write fiction? Or rhyme? Not me!
When and where do you write? Why does that time and space work for you?
When I was working full time as a teacher, I wrote in the evenings, and sometimes late into the night. And weekends. Because that was the only time that was available to me. Now, without the demands of a school schedule and with both my daughters out on their own. I pretty much write whenever the mood hits me. It doesn’t need to be at a particular time of day. And, although I have a studio space, I don’t always sit there to write.
What I do need is my laptop and a spot somewhere in my house. In good weather, I’m on my porch or the back yard. Otherwise, my studio, my dining table, my bedroom floor or the living room couch in front of the TV are all fair game. Sometimes, a story that has been niggling at me just flows out. In very little time. And very close to its final shape. Sometimes, I’ll spend hours working on a story, in the flow, writing, revising, revising. Sometimes, I’ll toggle between manuscripts, getting very little actual writing done, but I stick to it, because well, butt-in-chair may bring me some epiphany. And some manuscripts have taken me a few years!
Jyoti’s porch – one of the places where she writes
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
I have always loved books. My mom says that as soon as I could read, she couldn’t pry me away from books. Stories had the power to create worlds in my mind that I could visit, beloved characters that became my friends and oftentimes, also became a part of my imaginary play with my brother. When I was in fifth grade, our teacher read Watership Down [by Richard Adams (Rex Collings, 1972)] to us, a chapter at the end of each day. We couldn’t wait to hear each installment of the adventures of Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver and their trials and triumphs.
I laughed, I cheered, I mourned with the rabbits. It was the first time I cried when listening to a story. That story has remained a favorite of mine, one that I return to often. I even read it aloud to my girls when they were old enough, just like my fifth grade teacher did, chapter by chapter, at the end of each day. Language has the power to move, to shape, to reveal possibilities and I think that’s quite magical!
Jyoti’s inspiration in her studio
What are you working on next?
As a kindergarten teacher, I loved all kinds of picture books, but nonfiction picture books were my favorite. My classroom library was filled with all sorts of nonfiction, from informational and narrative to expository and browsable. So when I started writing picture books, that’s what I knew I wanted to write.
But my writing had different plans and I ended up doing a lot more of fiction writing than I thought I would. So now, I’m back to working on my nonfiction manuscripts. I’m taking classes on nonfiction writing and honing my craft in this area. I’m also revising some of my nonfiction stories, polishing others, and finally fleshing out ideas that were seeds but that I couldn’t figure out how to write. And, of course, submitting what my agent and I think are ready.
From L to R: Jyoti Rajan Gopal, Cathleen Barnhart, Cindy McCraw Dircks, and Kimberly Marcus
For me, living my creative life as a writer means I can work on whatever is speaking to me at the moment, wander off into the byways and rabbit holes of my ideas, play and experiment. I love that there are so many possibilities. But that’s also the most challenging part of the creative life! I get to the tell the stories that I didn’t even know were in my heart, but it can be hard to corral those ideas or to pin them down and figure out what it is I’m trying to say. And living the creative life as a writer can be a very solitary pursuit. You have to actively work on creating a community, which is especially hard when the globe is in the middle of a pandemic. I give thanks for critique partners and the writer friends in my life – they really get it and are such a wonderful source of support and inspiration.
Also, there’s something so beautiful about creating a piece of work that is going to get into the hands of children, and hopefully resonate. I was invited to a reading celebration recently where I read my debut picture book, American Desi, to a group of children, ranging from kindergarteners to tweens. After the reading, one little girl came bouncing up to me, grabbed my hand, and jumped up and down saying, over and over again “That book was about me!” She was followed by a tween who spent the next ten minutes chatting with me about how she connected with the book! What a gift those moments were! Those moments are exactly why I started writing, and why it’s all worth it.
Cynsational Notes
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a teacher, writer, and mom. She grew up in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, and India. She finally settled in New York where she raised two daughters with her husband (who also grew up all over the world). As a child, she adored and devoured books but did not enjoy writing. At all. As a grown up, she is a forever kindergarten teacher and mom. She still adores and devours books. But now, she likes to write! She has two picture books coming out this year, American Desi, illustrated by Supriya Kelkar (Little, Brown BYR, June 21, 2022) and My Paati’s Saris, illustrated by Art Twink (Kokila, Nov.8, 2022).
She was awarded the 2021 SCBWI Work In Progress Award for Underrepresented Voices. Jyoti has five more picture books coming out over the next few years. To find out more about her and her books, you can visit her website.
QUOTED: "I hope this book will serve as a springboard for teachers, families, and librarians to invite conversations about identity and belonging, and to find strength and joy in being fully who you are."
In Conversation: Jyoti Rajan Gopal and Supriya Kelkar
Jun 14, 2022
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Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a kindergarten teacher and the debut author of the picture book American Desi, a poetic celebration of the many facets of South Asian American cultures. She grew up in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China, and now lives in New York City. Supriya Kelkar is a screenwriter and the author of the picture book Bindu’s Bindis and the middle grade novels American as Paneer Pie and Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame, among other books for young readers. American Desi is the first picture book she has illustrated. Raised in the Midwest, she currently lives in Michigan. We asked Gopal and Kelkar to interview each other about their collaboration and their early experiences growing into their identities as American desis.
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Jyoti Rajan Gopal: Supriya, I’m thrilled to chat with you about our book, American Desi, and its journey into creation. When I found out that you were going to be the illustrator, I did a lot of jumping up and down and shrieking. I felt so honored that this text was going to be your very first illustrated picture book!
Supriya Kelkar: Thanks, Jyoti! That is so kind of you to say. It is so great to be here with you to chat all things American Desi. I am so excited for this book of debuts, your picture book debut, my illustrator debut, to be out in the world! American Desi is going to be a book that makes so many kids feel seen. What was your inspiration for it?
Gopal: So for our readers, we should explain what the word desi means! Desi loosely means “of the homeland” and is derived from the Sanskrit word "desh". Its use has a complicated history but it has recently emerged as a broad umbrella term for people from the South Asian diaspora. I think it’s important to point out that not all South Asian Americans identify as desi, or even as South Asian, so it’s really a personal choice. I love identifying as an American desi, but I am aware that not everyone feels that way. Identity is complicated, isn’t it?
Growing up as a child in Thailand and Indonesia, attending international schools, I straddled multiple cultures in my daily life. My South Indian home, my American international school, and my local community each brought different languages, different traditions, a different way of being. I was code-switching before I even knew what that meant! I was deeply connected to each of these communities and yet within each, there were many times I felt like a phirangi, a foreigner.
In America, where I have lived for the past 28 years, that sense of belonging and not belonging continued as a constant presence in my life. I learned to accept and embrace it but it took me a long time. Even now, I am sometimes overcome by that feeling, of belonging everywhere and not belonging anywhere. And yet, I love that I am also able to slip between my different worlds with such ease. That’s where the idea for American Desi came from, that embracing of the possibilities that come with being bicultural and even multicultural.
Supriya, when did you start thinking of yourself as an American desi?
Kelkar: I always thought of myself as Indian-American, and later as an adult, came to like the term Desi as well, because to me, it felt inclusive of the diverse South Asian diaspora around the world, although, like you said, not everyone in the diaspora identifies themselves as desi. But because I grew up in a town that wasn’t diverse or inclusive, and saw no representation of any South Asian or South Asian Americans in TV shows, movies, commercials, books, junk mail, or anywhere else in American media, my Indian side and my American side were oftentimes separated. I’d get made fun of for bindis even though I never wore them in school. I’d get made fun of for my religion, the coconut oil in my hair, my languages, accents, food, music, culture, all the things that made me who I was. I’d often feel embarrassed of that side of myself in school, and yet at home, my Indian side was everything to me. The food, dancing, Bollywood movies, music, going to the temple, the festivals and holidays, the clothing, they were all an integral part of me, a part missing at school. It wasn’t until I went to college at the University of Michigan, just 20 minutes from my hometown, in an environment that felt so diverse and inclusive compared to my hometown, that I was able to fully embrace all sides of myself and be my whole self in public, at home, and in all spaces.
Gopal: It’s so hard to feel like you cannot bring your whole self to your classroom or school! I’m so glad you finally found a community where you felt whole. I worked really hard as a mom to help my daughters navigate that too, because there were no picture books like American Desi when they were little, but even so, I saw the impact on them of being “other”—the loss of their first language, Tamil, the inevitable “where are you from?,” the Anglicizing of their names. I hope that American Desi can create a space for young children to bring their whole selves to their communities sooner than we could!
Could you share why you decided to take this on as your first illustrated book?
Kelkar: I know that experience well and I’m so sorry your daughters went through that. When I first read your text, I realized that my story, your story, our story, was reflected on every page of it. That’s what really drew me to your book. It was an homage to our journey and such an uplifting story of embracing your whole self. I loved it.
I wanted to follow that same format that you did with your stanzas, that we both did in our own journeys, of questioning who we are, realizing we don’t have to choose, and finally embracing and proudly showing the world all sides of us, in the art too.
To do so, I used different fabrics on opposite pages, Indian fabrics on one side, non-Indian fabrics on the other. Those colors and textures look different side by side, until eventually, they’re brought together in a literal storm of jeans and chiffon scarves, and end up working together, blending and merging and swirling together in harmony.
It was also important to me to put pieces of people who are integral to my life and my journey toward self-acceptance in the art. I used pieces of clothing from family members including my grandparents, who I only got to see for a few days every couple years when we’d go to India or they’d visit us in Michigan, and pieces of my children’s Indian clothes and sweatpants and pajamas and sweaters as well.
Were you able to do that with the text as well? How much of that has pieces of you and your family in it?
Gopal: I love that the text spoke to your own journey of straddling your Indian and American selves. I feel like we were perfectly matched to make this book together!
“
Every line in American Desi comes from something deeply personal to me.
— Jyoti Rajan Gopal
”
Every line in American Desi comes from something deeply personal to me. It actually started out as a poem for adults, one that spoke to my feelings about being Indian and American. I don’t know what I was thinking about that led me to it, but I felt compelled to write it that evening. It was not a great poem, in fact I think it was a terrible poem, but for some reason, I decided to share it on social media (why did I do that?!) and then I let it go. Or at least I thought I had. I ended up going back to that poem and reading it over and over again, mulling about it. And finally, I rewrote it from the perspective of a girl—thinking of my younger self and my daughters when they were little—and that’s when American Desi began to flow.
Your illustrations for this book match my experiences so closely. It’s eerie because we never spoke or talked about it during the process! I love the spread with the grandmother rubbing coconut oil on the girl’s hair—that scene was such an essential part of Sundays growing up for me, and continued with my mom doing the same for my girls. And the spread with the dad making the dosas—that’s a common sight in my home!
I love your use of fabrics and mixed media in American Desi. The way that I experience the world—languages, music, movement, colors, textures, and smells—is a Venn diagram of my overlapping cultures, intertwined, and your blending of fabrics and collage materials capture that tension and fusion beautifully.
Supriya, you are known as a super talented writer of middle grade novels and picture books, as well as screenplays. When did illustrating become part of your life?
Kelkar: Thank you so much for your kind words! I have been making art for as long as I can remember, although when I was younger and illustrating books, because I never got to see myself in a book, I never thought someone who looked like me, an American desi, could be the main character. So as a kid, I usually only wrote books about white girls illustrated with yellow Crayola hair, and touched that brown crayon only for things like drawing trees and homes and dogs. It was really freeing as an adult to be able to center brown kids in my art. I had told my wonderful agent, Kathleen Rushall, that I also wanted to be an illustrator when I first started working with her as an author. She encouraged me to follow that passion and learn as much as I could about illustrating. I started putting what I learned into practice and began posting the art in my online portfolio on my website, but also decided to put myself out there and post the art on social media as well.
Gopal: That’s how I found you—on Twitter!
Kelkar: Yes! The power of social media! It brought us together on this project, all because you spotted my art on Twitter! I was posting a lot of different styles of art on Twitter and Instagram but the one I felt would be best suited for American Desi, which talks so much about colors and fabrics and threads that weave all sides of us together, was a mixed-media collage art style that used paper and bangles and a dandiya stick but also heavily used fabrics for the book’s theme.
I had so much fun figuring out how to bring vastly different textures and patterns together to work in harmony. And I got to use a sari from my paternal grandmother that’s almost 100 years old (you’ll spot it in the tablecloth illustrations, in Dad’s outfit, and in the Bharatanatyam dancer’s outfit as well), and sweaters my maternal grandmother had knitted for me when I was a baby. I even got to throw in the sleeves of a red velvet dress I wore to my first birthday party. (Look for them when our main character is on stage. The sleeves are the curtains!) I’d assemble the paper and fabrics and other materials into the positions I needed them in for the spreads, take pictures, and then work on them digitally.
It was an incredibly time-consuming process that required so many stages, but in the end, I’m so proud of what I was able to create alongside the incredible team at Little, Brown, including editors Esther Cajahuaringa and Sam Gentry, art director Véronique Sweet, designer Patrick Collins, production supervisor Kimberly Stella, and production editor Annie McDonnell.
Can you tell us about your writing process for American Desi? Did you always want to be an author?
Gopal: I want to echo your thanks to the LBYR team. Creating a picture book is such a team effort and American Desi would not be here without their creative input. Did I always want to be an author? Not at all! I never had any such thought growing up, not even into my adulthood. I’ve always been a teacher first and foremost, and that’s what I thought I would be doing for the rest of my life. Writing for children sort of crept up on me. As a teacher and a mom, picture books were a constant part of my life, but as I read to my daughters and my students, I began to realize the many stories that were missing.
I started in the nonfiction space because those were the stories I thought I wanted to tell, stories about unsung heroes, female voices from history that I thought young children should know about. The first story I wrote was actually when my daughters were still in elementary school. It sat on my computer for years because the publishing world seemed so intimidating. I finally decided four years ago to go for it and sent that manuscript to an author for a paid critique. That author, Lola Schaefer, gave me great feedback and advice. I wrote two more nonfiction manuscripts and started querying editors and agents, still thinking that that was going to be my niche. When I wrote American Desi, it was a complete departure from anything that I had tried before, or had even aspired to. I had no idea that I could write in rhyme or that this story was in my heart and needed to get out! My agent, Wendi Gu, has also encouraged me to stretch my writing in ways that I never envisioned.
Supriya, I think of American Desi as a love letter to desi kids but it’s also a love letter to anyone who straddles cultures and identities. I know you feel that way too.
Kelkar: Yes, I love how this book is for desis but also for anyone who has multiple sides to their identity. Maybe you love baseball, art, poetry, and running track; this book is such a beautiful celebration of all sides of us and is so relatable for anyone who reads it. Has that been your experience as you’re starting school visits for American Desi? What has it been like reading the book out loud to classes and seeing kids of all backgrounds connecting to it and sharing their experiences?
Gopal: Storytime was one of my favorite parts of the kindergarten day! And it’s one of my favorite parts of being an author. Even though American Desi isn’t officially out till June 21, I’ve had the pleasure of reading it to classes around the world. Thank you, Zoom! There’s such magic in a read-aloud, seeing and hearing how children respond to a book. Recently, I read American Desi to a group of first and second graders, in-person, and when two children excitedly raised their hands and said that they were like the girl in the story, my heart melted! They shared that they were Korean American and Brazilian American. They saw themselves in our book—that was the most uplifting feeling!
What’s also been a lovely gift is hearing how tweens and adults connect with it too, which reinforces my belief in the power of picture books for all ages. An Indian teacher in an international school in India shared with me how, as a child, she moved from state to state because her father was in the army. Our book resonated with her own experience of having to straddle languages and cultures within India itself. Her story reminded me again how much our identities are tied to our lived experiences and how important affirmations are.
Kelkar: That’s amazing. I loved watching my own kids connect to the story and love how readers of all backgrounds can see this book as a mirror book, a concept Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop introduced, where they get to see their story reflected in the pages of a book and get to know just how much their story matters and they matter. I am so excited for American Desi to be out in the world. I think it’s going to make so many readers, kids and adults alike, feel seen.
Gopal: That is my dream! I hope this book will serve as a springboard for teachers, families, and librarians to invite conversations about identity and belonging, and to find strength and joy in being fully who you are.
American Desi by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illus. by Supriya Kelkar. Little, Brown, $18.99 June 21 ISBN 978-0-316-70530-1
QUOTED: "I write my stories hoping that, whatever the age of the reader, they find some sort of emotional resonance with the heart of the story. I hope they think about possibilities: what are the possibilities that this story is revealing to me about myself, about the people that I live with?"
Q & A with Jyoti Rajan Gopal and art twink
By Pooja Makhijani | Nov 01, 2022
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Jyoti Rajan Gopal (l.) and art twink.
In My Paati’s Saris by Jyoti Rajan Gopal (American Desi) and illustrated by art twink (My Rainbow), a Tamil child explores his love for his grandmother and her colorful sari collection. In its starred review, PW called the book a “glad celebration of family, love, and gender-experimental play" and "a buoyant picture book about burgeoning identity and family lineage.” We spoke with both artists about their creative processes, gender and identity, and the shortcomings of South Asian representation in books for children.
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What drew you to this story?
twink: My goal in all my art is to show happiness that might not exist in the real world, but could exist. In a lot of Western stories about transness, you see conflict between the family and the public. My Paati’s Saris is a joyful story that doesn’t have that. Outside of Western gender norms, there is an acceptance that comes from Desi [South Asian] families. As I was writing this book, my father told me how his mother would let him dress in a sari when he was little and break traditional gender roles. The acceptance that I experienced was different from acceptance in the West. There was an innate understanding of, “We’ve seen the girlishness and the boyishness existing in you.” Desi families often may accept you privately, but not publicly. My Paati’s Saris has this aspect of public acceptance, of community acceptance.
What do you like best about the picture book genre?
twink: I enjoy getting the chance to tell stories to children. Trans people are often pushed from spaces that have to do with children. When My Rainbow came out, I had a slew of people calling me a “groomer” and a “pedophile.” If I had my perfect way, I would be that grandparent telling stories around the fire at night to kids. Since we don’t live in a society where that is very accessible, this has been a great outlet to tell those stories with art.
What messages do you want your art to communicate?
twink: In one scene the family is doing puja, and a spirit is coming out of the smoke from the incense. It’s a kinnar, which exists all across Southeast Asia, across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It’s the lower half of a bird and the top half of a human. They are traditionally genderless, or can change gender. “Kinnar” has become, in modern-day India, a word that some trans people use for themselves. I enjoy putting in a lot of those little details. In the market scene, I included disability, which is sometimes [discriminated against] as the result of casteism and Hindu nationalism. It’s hard to get it into a book like this, but I wanted to make sure that there was the suggestion of caste-oppressed people existing in this world. The main characters are dark-skinned. Even in Bollywood, we mainly see light-skinned folks. That’s not the reality: you don’t go to India and see a bunch of light-skinned folks walking around. I want to suggest that there isn’t only one reality that exists in this world. This book doesn’t do that perfectly, but I hope that it opens up opportunities for more creators to get their stories seen in children’s books.
What was the book’s inspiration?
Gopal: As a teacher, I wore saris for different activities that we would do at school. On International Day, I brought a bunch of saris to my classroom for the kids to touch. I love stretching it out so they can see how long it actually is because that always amazes them. I noticed one student of mine, a boy, was draping it over himself, smiling and twirling. I wanted to place the little boy at the center because, in South Asian culture, gender fluidity feels more accepted when children are younger. I wanted to celebrate that in this story, and show joy without all of the nonsense that can sometimes start coming into play when kids hit puberty or whenever it is that the community decides you’ve got to be one or the other. That part of our culture is so beautiful, and it’s something we forget.
What are your hopes for readers?
Gopal: I write my stories hoping that, whatever the age of the reader, they find some sort of emotional resonance with the heart of the story. I hope they think about possibilities: what are the possibilities that this story is revealing to me about myself, about the people that I live with?
How do your identities inform your work?
Gopal: I didn’t grow up in India or America—I grew up in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India and China—yet I am rooted in my Indian culture and I am also American. I’m also very Tamilian: I speak Tamil; my parents speak to me in Tamil; we have a lot of rituals. In my house, we also speak Hindi, English, Indonesian, Chinese. I say “Inshallah” and call my mom “ammi jaan,” because I grew up with Muslim influences. When I entered this world of writing for kids, especially as a Desi writer, I worried about telling a story and it being perceived as not my own. I tell the stories that feel true to me, while acknowledging that there are so many other stories that need to be told because our community is so diverse. It was great at one time to see any Indian book and think, “Yes, there’s this character that looks like me.” But let’s do better: let’s represent the diversity of where Indians live, what they do, what their grownups do, what they speak, what they eat. Everyone thinks about India in a one-dimensional way. It’s up to us, as Desis, to try to open that up. The more of us who write stories that represent all of what we are, the better it is for us.
My Paati’s Saris by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illus. by Art Twink. Kokila, $18.99 Nov. 8 ISBN 978-0-593-32460-8
QUOTED: "American Desi was inspired by my own childhood straddling cultures, and by my daughters’ experiences with what being Indian and American meant to them. Being a third culture kid provided me with the unique gift of being a global citizen and yet it also created profound moments of alienation and feelings of displacement, and I know that bleeds into my writing in conscious and unconscious ways."
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: JYOTI RAJAN GOPAL
Nov. 18, 2022
We are excited to feature author Jyoti Rajan Gopal and her two picture books, AMERICAN DESI, illustrated by Supriya Kelkar (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 2022), and MY PAATI'S SARIS, illustrated by Art Twink (Kokila, Nov. 8, 2022). Enter to win a copy of MY PAATI'S SARIS!
Tell us about yourself and how you came to write for children.
I grew up mainly in Bangkok and Jakarta, attending international schools, and straddling multiple cultures, but I also lived in Myanmar, China and India. It was the classic third culture experience. Home was everywhere and nowhere all at once. Much of my writing comes from this place. Wanting to tell stories about community and belonging and home.
Congrats on your two picture books, American Desi and My Paati's Saris! Tell us about these stories and what inspired you.
American Desi was inspired by my own childhood straddling cultures, and by my daughters’ experiences with what being Indian and American meant to them. Being a third culture kid provided me with the unique gift of being a global citizen and yet it also created profound moments of alienation and feelings of displacement, and I know that bleeds into my writing in conscious and unconscious ways.
My love for saris was passed down to me by my mom and my grandmom and I knew I wanted to write a story about this timeless garment, it’s beauty and versatility.
spread from American Desi
My Paati’s Saris was inspired by a small moment that I witnessed in my classroom, and memories of my brother and I playing dress up. The story celebrates the tradition and beauty of the sari but is also rooted in my feelings of connection and home and how places and people that cherish and love you can provide you safe harbors. Through Paati and her grandson, I was able to explore all those themes.
spread from My Paatti's Saris
Was your road to publication long and winding, short and sweet, or something in between?
Although I wrote my first manuscript many, many years ago, it sat on my computer doing absolutely nothing for a long time. I periodically dipped my toes into the publishing industry but was always intimidated by the enormity of what I didn’t know and would stash the idea away. But finally in 2018, I decided to get serious, researching the publishing industry and connecting with the writing community. I took classes, sent out my manuscripts to professionals for feedback, and wrote more stories. I received my first offer in 2019. But the book ended up being pulled and I had to resubmit it elsewhere. Thanks to my agent, Wendi Gu, it found a home again almost immediately. Now, I have 7 books under contract, two unannounced, and a couple out on submission!
What projects are you working on now?
I
’m focusing on several nonfiction manuscripts that I would love to get out in the world. A couple are picture book biographies, and a couple are related to my passion for the environment and conservation.
What advice would you give to aspiring picture book authors?
If you don’t write every day, don’t worry. Every writer has their own process. Honor what works for you.
Take artist breaks – go out in nature, visit museums, watch cool documentaries, take long hikes, follow your curiosity. You never know where an idea may pop out at you.
Read lots of different kinds of books – picture books yes, definitely picture books, but lots of other kinds of books too, fiction and non-fiction.
Find your community of fellow writers – those you can celebrate with and commiserate with.
What is one thing most people don't know about you?
I acted with Sharukh Khan (yes, THE Sharukh Khan, mega Bollywood star) back when we were both in college in Delhi. I played a cowgirl, he played a cowboy, in a production of Annie Get Your Gun. Yep. Fact.
Where can people find you online?
I love to connect with anyone who loves books! You can find me on:
Insta: @jyotirgopal
Twitter: @JyotiGopal
Website: jyotirajangopal
Growing up, Jyoti lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China and India. She finally settled in New York where she raised two daughters with her husband, who also grew up all over the world. As a child, she adored and devoured books but did not enjoy writing. At all.
As a grown up, she is a forever kindergarten teacher and mom. She still adores and devours books. But now, she likes to write!
QUOTED: "DESERT QUEEN was inspired by a real-life encounter. In 2018, my parents were taking us on a tour of Rajasthan. One of the stops was the beautiful city of Jaisalmer. ... We were gathering at an outdoor theater for a New Year Eve’s show called the Queen Harish show. I had no idea what was in store for us. For the next two hours, this beautiful, charismatic woman dazzled us with her talent and her effervescence, and as I watched her captivate all of us, the genesis for the picture book was born."
#KIDLIT INTERVIEW WITH THE TALENTED PICTURE BOOK CREATOR, JYOTI RAJAN GOPAL
December 12, 2023 Carol Gordon Ekster Book Reviews, Book Reviews - Picture Books, Inspiration, Interviews, Interviews - Authors & Illustrators, Publishing, Writing, Writing - Picture Books 13 comments
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Jyoti, it’s so wonderful to see your writing life bloom since our first interview. And since then, I’ve even gotten to meet you in person at a couple of book festivals, which was awesome! In our first interview you mention that your love of non-fiction really influenced what you write. Your newest book, DESERT QUEEN, illustrated by Svabhu Kohli and published by Levine Querido, came out in October. It is a gorgeously written and illustrated picture book biography. Your words dance on the page, almost moving like the subject of the book. I know there’s an author’s note in your back matter, but if you could tell us here about the inspiration for the book, I know our readers will love the story behind the story.
JYOTI RAJAN GOPAL: What a delight it was to get to meet you in-person, Carol – thank you to book festivals for connecting us in real life! And thank you for having me on again.
Carol and Jyoti at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, October ’23
DESERT QUEEN was inspired by a real-life encounter. In 2018, my parents were taking us on a tour of Rajasthan. One of the stops was the beautiful city of Jaisalmer. We were staying in the middle of the Thar Desert. It was a cold December night, and we were gathering at an outdoor theater for a New Year Eve’s show called the Queen Harish show. I had no idea what was in store for us. For the next two hours, this beautiful, charismatic woman dazzled us with her talent and her effervescence, and as I watched her captivate all of us, the genesis for the picture book was born.
CGE: Each of your books has been published by a different publisher. What are your feelings on this?
JRG: I didn’t know this at the beginning of my writing career but as I worked with my agent, I learned that just because an editor/publisher buys one of my books, that didn’t necessarily mean they would want every book of mine. I know, shocker!
I learned that publishers have lists they are looking to fill – stylistic preferences, topical preferences, and any number of other things they are juggling as they look to acquire manuscripts and balance out their list. I write in a variety of styles and on a range of topics and I realized that no one publisher or editor was going to acquire them all! If my agent thinks a manuscript is a good fit for an editor we’ve worked with, we send them an exclusive. But if they pass, then we move on and look for someone else to love it!
CGE: This is your third picture book. How have things changed for you since your first book came into the world?
JRG: It’s surreal to think that my first book only came out last June! And because all three have come out in the last year and a half, it still feels like I’m on that debut journey. I have a little more understanding now about how much authors need to do to promote their own books to make them visible, but it’s daunting. I’m still trying to figure it out.
CGE: You recently received a very special honor. Can you tell us about it?
JRG: My second picture book, My Paati’s Saris, was shortlisted for the Neev Literary Award which aims to recognize outstanding writing that leads to a fuller understanding of India, Indian lives and Indian stories. My jaw literally dropped to the floor when I found out – to be recognized this way in India was just amazing to me. I didn’t win (I was disappointed, I won’t deny it!) but I had the opportunity to spend time at the Literature Festival in Bangalore, share the story with so many people and meet amazing authors and illustrators – that was such a privilege, and so very, very exciting. Fun fact, the Festival put on a theater performance of Vikram Seth’s Beastly Tales with the Motley Crew, a very distinguished theater group. As special guests at the Festival, we authors had front row seats and I was within touching distance of one of my favorite actors, Naseeruddin Shah. He did not disappoint, his performance was amazing!
CGE: What do you think has been the tool, group, or person who has had the greatest impact on your writing success?
JRG: Being a part of the writing community has meant so much to me – attending conferences, workshops, webinars, learning from my peers and from industry professionals, all of it has helped me to learn my craft and grow as a writer. Lola Schaefer, author extraordinaire, was the first person (who was not my family or friend!) who made me believe that I had stories worth telling and guided me to the writing community. 12×12 Challenge was pivotal in my learning journey. Bethany Hegedus at the Writing Barn, has been an amazing mentor, seeing qualities in me that I did not know I had. My critique partners ,who encouraged me and made my stories better. Ultimately, I had to believe in myself too and take the leap – I’m proud of myself for doing that!
CGE: What does the future hold for Jyoti Rajan Gopal?
JRG: Can I dream big?
NYT bestseller list!
Keynote speaker somewhere!
Lots and lots of school visits!
My books in every library and school not just in the US but everywhere.
Seriously though, I just hope that I keep writing stories that resonate. Sometimes, when my writing dries up, I worry that I have written my last story. But I have realized that there’s no point in worrying. Just accept that this is part of my process and go do other creative things. And hopefully, another story will come to me.
In the meantime, I have three picture books coming out next year:
One Sweet Song (Candlewick) illustrated by Sonia Sanchez, Jan 16, 2024
Sister Day (FSG) illustrated by Fanny Liem, July 16, 2024
Love is Here with You: A Lullaby of Blessings (Candlewick) Illustrated by Nabi Ali, Fall 2024
CGE: That’s amazing, Jyoti! You are an inspiration.
You can connect with Jyoti here:
Insta @jyotirgopal
X/Twitter @JyotiGopal
Blue Sky @jyotigopal.bsky.social
Website : jyotirajangopal.com
American Desi. By Jyoti Rajan Gopal. Illus. by Supriya Kelkar. June 2022. 40p. Little, Brown, $18.99 (9780316705301). K-Gr. 2.
In the South Asian diaspora, the term desi applies to people connected to the countries and cultures of the Indian subcontinent. It is a harmless label that loosely translates to "from the land." This captures the duality of a child who has strong claims to her Indian heritage and equally strong ties to the culture she is absorbing in the U.S. Each spread juxtaposes cultural elements that she values: Bollywood dance and hip-hop; cricket matches on TV and baseball games at the park; Hindi, Tamil, and English languages. Rather than the conventional tension we see in many books about bicultural people, this wields a more inquisitive tone. The girl is seeking a cultural balance that incorporates the various aspects of her identity, and she finds it in the people around her. Sumptuous illustrations formed by collages of textured and printed fabrics provide the visual metaphor for the many threads that weave together harmoniously in the girl's community, depicting beauty in what would otherwise seem like an incongruous combination of colors and textures.--Amina Chaudhri
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Chaudhri, Amina. "American Desi." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 18, 15 May 2022, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A704943111/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8aa0d2e8. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
QUOTED: "highly recommended."
GOPAL, Jyoti Rajan. American Desi. illus. by Supriya Kelkar. 40p. Little, Brown. Jun. 2022. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780316705301.
K-Gr 4--"Which is the color of me?" is the question at the center of this picture book in which a young girl explores her dual identity of Indian and American. Told lyrically, with bold adjectives that portray a universe of dancing, feeling, words, spices, food, bindis, bangles, fabrics, moods, and more, Gopal examines how young children make sense of their world when it crosses cultures through multiple sensory experiences. This book can evoke conversations of religion, race, and culture as the book discusses Hinduism, Indian dress, and baseball, among other topics. The language is crisp, specific, and concise, making it a perfect read-aloud for young children or an independent read for early elementary grades. The vibrant illustrations swirl with the colors of a marketplace, where there might be too many choices, but this small girl can handle it. What a celebration of self! This is a joyful book, for every age. VERDICT This rhythmic picture book articulates a common experience for young children who straddle two cultures. Highly recommended. --Tracey S. Hodges
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Hodges, Tracey S. "GOPAL, Jyoti Rajan. American Desi." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 7, July 2022, p. 46. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A708597746/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=eb4f15a3. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
QUOTED: "a welcome and subtle celebration."
GOPAL, Jyoti Rajan. My Paati's Saris. illus. by Art Twink. 40p. Penguin/Kokila. Nov. 2022. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593324608.
K-Gr 3--Glorious fabrics unwind before a small boy's eyes as his grandmother pulls sari after sari from an elaborate wardrobe. "My paati's saris are stories./ They whisper the name/ of where they were made and/ how they came to be./ Peacocks preening,/ lotus blooms peeking,/ elephants parading/--my paati's saris call to me." In Gopal's remarkable South Asian sensory journey, the boy follows her to market, where the fragrant spices call to him, in descriptions that evoke scents and sounds for readers; of peddlers shouting, and a constant swirl of color beautifully limned and expanded upon in Twink's luminously painted illustrations, with backgrounds and foreground patterns like textiles themselves. These foreshadow an uplifting moment of family unity and support at the end. First, the narrator is shown draping a sari like a hood around his head in the third spread, gazing at himself in the mirror. In one of the last scenes, his paati begowns him in a full sari, and both male and female relatives welcome him in this garb: "I twirl/ and sway.../ They see me./ ME." This view of a culture where the gender binary is expressed more fluidly is a welcome and subtle celebration of the shelter the boy finds in both the sari and family. VERDICT An expression of love threaded into the weave and weft of a boy's yearning, this recommended purchase should be on the shelves for use in cross-generational units, LGBTQIA+ acceptance, and cultural awareness.--Kimberly Olson Fakih
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Fakih, Kimberly Olson. "GOPAL, Jyoti Rajan. My Paati's Saris." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 9, Sept. 2022, p. 97. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A715572362/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bd419d1e. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
QUOTED: "a simple yet empowering journey through a cupboard of saris and stories."
Gopal, Jyoti Rajan MY PAATI'S SARIS Kokila (Children's None) $18.99 11, 8 ISBN: 978-0-593-32460-8
A Tamil child finds love and solace in their grandmother's saris.
The child watches as their paati opens her cupboard and out come tumbling saris in gorgeous colors, patterns, and weaves, each seeming to tell the story of where it comes from. Each sari beckons the young child as they and their grandmother explore different spaces--the market, the kitchen, festivities, and more. The book ends with the child--with Paati's help--donning a sari and proudly displaying it to the rest of the family. Though gender isn't explicitly mentioned in the text, the young narrator presents male, and the book seems to hint that the protagonist initially feels some hesitancy at wearing a sari in front of others; ultimately they're joyous when their family embraces them ("They see me. ME"). There's little tension in the story. However, the art makes up for the text. It's glorious, each sari resplendently rendered, the textiles telling a powerful story by themselves. The last sari, the one the child chooses for themself, is stunning. Tigers leap across the fabric as dazzling suns offer highlights to the blue and pink of the material, an invitation to the child to explore and be themself: "My paati's saris are my shelter, my home." Many readers will be especially heartened to see a tale of LGBTQ+ identity--and acceptance--in a South Asian setting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A simple yet empowering journey through a cupboard of saris and stories. (Picture book. 4-6)
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"Gopal, Jyoti Rajan: MY PAATI'S SARIS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A719982911/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=73676171. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
QUOTED: "rhythmic and free as a dancer, evoking feeling in every foot, as good as any song."
* Desert Queen. By Jyoti Rajan Gopal. Illus. by Svabhu Kohli. Oct. 2023. 56p. Levine Querido, $18.99 (9781646142620). K-Gr. 4.954.4.
This one-of-a-kind picture book paints a stirringly intimate and reverential portrait of the late drag performer known as Queen Harish, the "Whirling Desert Queen of Rajasthan." It begins with a boy in a desert world, longing to dance but forced by shame to hide his charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. "There are lines in the sand / that keep you in your place. / Boy OR girl. / Man OR woman." But after losing his parents and having two sisters to support, the boy begins moonlighting as a traditional Rajasthani folk dancer, and it is in this nighttime persona--despite bigoted abuse in the day--that Harish finds acceptance, empowerment, and self-actualization as "Not / Boy OR girl. / Man OR woman. / But / fluid / flowing / like a dance." The tension of an oppressive gender binary is represented throughout in Kohli's dazzlingly layered geometric art, a cosmic kaleidoscope saturated by the stunning contrast of deep-as-night blues and charcoal oranges that conjure both the boy's inner conflict and the rich setting of the Indian desert. Gopal's spare text is relayed in verse, rhythmic and free as a dancer, evoking feeling in every foot, as good as any song. Back matter fleshes out some details of Harish's story. As gorgeous and indefinable as Queen Harish herself, this book belongs on every shelf.--Ronny Khuri
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
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Khuri, Ronny. "Desert Queen." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 4, 15 Oct. 2023, p. 48. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770323932/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d693ba03. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
QUOTED: "evocative and electrifying."
Gopal, Jyoti Rajan DESERT QUEEN Levine Querido (Children's None) $18.99 10, 3 ISBN: 9781646142620
A young boy thrust into the role of breadwinner turns to his love of dance.
Though Harish is entranced by the music and dance of his native Rajasthan, he is careful not to show how they affect him. Only when playing the Hindu god Krishna in a school play does he embrace the "flowing fabric / and dazzling jewels" that leave him feeling "shiny and / glittery and / NEW." When he and his sisters are orphaned, he performs in drag to make ends meet. His heart soars under the cover of night but is broken by the taunts he faces by day, living in a society with strict gender norms. This double life weighs on him, but his talent also earns him respect and praise. Based on the real-life story of drag performer Queen Harish (1979-2019), the narrative traces his pain and uncertainty and his joys and triumphs. Vibrant, kaleidoscopic illustrations inspired by the desert environs and the textiles, architecture, and artwork of the city of Jaisalmer capture the joyful dancer's whirling and swirling movements as he embodies another form: "Not / Boy OR girl. / Man OR woman. / But / fluid / flowing / like a dance / in between / and all around." Lyrical poetry mirrors the sounds and beats of the local folk music and complements the dreamlike visuals. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Evocative and electrifying. (author's and illustrator's notes, more information on Queen Harish) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)
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"Gopal, Jyoti Rajan: DESERT QUEEN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A758849100/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d04c6bc1. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
QUOTED: "a joyful celebration of music and community."
Gopal, Jyoti Rajan ONE SWEET SONG Candlewick (Children's None) $18.99 1, 16 ISBN: 9781536219814
In this tale inspired by the Italian performers who serenaded their neighbors from their balconies during the Covid-19 lockdown, a single musical note leads to a neighborhood symphony.
A young tan-skinned girl looks out her window and hears a neighbor play the flute ("One note trills "). The child steps onto her balcony, chiming her triangle ("One note trills and / now there are two"), which inspires another neighbor to play the violin. Slowly, others join in from their balconies and open windows. A light-skinned neighbor plays a cello, while a South Asian family plays the ghatam and the morsing. A Black family bangs on African drums; a light-skinned neighbor bangs on a pot; several residents create makeshift instruments with remote controls or plastic bottles. The music builds, dips, rises, then slows and becomes silent. As the notes increase, the rhyming text counts to 10 and back down again as the music and voices merge to create a song that celebrates a spontaneous moment of community. The bright illustrations show swirls of colors and musical notes weaving in and out of the homes, suggesting a sense of connection. The residents are racially diverse, including Black and brown people of various shades. Though most are dressed in casual clothing--T-shirts, bathrobes--the South Asian family wears more formal regalia.
A joyful celebration of music and community. (Picture book. 3-8)
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"Gopal, Jyoti Rajan: ONE SWEET SONG." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770738726/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=03d09b75. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
QUOTED: "warm, endearing picture book that begs to be read aloud."
GOPAL, Jyoti Rajan. One Sweet Song. illus. by Sonia Sanchez. 40p. Candlewick. Jan. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781536219814.
PreS-Gr 2--From windows, balconies, and rooftops, a neighborhood joins an impromptu symphony in Gopal's warm, endearing picture book that begs to be read aloud. A young city girl at home hears a flute playing in a nearby building, inspiring her to join in with her triangle. Their two-person concert builds and builds until 10 different instruments from the surrounding blocks join in, using a variety of musical styles from around the world. A tender, smooth verse then counts readers back down from ten, as the day ends and the participants return to their homes. Sanchez's illustrations give the story an additional inviting, lived-in feel, as if someone from that neighborhood has been sketching the event as it unfolds. Preschool and kindergarten teachers will find this tide to be an easy fit for math lessons, and music teachers may even use One Sweet Song with students to identify the many instruments featured. This would work particularly well for a lesson on South Indian Carnatic music, elements of which appear throughout. VERDICT A twist on the usual counting book that emphasizes community and the ways that music can bridge the distance between people.--Alexandra Quay
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Quay, Alexandra. "GOPAL, Jyoti Rajan. One Sweet Song." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 1, Jan. 2024, pp. 50+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A778646538/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=aaf98691. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.