You’d look much better if you’d smile. At nine, I “became a woman.” I dressed in my mother’s royal purple saree and gold bangles. I was gifted ladoos and kaja katli. My head was anointed with oil, my hair braided … Continue reading Something to be Celebrated

One evening when I was 21, I had two of my oldest friends, Isabel and Irene, over for dinner in my Bushwick apartment. I made barley risotto out of a new cookbook. We talked about classes, boys, parents, New York … Continue reading Green Onions

Inception At first, we passed each other under the starry sky, in the depth of winter darkness. I had just left the small sauna which nestled into the trees at the edge of the neighborhood where I rented a room. … Continue reading Origins