SAJAforum: Congrats, Sugi. What is the state of the SAJA union?
A:SAJA's reached a moment of change, with a new president, vice president, and secretary. I'm hoping to contribute by helping to diversify programming. We're a *South Asian* organization, and our potential to become even stronger was really evident with the recent crisis in Pakistan, as our diverse membership and board was able torespond quickly with information and events.
SAJAforum: In many groups and countries, the VP's job isn't heavy lifting. How is it different at SAJA?
A:At SAJA, the vice president is responsible for SAJA's main event: the convention. I'm looking forward to working on it this year! Last year,I ran the print programming for the convention, and I've been a convention volunteer in the past. Of course, I know I'll also get to draw on the experience of former VP Vikas Bajaj, and board member Kiran Khalid, who also worked on the convention last year. We're looking to bring in exciting speakers and run informative panels and workshops sothat this year, you'll once again leave the convention having added toyour portfolio of skills and knowledge and can put what you've learned right to work. And, of course, you'll meet lots of friends, new and old.
SAJAforum: You have a big new book coming out. Tell us about it.
A: I'm really excited for publication of my first novel, Love Marriage, which I began when I was a sophomore in college, eight years ago. It's about people in Sri Lanka, and also the Sri Lankan diaspora, and how lifeboth inside and outside the country has been affected by the ethnic conflict that's been going on for 25 years. My parents were both born in Sri Lanka; I was born in the United States. Coverage of Sri Lanka is really important to me. The story follows the daughter of two Sri Lankan Tamil parents who goes to Toronto to meet her uncle, who has emerged after years of fighting for the LTTE. It's a story about how hegot there, and the different choices people have made on both sides ofher family, and ultimately, it's about her choice. You can read more about it at www.vasugi.com.
SAJAforum: What's your non-SAJA life going to be like? What else are you working on?
A: I'm active as a freelance journalist, and have recently been blogging forSepia Mutiny. I'm also resuming work on my second book, which is also set in Sri Lanka, and which I started as a graduate student at the Iowa Writers' Workshop.
SAJAforum: You work a lot with high schoolers and other young folks on their writing. What are your top tips for those who want to be better writers?
A: Of course, ifyou want to be a good writer, read. Read your own writing aloud to yourself—it takes patience but there's no substitute. And always strive for clarity first.
SAJAforum: A bonus question - Your website is Vasugi.com; your byline is V.V. Ganeshananthan; you go by Sugi. We're confused.
A:Sugi has been my nickname since I was a kid; hard to get people who've known me to stop calling me that. If you want to call me V.V., go right ahead! As for www.vasugi.com, www.sugi.com wasn't available when I built my website—Sugi is a popular name in Japan, and the domain was taken.
V.V. Ganeshananthan came about because of my former boss, JamesFallows of The Atlantic Monthly. Jim suggested it when I wrote my firstpiece for The Atlantic, and I thought it made sense. The double first initial is a great South Asian tradition, and, of course, I have quite a long name.