#AskAnAuthor | K Vaishali talks about her memoir 'Homeless -Growing Up Lesbian and Dyslexic in India'.
Mining the haze of memory Vaishali lays bare her life's journey as reflective prose in her book that stands out in its clarity and frankness, her compelling story brings out the stark reality of the impact of homophobia and ableism in her life. The book truly is one of its kind and I'm delighted to have her on Swell today to talk about her writing. Hello, Vaishali. Thank you so much for joining in. Let me start at the start. What inspired you to write this memoir?
K Vaishali
@kvaishali · 4:53
Then I started reading memoirs just so I can learn something about how members are written. And when I was reading memoirs, I realized my book is so different from the traditional memoir. But I think that turned out to be a good thing because I experimented. I mean, my book worked better because I was able to talk about the anxieties of the present by writing it in the present rather than the looking back style memo is famously known for. So that really worked for me
Thank you so much for sharing that Vaishali. In a recent interview, you talk about how in college you continued to be a closeted lesbian while trying to explain to your professors what Dyslexia and Dysgraphia is. And I think your memoir beautifully explores this gray space between disability an identity. During such challenging times, having a network of people, friends, family and peers that we can turn to for emotional and practical support can go a long way
K Vaishali
@kvaishali · 4:28
Ah, thanks for that question, Ramya. So I suffer from disabilities that are invisible. So they're not just invisible to others, they're also invisible to myself. And because of that, a lot of times I have ablest notions towards myself. I expect myself every time I can't do something. I'm like, this person does this gracefully all the time. Why can't I do it? And I have done that all my life
While there are some laws in place in India to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual identities we have a long way to go because ground reality is far from perfect. In your opinion, how can we bring about a mindset shift among people to tackle inherent biases and allow for better inclusivity?
K Vaishali
@kvaishali · 3:30
But then I'm glad I did because it's just so much because I relate to it a lot more. For me, it's very personal when I'm reading these narratives, but I'm sure everyone can relate to these books and find something in them that makes them connect to it
K Vaishali
@kvaishali · 1:46
Ahead. That's a very interesting question. I don't think I've been asked that before. So for people who are encountering my work for the first time, I'd love to be seen as somebody who's sort of pioneering a new effort in queer writing where we make these narratives more intersectional and talk about how these intersections s play out in real life
Thank you so much for this amazing conversation by Vaishali and for writing this book, which I'm sure is capable of making others feel less alone as they navigate questions around identity belonging and claiming ownership and autonomy of oneself in life. I wish you the very best. Keep inspiring. And more power to your words. It
People are being told what dyslexia actually is. And your memoir, your journey and really very happy Vishali and continue writing. I would love to read more about your writings and I wish you all the best. Best wishes to you. Stay safe and lots of success to