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RAJI WRITES
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California Burning
Agni, the Hindu god of fire, once came in disguise and approached Krishna and Arjuna as they were resting near the Khandava forest. Once...
Sep 30, 20202 min read
"Alpha Girls" by Julian Guthrie (Silicon Valley Reads 2020)
“Women – Making It Happen. Celebrating 100 years of women’s achievements.” This was the 2020 theme for Silicon Valley Reads, in honor of...
Aug 15, 202010 min read
The Show Must Go On! (COVID-19 and the Art of Zoom)
The COVID-19 crisis has dealt a staggering blow to the performing arts. Theaters have had to close. As have concert halls, including...
Aug 8, 20209 min read
Black Lives and the Journeys to Racial Justice (Part III: Protests After the Murder of George Floyd)
On May 25, 2020, a teenaged girl filmed a crime on her cellphone. The murder of George Floyd. The video recorded by 17-year-old Darnella...
Jul 24, 20203 min read
COVID Times, Virtual Living and Counting our Blessings
The world as we know it has changed. We are suddenly in the midst of a pandemic. Covid-19. Four syllables that have thrown our world into...
Apr 19, 20206 min read
"The Henna Artist" by Alka Joshi
I had been looking forward to a book event planned for March 31 at Kepler’s bookstore in Menlo Park. Author Alka Joshi was to speak about...
Apr 6, 20205 min read
Black Lives and the Journeys to Racial Justice (Part II: Non-fiction & Art)
In this America, Miles Davis, Trumpeter, composer, jazz innovator, While standing outside a jazz club in New York where he was performing...
Mar 17, 202013 min read
The Desi Glitterati of Silicon Valley! ("Rumors" by Naatak)
The world itself seems to have turned into a farce. When I fire up my computer and click on my web browser, the news blurbs seem more...
Feb 26, 20205 min read
"Triumphant Music": the Marcus Shelby Quartet and "Black History Life!"
The Marcus Shelby Quartet performed a special concert called “Black History Life!” at the California Jazz Conservatory on Addison Street...
Feb 2, 20204 min read
Black Lives and the Journey to Racial Justice (Part I: Literature)
Smart phones, video recordings and social media. With these, the daily injustices and mortal dangers faced by Black Americans have come...
Feb 1, 202018 min read
Magic in the Moonlight: Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona
Towering saguaro cactii, the blush of a gorgeous sunset in the blue desert sky, and a crescent moon greeted us as we entered the Desert...
Dec 31, 20191 min read
Musical Instrument Museum (MIM): Connecting the World Through Music
What an amazing place! The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona has been touted by tripadvisor.com as "Phoenix's #1 attraction...
Dec 23, 20192 min read
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: the Play
Harry Potter is huge in this household. I mean, HUGE! Back in the day, when each book first came out, my friends and I would devour it in...
Nov 26, 20197 min read
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Naatak Knows. (Mela '19 by Naatak Theatre Company)
Dark Tales of Desire. This was the theme of Naatak Theatre Company's Mela ’19, four short plays at the Cubberley Theater in Palo Alto,...
Nov 23, 20194 min read
Sita's Story - "The Forest of Enchantments" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni named many modern themes: the MeToo movement, single motherhood, and victim shaming as she spoke about Sita,...
Nov 10, 201910 min read
The Bay Area's first South Asian Literature and Art Festival (SALA 2019)
The picturesque Villa Montalvo in Saratoga was the venue for the Bay Area’s first South Asian Literature and Art Festival (SALA 2019)...
Oct 9, 201911 min read
Salman Rushdie's "Quichotte" - On the Road
Salman Rushdie describes the opioid crisis in his new book, "Quichotte." He had researched it for years following a family tragedy. His...
Oct 6, 201910 min read
"Gandhi" by Naatak: the Man behind the Legend
“No man’s life can be encompassed in one telling. There is no way to give each year its allotted weight, to include each event, each...
Sep 27, 20194 min read
Friends Across Oceans (for Shafali, the newest one)
Grab your cup of tea, glass of wine, handkerchief, tissues if you are up for this sentimental post. All set? Here we go. One summer...
Sep 13, 20196 min read
For Sabina
Plaid pale pants Puffy black jacket Short stylish black hair (Shorter than I remember) Those deepset black eyes as bright and...
Sep 12, 20192 min read
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