Pink-Sari Skateboarders
The Pink-Sari Skateboarders of this book, and Game of Stars, were inspired by at least two groups of Indian women that to me exemplify female power. The first is the Gulabi Gang—a group of modern-day pink-sari-clad women activists in Northern India who, armed with bamboo sticks, go after domestic abusers and other men committing violence against women in their rural communities. The second group is the young women involved in India’s slowly emerging skateboard and surfing scene, some of whom are featured in the movie and organization Girl Skate India.
Nonbinary Gender Identity
Like Bunty the tiger, who goes by “they” or “them” pronouns in English, there are many ways that people in South Asia express nonbinary gender identity. The hijra community, considered a non-male, non-female third gender in South Asia, is one such group. Koti and meti are other terms sometimes used in different parts of South Asia to express nonbinary gender identity. The Supreme Court of India has in fact stated that recognition of third gender groups “is not a medical or social issue, but a human rights issue.” This is not to say that there isn’t discrimination faced by nonbinary people in South Asia, but to point out the important history of nonbinary gender in South Asia, and also to honor the activism of these groups in making space and combating prejudice.
Other Random References
As in the previous two books of this series, jokes and riddles are a big part of The Chaos Curse. Variations of the riddle about three doors and three keys can be seen in many places. I learned my love of logical puzzles from my own father, Sujan, who adapted and translated many Western puzzles into Bengali, including his Bengali children’s book, Dhadhapurir Golok Dhadha (The Labyrinth Riddle of Riddle Land).
“O Amar Chander Alo” is a popular song written by Bengali Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, while Bauls are a traditional group of nomadic singers whose music is an important part of Bengali culture. In fact, many of Tagore’s songs were influenced by Baul tunes, and my own childhood visits to my paternal grandmother’s home in Santiniketan, West Bengal, the location of Tagore’s Visva-Bharati University, were often marked by visits by mystical Baul singers and truly transcendental Baul performances.
As an immigrant daughter whose connection to her own past was mediated by limited visits but unlimited stories, I am particularly drawn to the idea of love and stories being the forces at the heart of everything. I often worry about dominant stories taking over and silencing stories from more marginalized communities, but have faith that the community of diverse authors, editors, publishers, and readers, as well as groups like We Need Diverse Books, will keep our many-storied multiverse expanding and growing.
It takes a village to bring a book into the world, and I am so grateful to all the members of my story village. As always I’m indebted to my superstar agent, Brent Taylor, and his colleague Uwe Stender, for believing in me and my stories. I’m also beyond lucky to work with Abby McAden, editor extraordinaire, and her brilliantly brilliant assistant, Talia Seidenfeld.
I’m delighted that all three of the Kiranmala books can be judged by their covers! And this is entirely because of the beautiful work of artist Vivienne To and genius art director Elizabeth Parisi. Heartiest of thank-yous to Melissa Schirmer, my production editor, Jackie Hornberger, my copy editor, and to the rest of #TeamKiranmala at Scholastic, including Ellie Berger, David Levithan, Rachel Feld, Lizette Serrano, Michael Strouse, Emily Heddleson, Danielle Yadao, Tracy van Straaten, Lauren Donovan, and Elisabeth Ferrari! Thank you to the team from Scholastic Book Clubs as well as that force of nature, Robin Hoffman, and the team from Scholastic Book Fairs for getting this series into the hands of so many readers. Thank you to Donalyn Miller, John Schumacher, and all the other wonderful reading champions around the country who are out there doing the good work!
Thank you to my writerly siblings Sheela Chari, Veera Hiranandani, Heather Tomlinson, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, and all those author friends I’ve made on this wonderful journey. Thank you to Debanuj DasGupta, as well as Autumn and Kristin Reynolds for their valuable insight into the character of Bunty the tiger. Thank you to my We Need Diverse Books, KidLit Writers of Color, and Desi Writers families, as well as my dear friends Kari, Kerri, and Jovi for being always there and always supportive. Thank you to my narrative medicine/health humanities colleagues and students at Columbia and around the country. Thank you to my extended family in India and this country, as well as my wonderful Bengali immigrant community of aunties, uncles, and friends.
Thank you to the teachers, librarians, booksellers, and readers who have read, enjoyed, and shared Kiranmala’s adventures. It’s still such a dream that I get to share my stories with you.
To my superstar cheerleader parents, Sujan and Shamita, my husband, Boris, and my darlings Kirin, Sunaya, and Khushi, eternal gratitude. As the Rakkhoshi Rani says, it’s all about love and stories, stories and love.