Theater brought me joy in high school, but would it be the place I belonged in college? 

But then Maya Li ’25 asked if I wanted to join “Violet” as an assistant stage manager, or ASM. Maya is possibly the warmest, most welcoming person I’ve ever met; with Maya, I’ve never felt like a first-year — just a friend. She embraced my fellow ASMs, Annabelle Hee ’26, Alastair Rao ’26, Quincy Rosenzweig ’26 and me into the theater fold with open arms. Through long rehearsals, backstage drama and buttery hang outs, the five of us quickly grew close. And even now, months after the show ended, we still have weekly dinners. 

And this kindness isn’t exclusive to Maya. So many others have encouraged me to be part of this community — to grow through the collaborations, roles and opportunities it offers.

The people of the theater community are exceptional: talented and driven and compassionate. 

With so many shows and organizations around campus, it can feel like there’s a steep learning curve to getting involved. Even with a few productions under my belt, I have lots to learn. Still, I’ve compiled everything I do know into this guide. Hopefully, this offers some insight on how you can become part of theater at Yale — or even just understand how the shows you see are made. Prepare for loads of abbreviations!

The Yale Dramatic Association (The Dramat)

The Dramat is Yale’s largest undergraduate theater organization. Run by an Executive Board of 11 elected students, the Dramat puts on six full-scale shows every year. 

There are two mainstage shows, each produced by an Executive Board member. These shows hire professional designers, employ student crew heads and involve dozens of students as actors, assistant designers, assistant stage managers, crew members and more. 

The other four productions — two “Ex’s,” the first-year show (froshow), and a commencement musical — are proposed and led by separate student teams. AJ Walker ’26, who directed this year’s froshow, reflects, “I feel like as a first-year trying to get to know what theater at Yale is like, the Dramat was great because they gave me the resources to know how to put a show together.”

Typically, Dramat shows are the largest productions Yale undergraduates put on — with big teams, full sets, impressive budgets and access to professional spaces. An easy way to get involved is by joining the Dramat Associate Board. As part of “Ass Board” — yes, that’s the abbreviation they went with — you have an Executive Board parent who introduces you to their role with tasks, weekly dinners and more. Last semester, I joined Ass Board as a Fall Mainstage Assistant Producer and met so many fantastic first-years and upperclassmen alike.

“What sets the Dramat apart in Yale theater its the continuous community it provides,” President Lily Pérez said in a statement to the News. “The Dramat has given me opportunities to build and sustain relationships with people over time in service of a season of shows, rather than individual productions. For those curious about administrative theater/arts administration, the Dramat is the closest analogue to the professional theater landscape in terms of scale and structure, too!”

Creative and Performing Arts Grants (CPAs)

To me, CPAs are possibly the most unique part of Yale theater. With CPAs, any student can put on a show — big or small, high or low time commitment. CPAs widely range, with this semester’s shows including student renditions of “Spring Awakening,” “Kiss of the Spiderwoman,” “The Wiz” and “Coriolanus,” as well as student-written productions of “Long Way Down” and “for colored girls” and so, so much more.

Through the residential colleges, anyone can apply for funding to put on a show of their choosing. The process isn’t competitive and almost everyone gets some funding (albeit, not always as much as they want) and a venue in one of the residential college theaters. 

Playwright and director Hank Graham ’24 has presented many of his original works as CPAs. “My favorite thing about the CPA system is that it really allows us to be making educational theater — learning by doing and learning by failing and trying again, and figuring things out by ourselves,” says Graham.

Once a CPA application is approved, Undergraduate Productions (UP) the administrative department overseeing all shows, also assigns a Peer Mentor to each project. CPAs are a great way to get involved in theater with friends — as either an actor or a member of the production team.

Performance Groups

There are a variety of performance groups on campus, each with their own niche.

For instance, the Yale Artists Cabaret, or YAC, produces musical cabarets that bridge the gap between performance groups across campus. Founders and artistic directors Lauren Marut ’25 and Soleil Singh ’24 tell the News: “We have people who do a cappella, opera, theater — and we wanted to found an organization that offered a low stress and really just fun time commitment for performers to put together a musical theater review.”

The Asian American Collective of Theatermakers (AACT), on the other hand, aims to create a welcoming space for Asian American artists to collaborate. The group was founded just this past year, as president Sam Ahn ’24 saw a need for a centralized Asian American theater community. “It’s been amazing to see the excitement that AACT has generated among Asian American students, especially those who have never done theater before!” says Ahn.

Other campus groups include — but are far from limited to! — Teatro de Yale, The Opera Theater of Yale College and Yale Children’s Theater. 

Some of these groups receive funding through CPAs, while others have their own funds. On the whole, these groups are open and exciting environments for people to get involved in a type of theater that especially interests them.

Theater, Dance and Performance Studies (TAPS? TDAPS? Who even knows anymore…) Senior Theses 

As the last major type of theater performance around campus, some senior theater majors put on productions as their theses. The senior serves as principal actor, director, designer or writer — sometimes, multiple seniors run the thesis together. These productions are sponsored by the department and usually run out of 53 Wall Street’s black box theater. 

While a senior may lead the show, students of all years can get involved — as I did with “Violet”! I’ve found senior theses to be an accessible middle ground of Yale theater: less intensive than a full-scale Dramat production, but more inherently structured than CPAs, as the theater department is involved. For me personally, being part of a senior thesis was a wonderful way to get to know some phenomenal seniors I would’ve never met otherwise.

Yale Drama Coalition (YDC)

Overseeing all of these student groups is the YDC: the umbrella organization for Yale theater. YDC primarily operates through its Board, which collaborates with both administrators and student leaders to improve accessibility, fairness and community across Yale theater. The Board has both elected and appointed positions; anyone is eligible as long as they have attended at least two meetings. As such, the YDC’s weekly meetings are all open to everyone. 

“Everyone’s welcome — and that’s our number one goal,” says YDC Vice President Marissa Blum ’24.

YDC hosts season previews, a chance for all shows to advertise themselves, and runs monthly casting cycles, ensuring casting is equitable for all. Returning next fall is the Collaborative Arts Matching Program, or CAMP, an opportunity for writers to workshop their original works and for actors to be matched to the stage reading that most aligns with their interests and availability.

“The reason that I’ve continued to be part of the Yale Drama Coalition is the people,” reflects YDC President Jeffrey Steele ’24. “Being part of this board has really helped me support my friends, meet new people in theater, and give everyone a chance to find an avenue to do what they want to do as best as we can.”

How to Learn About & See Shows

All upcoming shows are listed on the Yale College Arts website. The website notes upcoming shows both in the next week and for the rest of the semester. Each show’s individual page includes information on its premise, actors, production team, as well as how to reserve tickets. 

How to Get Involved

Just reach out! Check out the Dramat, UP and YDC’s email newsletters; join Ass Board; or even reach out to members of performance groups as listed on Yale College Arts. You will undoubtedly be met with helpful and eager responses. I know I would love nothing more than to pay Maya’s kindness forward by welcoming more people to Yale theater.

The post A Guide to Yale Theater appeared first on Yale Daily News.

And that is “Love is Blind”.

Now on its fourth season, “Love is Blind” is one of Netflix’s premiere reality TV shows. As is convention for the romance reality TV genre, it relies on casts of petty, absurd characters as they navigate multiple romantic relationships with each other — and subsequently, insecurities, jealousies, scheming and more. 

“Love is Blind” adds the unique premise of “blindness” to the overdone genre. The hosts and contestants alike speak of the show as an “experiment” combating the woes of modern dating. Calling upon the classic idiom, this series claims to interrogate whether love, really is, blind. What the series actually accomplishes is a miserable — yet, of course, entertaining — attempt at this experimental design.

The newest season begins with a highlight reel: flirting, romance, sex, proposals, breaking of proposals. The generic pop music intensifies, crescendos with drums, synthesizers and even screams — then comes to a crashing halt.  

Hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachay, looking more in love with botox than ever, then introduce the show’s premise to their latest batch of contestants — separately to the men and women to maintain their heteronormative premise.

“You finally have the chance to fall in love with somebody based solely on who you are on the inside,” Vanessa proclaims, upbeat pop music accompanying her optimistic words. Contestants look up at her and Nick, determined, nervous, eager. This hope is — at least supposedly — why they’re here.

But then, Nick adds: “And in just four weeks you will be at your wedding. You will have to make the most important decision of your life.”

What?

Here, Vanessa pops the question: “Is love, truly, blind?” 

Herein lies the fundamental ridiculousness of Netflix’s “experiment.” A true test of if “love is blind” would explore whether people can actually fall in love without seeing each other. According to a 2011 study by the American Psychological Association, the average male takes 97 days to fall in love, while the average female takes nearly 139. So “Love is Blind” would follow couples getting to know each other over a few weeks. Eventually, they would meet each other, with a steady foundation from all the time they had already spent talking. The show could then turn to their time in the real world, seeing if their sight-unseen love really stood the test of time.

But this, of course, would not be entertaining TV.

Instead, couples have only 10 days to get to know each other in the pods. Once they are “in love,” the contestants propose. And then, they have four weeks to be in the real world before they have to be legally bound to each other. What is this — a 19th-century courtship? A Disney princess movie? Four weeks to meet each other’s families, move in, see if their lifestyles are compatible and plan a whole wedding! Not to mention after dating a dozen other contestants in the pods just a month before saying I do.

You can like someone you get to know sight unseen, be attracted to them in the real world, and very understandably not feel ready for marriage after six weeks of dating. The question here is not “is love truly blind?” but “is love truly speedy?”

The experiment of “Love is Blind” is a joke. 

And yet… the result is so cringy, so ridiculous you can’t look away. In season four, the drama reaches all new levels of outrageousness. A triple love triangle keeps you on the edge of your seat — both in the pods and in its explosive aftermath. The women and men’s living quarters are pettier than ever before. One contestant goes from, “I don’t care what you look like,” in the pods to, “You look like something out of a cartoon,” when she first meets her fiance, to, “Every time he touches me I get the major ick,” and breaks up with him almost immediately. And then makes a play at her supposed best friend’s fiance!

The premise is faulty — yes. But the result is quality entertainment. You may not love this show, but you can’t help but watch on, positively infatuated.

The post Love is Blind: Infatuation with a Faulty Premise appeared first on Yale Daily News.

My sister and I were practically raised on the Disney Princess franchise. They were our role models, everything we dreamed of being. While neither of us became an actual princess (unfortunately), the imagination these films inspired in us undoubtedly impacted the creative people we’ve both become. These films continue to hold a special, nostalgic place in my heart. So here are my incredibly biased rankings of this iconic franchise:

15. Brave (2012)

I saw it once when it came out and honestly don’t remember what happened — just that I was bored.

14. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (1937)

As the first Disney Princess movie, it’s the blueprint, the first draft and, honestly, has a ways to go. The animation is gorgeous, but the plot is forgettable. Plus, down to his awful name, Prince Floridan is the least appealing Disney Prince. And yes, apparently Charming is not his real name.

13. Pocahontas (1995)

The music: superb. The story: not so much… the source material is grossly mishandled. 

12. Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Similar to “Snow White,” the animation is pretty, but the plot is lacking. At least it has humorous side characters and better music. And Philip is a major upgrade from Floridan. But given Aurora is only in 18 minutes of the movie, it honestly barely qualifies as a Disney Princess film.

11. Cinderella (1950)

This time, the princess is actually the main character! With catchy tunes and arguably the most iconic fairy tale plot, “Cinderella” is my favorite of the classic Disney Princess movies. Cinderella herself is a little bland, but the film remains a solid installment to the franchise. 

10. Aladdin (1992)

Robin Williams! The humor is positively on point. The medium of animation is used to perfection when it comes to the genie and the flying carpet. But once more, the film is more about the would-be prince — and Robin Williams — than the princess. And let’s not forget that Aladdin — while charming — massively lied to Jasmine.

9. Thumbelina (1991)

Chronically underappreciated, Thumbelina only recently became a Disney princess with Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century. (I love this movie so I made the executive decision to include it.) The animation is positively stunning, and the soundtrack is lovely. My sister and I  agree the plot is bizarre at times, but endearing nonetheless.

8. Frozen (2013)

Though it quickly became overplayed, “Frozen” remains a solid addition to the franchise. The story of the sisters is heartwarming, and the score is catchy. While Disney’s “twist villain” has by now been overdone, at the time, Hans’ villany was a shocking and engaging reveal.

7. Mulan (1998)

Female empowerment at its finest. Plus, a fantastic soundtrack with the Lea Salonga.

6. The Little Mermaid (1989)

“The Little Mermaid” hits all the beats of the formulaic princess film: a fun gimmick (mermaids), an admirable heroine, a handsome prince and an iconic soundtrack. There’s nothing especially unique, but it does what it sets out to do so well.

5. Tangled (2010)

A great retelling of a classic tale with a nice underlying message about chasing your dreams and being unafraid to discover new ones. Rapunzel is adorable and tenacious. Flynn Rider is everything you could want in a Disney prince — or rather, thief. To top it all off, they’re voiced by two of my favorite actors, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, respectively. 

4. Moana (2016)

Surprisingly — yet unsurprisingly — Moana is the only Disney princess on this list without a romantic interest. Moana is fierce, persistent, well-rounded and beautifully independent. The story is rich with ancient Polynesian culture, which Disney actually took care to research this time. Moana engrosses you with its gorgeous animation, laugh-out loud moments and sweeping soundtrack.

3. Beauty & the Beast (1991)

One of Disney’s best heroines, Belle is intelligent, generous and loving. She’s a true role model to young audiences. The Beast is a solid love interest, and Gaston is positively comical — and apparently based off of screenwriter Linda Woolverton’s ex, which adds a whole other layer of hilarity for me. There’s a certain charm to this film and to Woolverton’s script that gives it the number three spot on my list. 

2. Anastasia (1997)

Another recent 20th Century acquisition, “Anastasia” was actually developed to replicate and rival the Disney princess franchise. Well, it definitely succeeded, earning the number two spot on my list. Anastasia/Anya is an unforgettable character: she’s stubborn, scrappy and has loads of spunk. Her relationship with Dmitri is the best enemies-to-lovers arc to ever grace the animated screen. The backdrop of 20th century Russia — while absolutely historically inaccurate — gives depth, suspense and intrigue to the film. If you weren’t fortunate enough to have this film be part of your childhood, it’s a must-watch.

1. The Princess & The Frog (2009)

Tiana is sensational. Hardworking, kind, giving, empathetic. She’s a great role model for young girls, and her story conveys an important message — the best of the Disney Princess collection — about the value of hard work. Plus, Naveen executes the guy-falls-first trope to perfection. The soundtrack is amazing. Sadly, “The Princess & The Frog” stands as the last 2D animation film of the franchise (with “Tangled” and “Moana” using 3D animation). But the medium is used beautifully to tell Tiana’s tale.

The post Nostalgia Rankings: Disney Princess Movies appeared first on Yale Daily News.

At the heart of Yale’s film culture are movie screenings, with three main organizations programming films: Films at the Whitney, Yale Film Archive, and Yale Film Society. Expanded collaboration between the groups has inspired new projects.

Carlos Valladares GAS ’25 was in awe of Michael Roemer’s 1984 Vengeance Is Mine — a film that received little mainstream attention until it was screened at Film Forum, New York City’s leading independent movie house, this past summer. As co-programmer for the Films at the Whitney series, Valladares was eager to screen the picture at Yale. Brian Meacham, the Yale Film Archive’s Archivist, enthusiastically shared Valladares’ vision. Utilizing the resources and strengths of both the Yale Film Archive and the Films at the Whitney, Yale hosted Roemer and lead actress Brooke Adams for a screening and talkback. The Yale Film Society, a student organization, promoted the event, inspiring a large student turnout. “Their affection and admiration were almost tangible,” reflects Sam Gallen ’23, leader of the Yale Film Society.

The Films at the Whitney series started in 2009 to further the Whitney Humanities Center’s goals of supporting the scholarship, research, and teaching of humanities — and in this case, film — at Yale. Along with the rest of the Whitney, the film series was just recently moved from 53 Wall Street to HQ.

For Dr. Diane Berrett Brown, Whitney’s Associate Director, the Films at the Whitney series is all about developing community. Every screening is free of charge, unique among Yale’s peer institutions.

Collaboration is fundamental to the Films at Whitney’s programming. This semester, the Whitney ran two main series: Nigerian Cinema and SISTER, SISTER. To Valladares, who led SISTER, SISTER, the theme of sisterhood was both compelling and flexible, fitting with his goal to show “as many diverse and interesting films as possible.” With films ranging from Marie Antoinette to My Neighbor Totoro, the curation of Valladares and undergraduate co-programmer Joji Baratelli ’24 aims to both appeal to students and exhibit “obscure masterpieces” that anyone in New Haven can appreciate.

The Nigerian Cinema series found inspiration in a Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG) exhibit: Bámigbóyè: A Master Sculptor of the Yorùbá Tradition. Aiming for increased collaboration between the Whitney and the YUAG, Berrett Brown wanted to use Films at the Whitney to highlight Nigerian Cinema and the rich Nollywood tradition. “One of the goals was to really open a dialogue about Nigerian cinema and to introduce people to it, because so many people don’t even know about Nollywood,” describes Associate Communications Director Megan O’Donnell. Masters student Sei-kashe M’pfunya Jackson ’23 led the curation of the program, creating a list of films to complement the Bámigbóyè exhibition. Along with Allegra Ayida, Ph.D student and curatorial intern for African Art at YUAG, M’pfunya gave tours of the exhibition before screenings — a large group of artists, curators, and guests would then walk up York Street together from the art gallery to HQ.

The Yale Film Archive (formerly the Yale Film Studies Center) is also doing its part to reinvigorate campus film culture. The newly renovated seventh floor of Sterling hosts an impressive collection of films, videos, and screenplays offices for Meacham and his co-workers, film preservation work rooms, and a small screening room. The Archive is open to all students, who can check out films and even request to screen a film in the Archive’s cinema. Along with the new home came a new name, with the title “film archive” emphasizing the extent of Yale’s collection and preservation work. “What a film archive does, in brief, is to collect, preserve, and provide access to moving image materials,” says Meacham. After conservation and preservation comes what Meacham regards as perhaps the most important step: getting the film seen. “It’s all well and good to preserve these things, but if all you’re doing is putting them back on the shelf, then you start to question why exactly you’ve done this.”

The Archive hosts the Treasures from the Yale Film Archive series in HQ’s cinema to showcase its collection—titles like Rebel Without a Cause and Grand Illusion. “There is a certain power to seeing a film in a communal setting, in the dark, on a big screen with a better sound system,” Meacham describes. “And for us, I would go one step further and say it’s also really important that we see these films that were made and shot and distributed and viewed on film, on film.”

While Meacham thinks film at Yale has made major strides in the past few years, he notes there is still progress left to be made to give Yale, “that flourishing, unified film culture that a place like this really deserves.”  Achieving this goal requires more centralization, cohesion, and funding. Still, he emphasizes how much film at Yale has grown: “I think we’re closer than we’ve ever been before.”

While the Films at the Whitney and Yale Film Archive are staff-run, the Yale Film Society is student-led. Like Meacham, the Society’s leader Sam Gallen felt Yale’s film culture had little cohesion — particularly for undergraduate filmgoing. As an underclassman, Gallen attended screenings at the Yale Film Society, but after the pandemic hit, the group went silent. Gallen was determined to revive the Society: “I could see so many passionate film students, and I figured: wouldn’t it be great if everyone could come together and have a common outlet for their love of movies?”

The Society’s board is completely open to join: “I wanted to make sure this wasn’t an exclusive space — the people who come are the people who join the group, and anyone can be involved.”

Gallen’s greatest hope is for the Society to connect Yale’s various film groups and communities. “There are so many incredible [film] organizations on campus…[but] there’s little to no campus-wide awareness.” To get the word out, the Yale Film Society started a central calendar for all film screenings at Yale, a weekly newsletter about upcoming showings, and a promotional Instagram, @yalefilm. “The Yale Film Society wants to be the glue for film going and film institutions at Yale,” says Gallen.

Meacham — who has collaborated with the Yale Film Society in the past — adds, “I’m really excited for their renaissance, because I think having students put on film screenings for their fellow students has a certain energy that we can’t even capture.”

This fall, through the combined efforts of Films at the Whitney, the Yale Film Archive, and the Yale Film Society, 25 screenings have taken place on Yale’s campus. Cinema at Yale — collaboratively created and communally shared — should not be missed by anyone in New Haven.

“Seeing movies with friends in a setting like this is the most amazing thing,” Baratelli shares. “It’s really exciting that they become events — rather than content.”

Half a Yellow Sun (2014)

Series: Nigerian Cinema

A gorgeous Nollywood film, Half a Yellow Sun tells of two sisters navigating love, loss, class, and political turmoil through the Nigerian Civil War. The film’s star-studded cast features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anika Noni Rose, John Boyega, and Thandiwe Newton. The film’s visuals are stunning, with vivid colors, captivating cinematography, and expressive lighting. Though the narrative at times leans on melodramatic tropes, the second act comes together to tell a beautiful tale of sisterhood. Half a Yellow Sun is a popular Nollywood film — a must-see for fans of the genre, and a compelling introduction for newcomers.

Only Yesterday (1991)

Series: SISTER, SISTER

A lesser known work of the beloved Japanese Studio Ghibli, Only Yesterday is a heartwarming film of a young woman, Taeko, finding her place in the world. The film is stylistically gorgeous, with shots of Tokyo and the Japanese countryside alike mirroring impressionist paintings. Director Isao Takahata truly slows down each moment, allowing the viewer to relish in the awkwardness of first love, the angst of sisterhood, and the beauty of nature. For a Western viewer, the film’s pace can feel jarring relative to their film norms. Nonetheless, it is an incredibly charming film, capturing the bittersweet beauty of coming-of-age.

Correction, Dec. 22: A previous version of this article misspelled the names of Adams, Valladares and O’Donnell. The article has been updated. 

The post Yale’s Motion Pictures are Moving Again appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Naughty

• 9:25 classes: I really thought this would be easy after high school… boy, was I wrong. 
• 5 days a week of language classes at 9:25: yes, it gets worse.
• TD: does this really need an explanation? The dining hall is bad enough, let alone the lice.
• Laundry fees: so Yale can bring in John Legend, no problem, but can’t pay for laundry?
• Printing fees: my high school could pay for free printing, but Yale can’t?
• Rainy and 50-degree weather in December: as both a lover of Christmas and a Wisconsinite, this weather is blasphemous. Where is the snow?
• Harvard parties: would be on the naughty list, if they actually existed.
• The new, new, new registration system: I’ve heard about at least five friends getting kicked out of “Criminal Minds.”
• “We open later for students at other colleges”: Silliman, Branford and Morse/Stiles need to get over their superiority complexes.
• When someone takes your laundry out: just when you paid $1.50 to clean your clothes, someone gets them dirty again.
• “I’m going to change the consulting industry from the inside”: sure, sure, everyone definitely believes you.

Nice

• Handsome Dan: seeing his adorably, ugly face always brings me joy.
• Handsome Dan’s handler: the Instagram is fantastic.
• JE: “a great dining experience” say the students of JE, and this author includes without bias.
• My first-year seminar professor: the open note, “open computer” quizzes were a blessing I never knew I needed. 
• Chicken Tender Thursday: truly a highlight of the week.
• Cinnamon Toast Squares: Yale’s best off-brand cereal.
• BD: great playlists, every time.
• Yale men memes: they never fail to give me a good laugh.
• Buttery and Acorn workers: we appreciate you.
• Dining hall staff: thank you for fueling this campus.
• Bass Library: love it or hate it, Bass will always be there for you at 2 a.m.
• My bed: always there for me at 2:15 when I finally get home from Bass.
• My friends: from movie nights to coffee runs to late night talks — all wonderfully intellectual, yet amusingly unproductive — thank you for making this the craziest, most exciting, best semester of my life.

The post Naughty or Nice appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Subramaniam, the editor-in-chief of Penguin Random House India, is currently at Yale as a 2022 Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow — a program bringing accomplished individuals from around the world together for academic enrichment and leadership training. As part of the program, the World Fellows lead events for the broader Yale community. 

On Nov. 29, Subramaniam presented “Tombs, Ghosts, Djinns, Shadows: This Decade in South Asian Fiction.” 

“Manasi is the most distinguished editor in Indian publishing,” said professor of history Sunil Amrith, who serves as chair of the South Asian Studies Council. “She … has published 80 percent of the most interesting works in South Asian fiction in the last decade.”

The talk was co-hosted in Luce Hall by the South Asian Studies Council and the Yale Macmillan Center.

A mix of undergraduates, graduates and faculty gathered for the event.

Suraj Singareddy ’25 said he was drawn to the event because it was an opportunity to hear from somebody in the international literary world.

“I wanted to attend just because we don’t get many people from the international book world on campus,” Singareddy said. “Plus Penguin’s a huge publishing house, so I was really interested in what the head of Penguin for a whole country would have to say.”

Subramaniam began her talk with an overview of South Asian fiction: its history, common literary themes, successes and challenges.

She noted that it was only in the last 15 years that “homegrown literature” started to “flourish” in India, with the large publishing houses realizing the vast market in India for Indian voices. Much of this literature was “aspirational,” humorous and satirical — entirely outside of the typical narrative of India the West had come to expect. Subramaniam recounted the difficulty in selling the rights of modern South Asian literature in Western countries.

For Subramaniam, 2022 could change that trend. This year, “The Seven Moons” was the first Sri Lankan book to win the Booker Prize, and “Tomb of Sand” was the first Indian book to win the International Booker Prize. Both published by Subramaniam, neither text conforms to the West’s expectations for South Asian literature. But thanks to the prestigious Booker Prize, both are now in wider circulation.

While acknowledging the continued dependence of South Asian literature on Western seals of approval, Subramaniam added that she takes solace in the fact that her publishing house continued literary publishing “long enough for the Western canon to wake up and pay attention” to modern South Asian writing.

For Ayesha Ramachandran GRD ’08, associate professor of comparative literature and faculty member on the South Asian Studies Council, this aspect of Subramaniam’s talk was especially poignant.

“As somebody who writes about literature, I feel really committed to both writing about and calling out the ways in which literary standards do not always have to be beholden to the West,” Ramachandran said in an interview with the News. “What I thought was wonderful about Manasi’s talk and work is trying to really shift that paradigm.”

To Subramaniam, the Indian publishing industry has to be representative of the entirety of the Indian publishing market. She sees language as an important aspect of inclusivity, with English as a marker of a writer’s privilege.

In Subramaniam’s prints at Penguin, about a third of fiction published is now translated literature, which Subramaniam considers “the only way I can break out of the stranglehold of English-language hegemony in India.”

While aiming to represent the South Asian public, Subramaniam noted an important distinction between freedom of expression and a right to a platform.

“In India right now, there is a strong populist movement of right-wing fundamentalism,” Subramaniam said. “Does that mean it’s my responsibility to be representative of that movement? I certainly think not … The job of the publisher right now, particularly in a country like India, is to find that line which is exactly in between what is popular and what is meaningful.”

The South Asian Studies Council is located at the MacMillian Center at 34 Hillhouse Avenue.

The post Penguin Random House India chief talks South Asian Literature appeared first on Yale Daily News.

When we start the FaceTime call, Kate greets me with a wide, playful grin on her face. She’s framed with her face up close to the camera. As always, I instantly pick up on Kate’s magnetic excitement. “What’s up?” I ask, smiling too. “Exciting news?”

Kate giggles. She slowly backs up in the FaceTime frame, revealing a crimson shirt, and eventually, Harvard written across her chest. “I’M GOING TO HARVARD!”

I let out a squeal — an honest first for myself. We scream and we laugh and we cry. After she hangs up to head to work, I send her an additional 17 texts, bursting with giddy pride. Admittedly, I even exclaim Harvard’s merits — which I’ll never repeat again, of course. But at that moment, there was no rivalry, only my friend’s accomplishment. Kate’s perseverance and resilience at last and so deservingly rewarded.

When Kate and I first met, I would never have expected to be one of her first calls with such life-changing news. And one of her only calls — in the most spectacularly Kate fashion, she revealed her Harvard news to most with a gender-reveal-esk announcement at her graduation party. Confetti cannons were popped, a flag was rolled down and the Harvard alma mater played over the loudspeaker. It was absolutely over-the-top and nothing short of sensational.

Kate and I first met in junior year of high school. Her parents’ work forced her from the romantic beauty of Lyon, France to Madison, Wisconsin. That Kate lived in France is one of the first things you will know about her. That she is not from Wisconsin is an important second. Kate came to my small class of 40, a class used to its normative characters and dynamics — loud, opinionated and boldly individual. Her hair was dyed jet-black, her outfits carefully coordinated, all of them distinct, monochromatic pairings. She shamelessly acknowledged that she had a polarizing personality. She declared her judgments with firm conviction, never shying away from an argument. Kate was fully and beautifully herself.

I, on the other hand, was more compromising: always working to bring my class together, to be friendly and agreeable to everyone around me. While Kate found joy in asserting her individualism, I found satisfaction in being a connector. Kate’s boldness — her commitment to being herself, for herself — took me off-guard. At first, it was discomforting; With time, it was captivating. Kate’s vitality and spunk were magnetic. 

By senior spring, Kate and I had become incredibly close. Our personalities came to compliment each other: Kate empowered me to be bolder, while I softened Kate’s edges. And so, the fateful night of March 31, 2022 — Ivy Day — we were both rooting for each other, too. Kate knew Yale was my long-held dream; I knew Kate’s top choices were Harvard and Barnard — and as Barnard had waitlisted her, tensions were particularly high that night.

After decisions came out, Kate was first to text: “how did you do? I was waitlisted at Columbia and Harvard.” I waited a few minutes to respond, wanting to be honest about my excitement, but respectful to my friend. When I shared my news, her eagerness was clear: all caps and seven exclamation marks. I saw her later that night, and she brought me into a huge hug, exclaiming her excitement and pride. 

Despite Kate’s daring individualism, despite her contentment in living for herself, she knows when to just be there too. She cheers on and uplifts those she holds close. 

To her own news, Kate wasn’t distraught, but determined. She persisted and was accepted to Harvard, becoming the first person from our high school to ever get in. 

Kate’s triumph was fabulous. Of course, after my initial giddiness at her acceptance, jokes of the Harvard-Yale rivalry ensued. My comments on her Instagram announcement echoed both my pride and “Huck Farvard” sentiments. When we traveled together later that summer — a last hurrah girls trip — Kate noted how fun it was when people would be impressed at the name Yale, but then doubly impressed when Harvard was dropped; I rolled my eyes. Meeting up in New York City this fall, we both wore our school’s respective merchandise to tease each other.

But really, rivalry aside, I know that Harvard is lucky. Lucky to have one of the most exceptional people I know in its student body. Lucky that someday, Harvard can tout Kate’s impact on the world on its alumni list.

And I have to admit, I’m even grateful to Harvard. Thanks to Harvard, one of my best friends is only two hours away.

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