Padma Venkatraman Discusses Shakti is Strength from Calling The Moon Anthology
Suma Subramaniam: Dear Padma, Congratulations on the publication of Calling the Moon Anthology! It’s lovely to see this book out with readers with the increasing need for BIPOC experiences and coming -of-age stories related to menstruation. Could you share your thoughts about the book?
Padma Venkatraman: You are so kind. When I read the stories in the collection, I not only felt overjoyed to have my work included in this groundbreaking collection, but also struck by how necessary this anthology is. i hope very much that it will survive this era of fear and book-banning and be embraced and enjoyed for generations to come.
Suma Subramaniam: In your story, Shakthi Means Strength, Shakthi’s agony between growing up and coming of age while managing her family’s expectations during menstruation is a real struggle, which resonates with girls even today. How did you go about writing her and where did those feelings come from?
Padma Venkatraman: When Aida Salazar approached me with an invitation to contribute to this anthology, Shakthi’s story shone as though it had been waiting for an opportunity to shine on the page. I didn’t have to think about it intellectually – the final draft had to be shortened, but is not very different at all from the first draft that I poured out onto the page.
In retrospect, I’m not surprised, because my own experiences with menstrual shunning inform her story. I was in India as a teenager, and I was treated the way that Shakthi’s mother was treated – told to be grateful that people didn’t mind catching a glimpse of me, having food set out for me on a special plate on the ground, and I could go on and on. When I spoke up for myself and argued against the disgusting practice of treating a menstruating female as though she is disgusting, I was told not to be disrespectful to my elders! My own mother carried on the practice and had internalized the idea that I was somehow less of a human being for a few days each month. I still feel the rage and shock that Shakthi feels when she’s shunned and temporarily ostracized. Even after decades, my righteous anger is definitely raw! And, like Shakthi, I draw strength from it!
Suma Subramaniam: Shakthi’s sense of belonging is vital for her self-esteem and wellbeing especially during her phase of emotional and physical growth. How did you go about exploring deep issues of spirituality, womanhood, and the child-parental relationship in the story?
Padma Venkatraman: Shakthi’s story takes place entirely in the United States. Her sense of being caught between two cultures is quite common to Indian-American children – and while there are some difference from the way I feel as an immigrant, there are similarities, too. I see congruences between Shakthi’s sense of identity and that of my own daughter and other children in my family. There are also so many tensions that teenagers and parents experience in their relationship, despite their abiding love – and Shakthi’s story showcases a difficult moment for the family, which Shakthi overcomes, with strength and integrity. She remains true to herself as an individual, and rather than running away from her community, seeks support from within it and then engages with it in a vital and honest (though difficult) conversation.
As Shakthi observes, some Hindu women have deeply internalized the sense that menstruation makes them less than holy and don’t bother to question it; others use arguments that are supposedly rooted in tradition – except that these arguments pick and choose certain traditions and ignore others. Hindu philosophy is so deep and vast – there is so much beauty in it; but we have also acquired a lot of macho nonsense and colonialism has done its part as well in making conquered people ashamed of their bodies and their minds. Menstrual shunning shames a woman’s body and mind. We can – and must – put an end to this practice, and we can do so while remaining receptive to the many profound teachings of the Sanatana Dharma. Vidya, in my debut novel CLIMBING THE STAIRS paraphrases the words of Swami Vivekananda, who observed and decried the fact that Hinduism sometimes descends to the pots and pans. It’s our job to see beyond that.
Unfortunately, we now exist at a time when people can get very riled up if anyone questions or critiques any aspect of Hinduism. Rather than remembering stories that speak to the value of argument and deep questioning (Nachiketha, for example), or being led by the many strong Hindu women that Shakthi is inspired by, some Hindus decide that if anyone dares to call out a practice as irrelevant or male chauvinistic, that person must be condemmed as “colonized.” Nothing could be more damaging to our several thousand year old tradition, which emphasizes that each individual is like a river, following a unique path to the same great ocean (that, as Veda observes in A TIME TO DANCE).
It’s not about giving up who we are, but acknowledging that there is patriarchy and inequality in our culture and religion as within every other I have encountered. It’s about taking the time to rediscovering those spaces where women were respected and honored, as well as, in some cases, inventing new paths that have, at their source, our ancient wisdom.
Suma Subramaniam: You show how beautifully Shakthi reaches out to the connections in her life for knowledge and support to navigate puberty. Could you elaborate on the poetic devices you used to show how she uses her experience as a bridge between her various relationships?
Padma Venkatraman: Rhythm, and the music of the language, are vital to poetry. The verses in SHAKTHI MEANS STRENGTH entered my head like song. The form of HALF LIVES brings to mind a mirror – and the way the words are placed on the page reflects how Shakthi sees herself: caught between two worlds. The bonds between mothers and daughters are brought alive with the use of the five senses in FROM FAR AWAY. Given that SHAKTHI MEANS STRENGTH appeared in anthology, we had to keep the page count down – so I decided to experiment with spaces between words, as well as the use of capitalization (devices that I don’t employ in my novels in verse). Of course, lyricism and brevity are key. As for the use of white space in this and all my poetry, some years back, I wrote a poem about its significance to me, which you can read here: https://padmasbooks.blogspot.com/2015/11/words-white-space-and-spirituality.html
Suma Subramaniam: What do you hope young readers can take away from Shakthi Means Strength as well as Calling the Moon?
Padma Venkatraman: Grace Lin, on her podcast, once asked me what I want more than anything else from my books. I told her that I wanted to see social change. It’s what I hope for from this short story. That Shakthi’s readers, especially those who share her religious and ethnic identity, will take strength from her story and act in whatever way they feel they safely can, to end the practice of menstrual shunning, which is still inflicted on Hindu girls and women in these United States.
Many readers have already reached out to me, to say that this story resonated intensely with them. Some who wanted to turn away from Hinduism altogether, because they felt so crassly treated, decided to dig deeper into the spirituality. That feels like a gift to me. Others have shared how they are treated by their families and how glad they are to know that older women, like me, oppose this custom. I am so grateful to be able to listen to them. Best of all, so many tell me how they are acting for change on their own – whether it’s debating with their families at once, or by promising themselves to discontinue this when they grow older. And that’s what I most wanted for Shakthi to do after she came into the world – to make it a better place for young women by emboldening and empowering them.
As for those who are outside the culture, I am moved by how many have been touched by Shakthi’s Story. I’ve had several librarians express that this is one of their favorite short stories and more than one has said “THAT was something!” It’s always heartening and incredibly humbling to hear that. Speaking of which, I am so grateful to you for taking the time to do this interview. It means the world to me to be able to openly discuss Shakthi’s story after the years in which she’s been living in my head. Plus, it’s an absolute joy to share this space with you on Diverse Verse and such a thrill to see your beautiful books sharing bookshelf space with mine!
Padma Venkatraman is the acclaimed American author of BORN BEHIND BARS, THE BRIDGE HOME, A TIME TO DANCE, ISLAND’S END and CLIMBING THE STAIRS. Her books have won numerous honors and awards (e.g. WNDB Walter Dean Myers Award, Golden Kite Award, South Asia Book Award, ALA Notable etc). She has a doctorate in oceanography and has spent time underwater, on ships where she was the only BIPOC female and the chief scientist, served as diversity director, and teacher. She was born in India, has lived on 5 different continents, and now calls Rhode Island home.
Suma Subramaniam is the author of Namaste Is a Greeting, She Sang for India and The Runaway Dosa. She is also a contributor to The Hero Next Door, a collection of short stories from We Need Diverse Books. Born in Bengaluru, India, she now lives near Seattle, Washington. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.
