The most compelling narrative, expressed in sentences with which I have no chemical reaction, or an adverse one, leaves me cold. Jhumpa Lahiri adversechemicalcold Change image and share on social
Language, identity, place, home: these are all of a piece - just different elements of belonging and not-belonging. Jhumpa Lahiri belongelementhome Change image and share on social
Language and identity are so fundamentally intertwined. You peel back all the layers in terms of what we wear and what we eat and all the things that mark us, and in the end, what we have are our words. Jhumpa Lahiri backeatend share on social
Part of my whole project from the beginning was to make an absent world present for my parents, which was India. Jhumpa Lahiri absentbeginindia Change image and share on social
So much of my writing derives from these questions that I ask myself - things that are utterly beyond my personal set of experiences - and it's my attempt to try to... understand, to sort of break out of my own consciousness, you know, the limitations of my own life. Jhumpa Lahiri attemptbreakconsciousness share on social
Surely it is a magical thing for a handful of words, artfully arranged, to stop time. To conjure a place, a person, a situation, in all its specificity and dimensions. To affect us and alter us, as profoundly as real people and things do. Jhumpa Lahiri affectalterarrange share on social
I feel as though I've gotten to a point where I don't really want to set a book in any real place ever again. Jhumpa Lahiri bookfeelhave Change image and share on social
I think there are a lot of misconceptions on both sides, the developing vs. the developed world, especially about America. I've felt the frustration in my lack of belonging to any one place, but I've also felt it liberating to be able to appreciate something without feeling disloyal to my own culture. Jhumpa Lahiri americabelongculture share on social
At 6:30, which was when the national news began, my father raised the volume and adjusted the antennas. Usually I occupied myself with a book, but that night my father insisted that I pay attention. Jhumpa Lahiri adjustantennaattention Change image and share on social
I have two passports because I have to have at least one, and I really don't know how I define myself. And I feel that as I get older, I feel very fortunate to have, on paper, a dual nationality. Jhumpa Lahiri definedualfeel Change image and share on social