Both Om Malik and Prashant Kothari noted serious media and popular interest in Jhumpa Lahiri and her new book. It is getting great reviews everywhere.

Incidentally, SAJA has a Jhumpa Lahiri reading in New York on Oct 23.

Om also noted Moorish girl's observation that the media seems be going on and on about her wardrobe.

We should not be surprised. The publishing industry has been getting closely 'integrated' with the retail and entertainment sectors for quite some time now. The publishing distribution channels are adopting those tactics too. Books are launched in almost the same way movies are. The agencies try to place their writers in as many available forums from as many angles as they can. It boils down to getting their writers 'top of mind awareness' in the target audience. If the writer is polished and good looking, that is icing on the cake. Branding becomes much easier. The writer becomes the celebrity. In Lahiri's case, it started happening from the time 'The Interpreter of Maladies' came up. I am not being critical. I am actually quite glad that someone writing about South Asian experience is getting the 'It girl' treatment. It is just that the whole set up is slightly depressing. I guess I am a little more sensitive than I usually am because I just finished William Gibson's Pattern Recognition (great book) and I am feeling that the universe is going to the dogs.

Jhumpa Lahiri reviews and profiles:

NYT reviews: here, here and here
Washington Post: here
Older SawNet profile and links: here

Now all I need to do is read the book!