IN CONVERSATION
A fairy tale debut
SARMISHTA RAMESH
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Kaavya Viswanathan talks about her book, fame and future.
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Gripping: Kaavya Vishwanathan has created quite a buzz in publishing.. Photo: Deborah Feingold
HOW hard can life be when you are 19, studying at Harvard, just released your debut novel which is the toast of literary circles and is most likely to be turned into a movie. Oh, before we forget, you are also paid $500,000 as advance? This is the real life fairy tale of young Kaavya Viswanathan, whose first book How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life is causing quite a buzz in the American publishing circles.
The book has received rave reviews from leading publications like the New York Times, the Chicago Sun, the Boston Globe, the LA Times and every other publishing house across the country. What makes this debut novel so appealing to every journalist in town is the author herself.
How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life is a funny and fast-moving drama of a young girl, Opal Mehta whose only ambition in life is to get into Harvard. But at her long-awaited interview, despite her perfect grades and class valedictorian status, Opal fails to answer one simple question: What do you like to do for fun? Instead of being accepted on the spot, Opal is sent away to "research" one of the most difficult problems she's ever had to solve. Opal and her overzealous parents use the same dedication and rigour they applied to building Opal's pristine academic résumé in devising HOWGAL — a foolproof plan detailing "How Opal Will Get A Life." What follows is an insane and quirky plot where Opal tries to be the All- American girl.
In a recent interview, the author talks about her new found fame, life and the future with equal parts of poise, maturity, openness and self-deprecating humour.
How are you dealing with all the attention you and your book are receiving?
It's all surreal and a bit overwhelming. I try not to read articles about it in the newspapers, but inevitably my parents send me e-mail links to these reviews and I find it hard to resist. I end up clicking on the link and reading it (laughs). But at school and at home my life goes on as normal. My friends treat me the same, poke fun at me and I do my regular things!
Usually novels by Indian American writers are more serious. Yours is a comedy. Are you a naturally comedic writer?
Not really! The essays and pieces I've written before were more realistic pieces touching on current events and everyday life. Writing a funny piece was a first for me.
We know that your Ivy League counsellor Katherine Cohen saw your essays during your college admission process and put you in touch with your agent. Tell us how it started.
Yes. When Katherine said she thought that my writing was good enough that I should consider publishing, I did not think anything was going to come out of it. In fact, even when she said that she'd set up a meeting with the literary agents at the William Morris agency, I was sceptical. But during the course of our conversation they told me that they really liked my samples and wanted me to think of a story that I'd like to write. They suggested that I find my voice. So I went back home and sent them e-mail — a regular, chatty and funny mail that I normally write! They thought it was perfect and the right voice for my story.
How did you come up with the idea for the story?
Because I had just finished high school and gone through the college admission process, I totally identified with the angst of the high school experience and thought it was a story I could tell well.
So how was the character "Opal" born?
(Laughs) When I was growing up my mom had a friend called Ruby Dutta and I was fascinated by her name. So when it came to choosing a name for my heroine, I decided to go with another gemstone!
How similar is Opal to Kaavya?
Opal is not even close to who I am. Of course Opal has some of my traits — like being ambitious and determined. But Opal Mehta has no sense of fashion. But I love shopping. I take pride in my collection of high heels and short skirts (giggles). And my life and that of my parents is nowhere as insane as Opal's. While my education was important I had no pressure about a particular college or anything like that. Of course everyone around me, including myself have quirks. And I've peppered those things all around the book.
In the book, Opal feels "Stanford and Yale are worst case scenarios". Did you have such demands on yourself?
Oh no! I'd have been so glad to get into any one of those colleges. But I was happy I got into Harvard, because that was my first choice.
How was your personal college admissions process?
You know, my admissions process also had a fair bit of drama. I had signed up to receive my results at Harvard through e-mail. The results were supposed to be out at 5.00 p.m. that day. But around 4:30 p.m. the e-mail server crashed and I could not access my account until the next day. Meantime, three of my classmates heard that they had been admitted into Harvard. That's unheard of in my school's history. I thought that meant that I had been rejected. So I spent the whole night — 13 straight hours — weeping inconsolably and trying to look at life ahead. The next morning when the server was back and I realised that I had been admitted to Harvard too, I could not believe it. It was an anti-climax.
You were a freshman at Harvard when you started writing the book. How did you manage that with assignments, tests and the rest of college life?
The whole writing part is now a blur to me. I remember going to the library and spending three to four hours everyday just working on my ideas. I was probably in this mode for four months. But I remember I drank a lot of coffee and ate my way through the French cruller selection at Dunkin' Donuts during this time!
How are your parents dealing with the attention you've been getting in the U.S. and India?
They are proud of what I've done but they are also wonderfully nuts and eccentric about it too. When it started, my parents were trying to handle it in the typical traditional Indian fashion — Play it down. Beware of the "evil eye". But now things have changed. The day the book was released, my mom went driving around Bergen County (in New Jersey where they live) visiting every Barnes and Noble and buying my book at every store. At one outlet, an old lady saw my mom staring at the cover of my book and asked her if it was any good. So my mom obviously recommended it highly. (laughs) These days my dad has appointed himself my business manager — which, in his mind, means he reads every article and blog written about me and passes it on to me even if I don't want to read it. I wonder how he has the time to do all this in the midst of operating on brains! (laughs)
DreamWorks has bought the option to make Opal into a movie. What's the latest on that and who would you like to see play Opal?
When I heard that the book was likely to be made into a movie I was excited, but it seemed so far-fetched. As far as I know, they are writing the script for the movie. Maybe Hollywood will find a new, upcoming actress to play Opal. But I'd love it if they chose James Franco (my celebrity crush!) to play Sean Whalen and I wouldn't mind a cameo role myself. (smiles)
The deal with Little Brown was for a two book series. So have you started work on the sequel?
No. I haven't and I probably should. But I'm actually terrified about the writing process this time around. What if I find out I have nothing to say? What if I can't write? I just wish I could just move forward to the time when the sequel would be written and I could go around promoting it. I enjoy that part. (smiles)
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