Jhumpa Lahiri reads this stunning story of expatriate Indians attempting to find their place in American culture, often with great emotional cost, from her second story collection, Unaccustomed Earth. “Hell-Heaven” is read by the actress Rita Wolf, who appeared in the film My Beautiful Laundrette. Following the reading, Shorts host Isaiah Sheffer talks to Lahiri about the origins of her fiction and what inspired “Hell-Heaven,” in particular.
Lahiri, who was born in London of Indian parents, raised in Rhode Island, and now lives in Brooklyn, is surely one of the luminous stars of contemporary American fiction. Her debut collection, Interpreter of Maladies, won her a Pulitzer Prize.
(Airs 7-8pm; pre-empts Which Way, LA?)
Banner image of Jhumpa Lhairi by Elena Seibert