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Jhumpa Lahiri says the phrase ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ came to her in grad school

Jhumpa Lahiri says the phrase ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ came to her in grad school

NPR's Book of the Day · NPR

September 15, 202511m 8s

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Show Notes

It’s Back to School week at NPR’s Book of the Day, which means we’re looking back at interviews with authors who may have shown up on your high school syllabus. First, Jhumpa Lahiri debuted her short story collection Interpreter of Maladies in 1999. In the title story, an American family visits India and their guide develops an infatuation with the wife. In today’s episode, Lahiri speaks with NPR’s Liane Hansen about the inspiration behind the book’s title, the author’s relationship with speaking Bengali, and Lahiri’s experience writing a story from a male perspective.


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