An Inside Look with Padma Venkatraman
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
I read an article about a boy who had been born in prison in 2003. Since that time, Kabir's character has been in my mind and heart. Often, I first hear a character's voice like static on the radio, but I wait patiently for that signal to grow stronger and clearer.
What do you think is his most admirable quality?
Remaining kind and loving in a harsh world.
Is there anything you wish Kabir would have changed or done differently in his story?
Not really. Sometimes my characters make decisions I disagree with, but writing novels is an exercise in compassion. In trying to listen to, and understand, my characters from the inside, even when I disagree with them.
What do you think he can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
Holding on to hope in the face of desperation. After he's released on his own from prison, his most desperate hope is to set his mother free. But not even his courageous best friend truly believes he can fight a system that is prejudiced against poor and low caste people like him and his mom. Yet he never gives up.
How did you research Kabir and the circumstances he found himself in?
I read a lot of nonfiction (articles and books), watched films (documentaries and fiction), listened to podcasts, and also read fiction to do with incarceration. I requested people who work with inmates, such as author Dede Fox, to give me feedback on an early draft. I also visited a prison, and had an early draft circulated among women who lived behind bars. And given that Kabir is half Hindu and half Muslim, I asked author Saadia Faruqui to read it, as well as 7 other people I trust, who are Muslim, including my brother-in-law. I am so thankful to all these beta readers for thier precious time.
Do you and he share any similarities?
I know that Kabir emerged strong and compassionate despite the injustice and childhood trauma he faced. I like to think I did too, although you should probably check with my husband and daughter about that!
What was the hardest scene to write about Kabir?
When Kabir is thrown out of prison on his own and forced to leave his mother behind, not knowing if he'll ever see her again.
Who do you think was his biggest supporter and why?
I'm not sure I know how to answer this question without referring to the whole story. Despite the difficulties that Kabir faces, he has people who believe in him, and that keeps him going. Both in jail, when he starts out, and then on the streets where he befriends the fierce and funny Rani.
Why do you think people have such relicense during difficult times in their lives and are able to move forward and find solutions to a better and more positive life?
Hard times can make some people feel bitter and angry. So it doesn't always bring out the best in everyone. I think others' empathy can be vital. And I hope that books like BORN BEHIND BARS can increase empathy.
What do you think Kabir is doing as the present time?
I hope he's smiling at me. I hope he's pleased with the way I told his story in BORN BEHIND BARS!
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)
Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)
Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)
Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)
Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)
Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)
Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)
Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)
Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)
Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)
Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)
Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)
Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)
Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)
Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)
Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)
Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)
Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)
Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)
Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)
Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)
Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot)
Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)
Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave)
Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)
Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)
Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero)
Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)
Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)
Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas)
Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There)
Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)
Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)
Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)
Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)
Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)
Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)
Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)
Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)
Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)
Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)
SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)
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