VOGUE INDIA - For a man who steers the world’s most formidable online activist network—Avaaz.org, a seven- year-old web movement that’s empowered millions to tackle everything from corruption to climate change—Ricken Patel is surprisingly soft-spoken. But there’s an urgency to his statements. "This is going to sound whacky," prefaces the 37-year-old, holding court in his Manhattan office, with views of bustling Union Square...continue to the full article here.
Man of the Moment →
VOGUE INDIA - There's nothing charming about Akhil Sharma's desk. Wedged in a closet inside his handsome Manhattan flat, the modest space is an unlikely sanctuary for an award-winning author. But it's within these claustrophobic confines that Sharma - who works with the sliding doors closed - scribed much of his second novel, Family Life. "Writing for me, feels deeply selfish," reveals Sharma, 42. "Hiding in my cubby and sealing myself in makes it easier." Family Life, releasing this month in India...continue to the full article here.
The Wind Chaser →
VOGUE INDIA - About six years ago, on a flight from New Delhi to Darjeeling, a voice on the loudspeaker directed my attention to an ethereal mountain peak wreathed in fog. It was majestic, overwhelming— a view I would see more intimately in the days to come. Soon, I’d join 65 elite runners from all over the globe on an ultramarathon that featured rare glimpses of the world's highest points: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga...continue to the full article here.
Man of Letters →
VOGUE INDIA - On a Monday morning at the Huffington Post headquarters in downtown Manhattan, backpack slung boyishly across one shoulder, managing editor Jimmy Soni leads me on a tour of the labyrinthine office. He offers a lively weekend recap: three blissful days at a friend’s beach house in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. “I’ve never done that before,” he admits. “But if you don’t carve out time for yourself, this job can get all consuming.” He pauses...continue to the full article here.
Special Delivery →
VOGUE INDIA - For the discerning customer, nothing spells luxury like getting an item custom made. Vogue witnesses just what made-to-order really means when six labels get up close and personal with their muses. Zameer Kassam's eyes sparkle, much like the diamond ring he's clasping. The breathtaking bauble belongs to one of the jeweller’s favourite clients, Manhattan-based attorney, Susheila Khachane...continue to the full article here.
Legal Eagle →
VOGUE INDIA - Forty-nine-year-old Kamala Harris, the attorney general of California, is the first woman to be elected as her state's top law enforcement officer. In a recent face-off, Harris, who battles financial institutions guilty of mortgage fraud, recovered and estimated 20 billion dollars for jilted home-owners. "I would cast Kamala in a movie about Kamala," says Hollywood producer-director JJ Abrams, floored by Harris' glamorous looks...continue to the full article here.
Code Breaker →
VOGUE INDIA - As a bright-eyed software engineering student in Coimbatore almost a decade ago, Aarthi Ramamurthy regularly put herself through rickety bus rides around South Indian villages. Her goal? To teach kids how to code. It’s how she met her husband, Sriram Krishnan, explains the 29-year-old tech wizard. "We were student ambassadors," she says. "Super romantic,"...continue to the full article here.
Minority Report →
VOGUE INDIA - Over the weeks that followed the gut-wrenching massacre at a gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin last August—a tragedy that left seven (including the gunman) dead—a brave, young voice filled American airwaves. Even as she spoke for the rights of Sikh-Americans on a dizzying array of media platforms, Valarie Kaur propelled members of her grieving community to organise vigils, draft op-eds...continue to the full article here.
Big City, Big Love →
VOGUE INDIA - With a disarming chuckle, Sreenath Sreenivasan, 42, chief digital officer at Columbia University, declares he's the world's best behaved husband—a requirement when you're married to a competitive rifle shooter. "She can shoot, her dad can shoot and her mom won a state shooting championship when she was pregnant, reveals the tech journalist, sharing a smile with his Arjuna Award...continue to the full article here.
Sounds Tracker →
AFAR - Q. You started your own record label, Cumbancha, in 2006. How did you get interested in world music? A. When I was a teenager, I spent a year as an exchange student in Reykjavik, Iceland. I went with a choir to what was then the Soviet Union. I had my guitar with me and found that music was the gateway to meeting people. After completing my master's degree in ethnomusicology at UCLA, I felt the academic side was too stodgy...continue to the full article here.
A Beautiful Mind →
VOGUE INDIA - On a brisk Saturday in December, Harvard University stirs awake. Scant clusters of students shuffle through the legendary Quad, while the occasional camera-wielding tourist pauses, entranced by the brick and ivy. Such is the view from the office of Professor Gita Gopinath, who is far from sleepy this morning. Perched behind her desk, the striking economist finds peace here on the second floor of the Littauer Center, a stately columned building bordering the campus’ north end...continue to the full article here.
Nowhere Man →
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - About two months ago, armed with a range of artifacts that served as visual testaments to our love and commitment for each other—a monstrous wedding album, the lease to our New Jersey condo and a range of mementos that chronicled a two-year courtship—my husband and I appeared for our green card interview. Inside a gritty government building in downtown Newark...continue to the full article here.