Narayan Shankaran has served as a Development Officer for LIC of India for over three decades. He holds an MBA and a PhD in Management Studies, focusing on the Dynamics of Emotional and Social Intelligence. An avid writer and translator in both Kannada and English, some of his published articles, essays, and translations have been well received. His collection of essays, Figuratively Speaking, is popular among English language teachers and students. For several years, Shankaran has been actively involved in training and teaching management students, insurance professionals, and corporate employees. He is closely associated with the Chinmaya Mission and plays an active role in managing Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Mandya. Additionally, Shankaran is a connoisseur of literature, music, and movies.

  • The Preferred Pronoun and Other Stories

    Author: Guruprasad Kaginele, Translator: Narayan Shankaran

    The Preferred Pronoun and Other Stories is a unique collection of twelve short stories by Guruprasad Kaginele. These stories arise from the restless tension of being away from one’s roots, the haunting nostalgia for the home left behind, and the interplay of diverse cultures, while also exploring the process of integrating into a new environment. Set against the backdrop of America and within the medical world, the stories reflect the author’s thoughts and experiences.
    From Osama, who nervously sweats after discovering a semiautomatic pistol in a schoolteacher’s house, to Morris, a middle aged individual on a quest for the perfect pronoun after gender transformation, the collection brings a wide array of characters and situations to life. The Nesting, a story that triggers many thoughts with its metaphorical allusions to a home blooming over the doom of another, and The Big Save, a story about a doctor yearning to regain his lost mojo despite realizing that it requires jeopardizing a life to save another, along with other stories, amply illustrate the author’s uncanny prowess in the dramatic presentation of compassion, love, jealousy, torts and their befitting punishments, the thin line between good and evil, and other subtle nuances.

    The stories depict three phases of a migrant’s life: the naiveté and challenges of a new immigrant, the process of assimilation, and the adaptation to American culture, seamlessly woven together to create a cohesive narrative of diverse experiences. Stemming from the choice to build a life in a foreign land, the narratives explore the politics and ethnic consciousness tied to that journey. Through the lens of a doctor’s work and family life in America, Kaginele captures the dynamic political changes in the country, while revealing subtle shifts in ethnic sensibilities and the evolving nature of interpersonal relationships in the migrant experience.

    Interested customers may write to us at mup@manipal.edu about purchasing the book. 

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