AS WE GROW AND CHANGE

Sheila Yasmin Marikar. Image credit: *WILL TEE YANG.*

Sheila Yasmin Marikar is the author of two novels, The Goddess Effect and Friends In Napa, being published by Mindy’s Book Studio in April.

Her work has been published in the New Yorker, New York Times, The Economist, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, Vogue, and many other publications. Her New York Times Magazine profile of chef Gaggan Anand was selected for the 2021 edition of Best American Food Writing. Sheila began her career at ABC News. A native of New Jersey, she is a graduate of Cornell University, where she studied history. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband. More at www.sheilamarikar.com.

Name: Sheila Yasmin Marikar. My mother once told me that my first name means stubborn, which tracks. The name Marikar derives from Muslim seafarers who settled in the South Indian state of Kerala, where my father is from.

Currently: My second novel, Friends in Napa, comes out April 1. It’s a murder mystery set in Napa Valley as well as an exploration of what happens to the friendships you make in your formative years as you grow and change. It’s also a send-up of the high-end wine world and the fussiness that surrounds it. Have you ever been at a long, fancy dinner and found yourself fantasizing about being at home in your sweatpants? This book is for you.

My life in 50 words: Born and raised in New Jersey, besides a year in Germany. Wanted to be an artist, studied history instead (“more sensible”), worked in media in New York City, moved west, settled in Los Angeles. Writes fiction and narrative nonfiction for the New Yorker, the New York Times, and more.

The writer in me took flight when: I became an entertainment reporter for a national broadcast network. The newsroom was a pressure cooker, the phones never stopped ringing, and the choice was write or fail, fast.

The artist in me wishes: That I could create without judging myself.

My favourite line in literature: “Hell is other people.”

Favourite colours: All of them – pink, teal, saffron, indigo, violet, mandarin... even gray, which is underrated.

Favourite designer: I appreciate Phoebe Philo’s audacity.

Favourite movie: Clueless is an all-time favourite. Getting on the 101 really is like that.

Favourite musicians: Oh, there are so many. I’m in my jazz era (Miles Davis/Dave Brubeck/Stan Getz) but Jay-Z, Drake, Daft Punk, and Mariah Carey are long-held favorites.

Favourite songs: Kind of Blue (Miles Davis); Tuscan Leather (Drake); everything from Billy Joel’s greatest hits album.

Favourite TV shows: The Sopranos and the original Frasier.

Favourite ice cream flavour: Mint chocolate chip, though I can be swayed by butter pecan or a variation.

Favourite cuisine: This is tough. I could not live without Indian – north and south, don’t make me pick! – but I also adore the salads and kebabs of Greece and the Middle East, the pasta of Italy, the cheese of France, the heat of Thai... thinking about what I want to have for dinner is a Top 5 favourite activity.

Favourite restaurant: Gymkhana, in London.

Favourite sports: A long, leisurely run in a scenic place. I enjoy the idea of tennis but in practice, I am never as good as I think I should be, given how many lessons I took growing up. Maybe I need to actually practicse!

Favourite sportsperson: Serena Williams.

Favourite author: Cannot pick one but I will try anything by Haruki Murakami.

Favourite activities: Wading in water, walk and talks with friends, hikes with a good audiobook, ambling through a new city or part of town and not being afraid to get lost, browsing farmer’s, flea, and many other sorts of markets, reading with a glass of something delicious and a bowl of snacks within arm’s reach.

I hang out: On my couch, legs up on the armrest.

I’m freaked out by: The greater outdoors (camping, bugs, places where I don’t get cell phone service), drivers who don’t slow down at stop signs (let alone stop), unapologetic and unwarranted rudeness, the general state of things.

I need: Natural light and lots of water.

My role models: My mother for her strength of character, unbounded enthusiasm, and ability to persevere; my father for his relentless pursuit of his interests (jazz, books, foreign films) and unapologetic contrarianism.

Tips to save the planet: ...can we?

In a perfect world: I’ve woken up at dawn, watched the sunrise while grinding out 2,000 words that are solid gold, gone on a four mile hike, submerged myself in a pool, had an enormous Greek salad for lunch, maybe a glass or two of white wine, napped in the sun, taken a scaldingly hot shower, sat in bed in a bathrobe staring at my phone for entirely too long... had a martini, an excellent dinner, read some more, and gone to bed. And come up with a way to save the planet.

Be a Desi Star! If you’d like Desi News readers to ‘meet’ you, call 416-695-4357 or e-mail desinews@rogers.com to arrange a photo session! It’s fun and it’s free!

MEET SHEILA

AS WE GROW AND CHANGE