Ep. 78: Being an American Desi with educator and children's author Jyoti Rajan Gopal

The Indian Edit

So many of us think “Why hasn’t someone created this already?” yet so few go ahead and create it ourselves. My latest guest Jyoti Rajan Gopal is an educator who began writing picture books when she found frustratingly little diverse choices for her kindergarten class. Jyoti taps into her international upbringing and deep experience with young children to create these gems. Having published two beautiful books with loads more in the pipeline, Jyoti shares her publishing journey, starting modeling late in her career and lots more on this fun chat. A must listen, especially for writers and those with young kids in their lives!

Listen below or at www.theindianedit.com and please take a second to rate us wherever you’re listening so the voices of these inspiring women can be heard all over the world!

SHOWNOTES FOR EPISODE 78:

Find Jyoti on her website, on instagram and twitter

American Desi

My Paati’s Saris

Jyoti’s forthcoming books

Other Books we discussed:

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Troublemakers: Lessons in Freedom from Young Children at School by Carla Shalaby

The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us about the Relationship Between Parents and Children by Alison Gopnik

Kindergarten: A Teacher, Her Students, and a Year of Learning by Julie Diamond

Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community by Alfie Kohn a progressive educator

White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America by Khyati Joshi (“about the ways that Christianity permeates the American Constitution, American laws, American way of life”)

Take Joy: A Writer's Guide to Loving the Craft by Jane Yolen (a writing book Jyoti loves)

The Important Thing about Margaret Wise Brown by Mac Barnett (“a fabulously written picture book about the author Margaret Wise Brown”)

The President Sang Amazing Grace by Zoe Mulford

Other Favorites:

Indian Raga Channel on YouTube

Questions? Comments? Get in touch @theindianeditpodcast on Instagram !

Special thanks to Varun Dhabe and the team @ Boon Castle / Flying Carpet Productions for audio post-production engineering!