After completing her M.A. in telugu literature from Andhra University in
1972, she worked as a telugu lecturer in VSR & NVR College, tenAli from 1973
to 1986 and later worked in Usha Kiran Movies as a Senior Executive during
1986-95. She is currently the Executive President of "Asmita Resources
Center for Women" in Secunderabad.
A "racayitri" by profession, she has several works to her credit which
include "swIya kavitalu, kathalu, navalalu, anuvAdAlu, vimarSanA vyAsAlu"
and an ample lot of "strIvAda sAhityam". She is considered as one of the
premier writers committed to the cause of "strI aByudayam" and her efforts
in the recent fight for "total prohibition" of liquor sale in the state of
Andhra Pradesh are commmendable.
Her writings are instrumental in putting the thought provoking elements in
those sections of women who are otherwise engrossed in the "vanTinTi
masi". Her novels - "sahaja, svEchcha, kannITi keraTAla vennela, manavi,
AkASamlO sagam, gulAbIlu" uphold the "strI AlOcanA sravanti" by portraying
the characters of women oppressed by the circumstances. They often
suggest and instigate the "BAva viplavam" in those minds of women which are
otherwise prepared to satisfy/limit themselves with what they have/are given,
mostly by cursing their fate and fortune.
Her characters do not wait for someone "to come and change their lives",
but are always pro-active and provocative. Impressed by the philosophy
of "guDipATi venkaTa Calam", she compiled an analytical work titled
"vALLu Aruguru", a play based on the women characters in calam's stories.
"prayOgam", one of her latest works is a set of short stories which criticise
the politicizing attitude and macho thinking centered around women's anatomy,
drew a critical acclaim from many sections of the society. Her "gulAbIlu" is
a novel based on the recent anti-liquor struggle in A.P. and looks at the
negative impact of the structural adjustment on the consciousness of middle
class women.
She did several translations including "Agnes Smedley - stories", "Daughter of
the Earth", "Three Generations", "Letter to the child never born" and "Widows",
and her collections of short stories include "rAjakIya kathalu" and "prayOgam".
She edited the feminist essays titled "mAku gODalu lEvu" and the analysis of
the works of calam, titled "nUrELLa calam". She co-edited the following
anthologies - "nIli mEghAlu", "sArAmSamu" and "sarihaddulu lEni sandhyalu".
She won the best novel award in 1990, for her "AkASamlO sagam" from udayam
magazine and her literary criticism titled "ataDu, Ame, manam", a review of
a novel by SrI uppala lakshmaNa rAo was well acclaimed. In 1993, she received
an award in recognition of her work for women's cause from Telugu University.
She was one of the guests of honor at the recently held ATA congference and
is currently on a tour of U.S. invited to attend a conference on women
upliftment in New York.
She will be the guest of honor at the third "sAhitI sadassu" a gathering of
telugu people of Atlanta to be held this Saturday, on the 13th of July 1996,
from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. in the Fraser building (Room 3201- second floor)
3286 Buck Eye Road, Atlanta.
Special : Next issue of "indra dhanush", the literary magazine of telugu
people in and around Atlanta will be released on this occassion
which would carry the articles, poems and stories presented in
the first and second meetings of sAhitI sadassu.
Please contact the following for more information and for directions to
reach the venue :
SrI pemmarAju vENugOpAla rAo - (404)634-4982 (R) (404)727-4297 (O)
SrI pUrNacandra ginjupalli - (770)498-1275 (R)
SrI prasAd calasAni - (770)908-2550 (R)
Ram and Phani Dokka - (770)434-7837 (R) (770)989-4262 (O)
SrI vishwanAth vaDlamAni - (770)801-9577 (R) (404)238-3452 (O)
regards..
- Ram (Ramabhadra Dokka from sdokka@st6000.sct.edu)
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alanaTlAnTa purambunan damerikA dESampu prachchAyalan,
velugulcindeDu sambarAloka olympikkrIDalE kAdu, te
lgula sArasvata gOshThulun, saBalu, sanmAnAlu, kOkollalun,
velisE naccaTa indra cApa madigO, sAhitya sAmIkshalan !!
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sAhitI pipAsakulandarU AhvAnitulE !!
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