News about Kiran Desai

During a rally on Friday on the steps of the main branch of the New York Public Library, a week after being assaulted onstage in the western part of the state and hospitalized with stab wounds, friends and colleagues spoke out on Salman Rushdie's behalf. Rushdie's health has improved, and he has been deprived of a ventilator, according to his literary agent. Those who expressed genuine desire for a full recovery were Paul Auster, Jeffrey Eugenides, Tina Brown, and Kiran Desai. Rushdie was described as an inspiration and defender of free expression in stories, essays, and speeches, including from 'The Satanic Verses,' the 1988 book that was criticized by some Muslims as blasphemous.'