Kaavya Viswanathan: The Dangers of Being "Exceptional"
Words by Jayseelan Muthukumar
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Kaavya Viswanathan: The Dangers of Being "Exceptional"
Kaavya Viswanathan has always been remembered by one single story. One of theft, privilege, exceptional talent, and above all, one of caution that threatens the very sanctity of the American publishing industry. Her story acts as a quiet and forgotten warning; for the young people, for South Asians, for the industry, for the prodigies, and for the writers.
Viswanathan has anything but a humble background; her parents had traveled around the world, stayed in the United Kingdom before settling in the United States when Viswanathan was age 2. Born as the only daughter to a leading neurosurgeon and a gynecologist-turned-housemaker, Viswanathan grew up in the densely South Asian populated region of New Jersey.
Kaavya Viswanathan was at the centre of the American Dream. And she had everything she needed to achieve it.