Ranjan Adiga
He/Him/His
FULL-TIME FacultyAssociate Professor
English
Phone: 801.832.2382
Email: radiga@westminsteru.edu
Office Location: Foster Hall 105
Office Hours: TTh 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Degrees:
Ph.D. University of Hawaii - Manoa
About
I was born and raised in Nepal. I speak English as a second language. Although we didn't really speak English at home, I've always been drawn to the English language when it comes to writing stories. Maybe that's because the language allows me a sense of escape and imagination. As writers, we are simultaneously participating in and observing our surroundings. In my classes, we talk about embracing that in-between space, a fertile ground for imagination and empathy. I'm working on a collection of stories, some of which have been published in Story Quarterly, Belmont Review, among other journals. At Westminster I teach fiction/creative nonfiction workshops as well as literature courses.
Interests
According to the Pew Research Center, Asians are the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S. One of my interests is meeting the South Asian diaspora in Salt Lake City. Our diverse community is made up of academics, doctors, restaurant servers, bus drivers, business owners, asylum seekers; Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Atheists. I love listening to their stories about why we immigrate, and how it's working out. Partnering with Promise South Salt Lake, I teach a summer writing workshop focused on immigrant children, and the power of storytelling that helps us articulate our shared experience.
