Twenty Someone: Rituparna Kanoria

Hometown: Calcutta, India

College: Smt. J.D. Birla Institute, Jadavpur University and University of Pennsylvania

Graduate School: Columbia University

Age: 25

Occupation: Graduate Student

1. Describe your job in three words: Refreshing, intense and fun.

2. What was it like when you moved from Calcutta to Philadelphia? It was actually my first visit to the United States. I remember comparing the entire landscape to a Hollywood movie! I would look at something and go, “oh, that looks like it belongs to a movie!” I was also pleasantly surprised because it was the first time that I was interacting with Americans and Americans are not what you just see in movies and television which is what shapes the global perception. Also, I was in love with the Penn campus! Philly taught me that I have what it takes to live on my own. jhhbhgggghjjhlrthjfldsghsdflghjsldfghsldfghjsdflgjhsdfjgbdfs,jgbsdf,gjsfdgjsd,fgj,sdjfg

3. Were your parents nervous about your move? They were because it was the first time that I would be living alone. I was very sure that I could handle it. They never approved of my studying in America, but I managed to convince them. I knew it was coming at some point and I’d rather do it as a student than at a later stage.

4. How did you convince them? Give me two lines of what I’m sure was a persuasive speech. My only line was: even if I had to die tomorrow, I would be happy knowing that I lived my life and did what I wanted. And it worked! Yes, we wouldn’t be talking right now otherwise!

5. Something you would like to learn more about. I am very interested in calligraphy and typography… how fonts influence the effectiveness of a message.

6. Your favorite book and why? Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome.

It talks about the foibles of three friends as they undertake a boat trip. I love the quaint, British charm of the book and it’s relaxed, unhurried pace.

Also, the humor is very different and quintessentially British. This is one of the few books which actually had me laughing so hard that it hurt. jfhfjhsdfhldsfdhlgfdkhglfdjhgfjldgh

7. If you wrote a book about your life what would you title it? The Agony and The Ecstasy which is already the name of a book by Irving Stone, but it suits my life just fine.

8. Who do you admire for their courage? Lance Armstrong. Has your opinion of him changed at all since the recent allegations? Not a bit! A man who has endured as much as he has cannot break the rules to get the extra edge. Cannot or would not? Would not. I’ve met him. He has the integrity and strength of character.

9. 2013 will be a great year because…I’m in a great city doing great work with great people!

10. In ten years you will be…running an avant-garde design shop with a focus on typography and visual identity.

2 responses to “Twenty Someone: Rituparna Kanoria”

Cookie

January 10, 2013 at 9:12 am

Interesting comment about Lance Armstrong. It will be worth a follow up interview and her opinion of him after all of the facts come out!

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Pallavi kanoria

February 1, 2013 at 9:51 am

Hi u finally convinced us

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