Ode to Lata & Outfest
In 2002, Los Angeles-based writer and Satrang member Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla released his first book, Ode to Lata, which drew from his own experience as an Kenyan-Indian immigrant to the US, his relationship to the community formed at Satrang, and as a response to what he had not found in similar literature. The protagonist, Ali, is a banker by day and denizen of Los Angeles’ clubs by night. The book, passionate and honest, questions how low one man must fall to explore his sexuality, his relationship to his past, his family, and his lovers to find himself. The book launch was held at A Different Light bookstore in West Hollywood and attended by many Satrang members. Ode to Lata was adapted into a feature film, The Ode, and debuted at the Outfest Film Festival in 2008. In the audio clip below, you can hear Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla speaking about his writing process and the support of his community as well as Sanjay Chhugani speaking about Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival.
In 2002, Los Angeles-based writer and Satrang member Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla released his first book, Ode to Lata, which drew from his own experience as an Kenyan-Indian immigrant to the US, his relationship to the community formed at Satrang, and as a response to what he had not found in similar literature. The protagonist, Ali, is a banker by day and denizen of Los Angeles’ clubs by night. The book, passionate and honest, questions how low one man must fall to explore his sexuality, his relationship to his past, his family, and his lovers to find himself. The book launch was held at A Different Light bookstore in West Hollywood and attended by many Satrang members. Ode to Lata was adapted into a feature film, The Ode, and debuted at the Outfest Film Festival in 2008. In the audio clip below, you can hear Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla speaking about his writing process and the support of his community as well as Sanjay Chhugani speaking about Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival.
Curators
Aziz Sohail is a Pakistani-born curator and writer whose research and resultant projects honor and recognise the power of queer & feminist collectivity, sociability, joy and wayward encounter. They are currently a PhD Candidate in Curatorial Practice at Monash University, Australia.
Alexis Bard Johnson is the Curator at the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries. She oversees the exhibitions, programs, and art collection at one of the largest repositories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer materials in the world. She most recently curated Looking for Lesbians, Six (Linear) Feet and the online exhibition Safer at Home. She holds a PhD in Art History from Stanford University and a BA from Princeton University.