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Washington Post
5 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
A playfully inventive novel set in Ukraine asks serious questions
Upon an initial reading, Maria Reva's remarkable debut novel, 'Endling,' might be categorized several different ways: a war novel about modern-day Ukraine; a metafictional tale that examines the ethics of writing about conflict and violence; a satirical send-up of the mail-order bride industry in Ukraine; a biologist's quest to save the last remaining snail of a species. Amazingly, 'Endling' is all these things. Reva was born in Ukraine, moved as a child with her family to Canada, and was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2020, she published a linked story collection, 'Good Citizens Need Not Fear,' about the disparate residents of a decaying building block in the small Ukrainian town of Kirovka in the 1980s. Instead of looking back a few decades, much of 'Endling' animates the devastation of present-day Ukraine since the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. At the novel's onset, the reader meets Yeva, a renegade biologist who is trying to save a snail named Lefty (hence 'Endling,' a term used to describe the last survivor of a dying species). Not surprisingly, Yeva prefers snails to the company of humans. She lives in a battered RV, which also doubles as her mobile lab. Reva writes: 'Snails! There'd been a time when she would tell anyone who'd listen how amazing these creatures were. How the many gastropod species have evolved to live anywhere on the planet, from deserts to deep ocean trenches. How they have gills to live in water, or have lungs to live on land — some, like the apple snail, possess one of each, to withstand both monsoons and droughts.' Yeva meets Nastia and Sol, sisters who are working for the same 'romance tour' (a euphemism for a mail-order bridal business), and moonlights for them to fund her ongoing snail research. The young women are looking for their mother, a radical activist who used to fight 'against many evils, particularly the international bridal industry.' As part of this effort, Nastia hatches a plan to kidnap a band of bachelors, hoping that potential media coverage of the exploit will attract their mother's attention. Invoking the spirit of Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick,' Reva writes about Nastia's feelings for Yeva's RV: 'Every time she saw the thing — lumbering, white, speckled with rust — she felt a tinge of relief mixed with excitement. It seemed to grow larger every time she saw it, a great whale about to swallow a hundred men whole. It was the key to her plan.' This is one of the reader's first hints that this narrative is tipping toward epic proportions and has no intentions of staying constrained within traditional narrative conventions. Soon, Russia invades — and the novel we've been reading up to this point is interrupted. In Part II, the reader is introduced to the first-person voice of author Maria Reva. She is struggling to write her first novel in her parents' attic in Canada, and her agent, Rufus Redpen (ha!), is touching base about the manuscript, which is well past overdue. 'My words drag along, on the verge of falling apart, but isn't this precarious place where true Art lives?' Reva writes. After she attempts to describe the novel, Redpen responds that the project sounds like merely 'a bunch of yurts,' or 'hobbled nubs of narrative, barely connected.' Then, 'Endling' swerves into an interview between an 'Unfamous Author' and 'Yurt Makers.' 'What right do I have to write about the war from my armchair?' the author says. 'And to keep writing about the mail-order bride industry seems even worse. Dredge up that cliché? In these times? Anyway, am I even a real Ukrainian?' Throughout these meta forays, the author raises more and more questions. Though Reva doesn't answer all these questions, she tests the boundaries of storytelling with freshness and humor despite the bleak subject matter. A variety of voices, forms and ideas spring forth with a playful inventiveness: a correspondence between a magazine editor and the author, a completed grant application, more interviews, meeting minutes. In another author's hands, these departures might be experienced as digressions, draining suspense and power from the story, but Reva they alchemizes them into something between imagination and reality, an original way to investigate the artifice of the novel — its limitations but also its expansiveness. There may have been a few moments when this reader stumbled over the disparate narrative strategies, but ultimately it's easy to be won over by a novel that includes writing from a snail's point of view. 'Endling,' original as it is, did evoke other reading experiences: the survivalist adventure of Octavia Butler's classic 'The Parable of the Sower,' the sly satire of Percival Everett's 'Erasure,' the poetic inventions of Dana Spiotta's 'Stone Arabia' and 'Wayward.' Reva places her metaphorical arms around all of it — with the intention of using language to express the inexpressible: senseless violence, loneliness, extreme suffering and grief. Near the beginning of 'Endling,' Reva writes about the bond between Yeva and a fellow conservationist: 'For comfort, for reassurance that, despite setbacks, their labs still offered the snails a higher chance of survival than the wild. They needed each other to bear witness, because the rest of the world didn't.' In the end, this may be the fulfilled purpose of Reva's wildly inventive novel: to bear witness. S. Kirk Walsh is a book critic whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among other places, and the author of the novel 'The Elephant of Belfast.' By Maria Reva Doubleday. 338 pp. $28
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Fake brides have their own agenda in Ukraine native's heart-stopping ‘Endling'
Maria Reva creates beautiful, purposeful chaos. Informed by deep personal loss, her startling metafictional debut novel, 'Endling,' is a forceful mashup of storytelling modes that call attention to its interplay of reality and fiction — a Ukrainian tragicomedy of errors colliding with social commentary about the Russian invasion. A poorly planned crime serves as the anchor. 'Endling' throws three strangers involved with Ukraine's for-profit international matchmaking market together for a quixotic kidnapping caper in a nation on the brink of war. There's a twisted, postmodern 'Canterbury Tales'-like quality to these proceedings: Like medieval pilgrims, its central characters are each on a journey they hope will change their lives. And everyone is suffering some level of delusion. If 'Endling' has a main character, it's the woman whose mission is to save the nation's endangered snails; another key player is a lone wolf terrorist who hopes her political orchestrations will spark a family reunion. Then there's the lonely, disaffected expatriate bachelor on the hunt for a quiet, traditional wife. Through their perspectives, black humor flows freely, as the motivations and experiences that brought this motley crew together rise to the surface. Context is crucial in 'Endling.' These characters cross paths early in 2022, when mass violence threatens to overwhelm every other concern. But despite the amassing of Russian troops on the border, the military invasion of Ukraine seems so surreal that no one knows what to believe or how much to fear. So these quests march on even as the crack of explosions grows louder. The stories that emerge about our three key players are evocative, provocative and absurd — a contrast to looming darkness. Between those narratives, there are commentaries about the history and politics of Ukraine and on publishing and writing about Ukraine, plus the author's family and its plight at the time of the book's writing. As Reva, a native of Ukraine, writes in an early, epistolary section, in response to a magazine editor's critique of the irreverence of her solicited essay about the war: 'You'd asked for the type of reporting/response that would differ from that of a non-Ukrainian. In Ukraine, dark humor dates back to the Soviet days, giving people who live in uncontrollable circumstances a sense of power. If you can laugh about a dark reality, you rise above it, etc.' No story better exemplifies that ethos than that of the teenage fake bride turned kidnapper who aches for her mother. Young, beautiful Nastia (a.k.a. Anastasia) — just 18 years old and six months past high school graduation — brings the group together. Ostensibly to stop the exploitation of women, this daughter of a fierce feminist activist who has long protested the tourist marriage market resolves to make an unforgettable public statement by kidnapping 100 male clients of the matchmaking service 'Romeo and Yulia' at the start of one of its romance tours. Though the stunt is nominally aimed at exposing and ending degrading matchmaking practices, what Nastia really yearns for is her missing parent's attention. When Nastia decides that a mobile trailer van in the guise of an escape room would be the perfect means of the men's abduction, she begs Yeva, a fellow bride in possession of an RV, to rent it to her. Like Nastia, Yeva is a 'bride' with an agenda. A scientist who's lost her grant funding, Yeva uses the marriage mart grift to sustain her life's work. Her story exemplifies the mercenary nature of the international marriage market. While Romeo and Yulia's 'brides,' as the women are called, aren't paid a salary, they regularly receive gifts from suitors. In exchange for allowing the agency to use her as 'shimmering bait' on the website, women like Yeva 'could also return tour after tour and, without bending any rules, make decent money. In fact, the agency endorsed the practice: any gifts ordered by bachelors through the agency — gym membership, cooking class, customizable charm bracelet — could be redeemed by the brides for cash from the agency office.' Yeva's story gives the novel a melancholy moral center. And it's from Yeva's quest that the book derives its title: An 'endling' is the last individual in a dying species, the kind she is dedicated to protecting. After losing access to institutional support, Yeva equipped the trailer as a roaming laboratory and storage site where (at the peak) she sustained over 270 species of rare gastropods. Though she prefers mollusks to men, it's Yeva who insists on reducing the kidnapping target from 100 to 12, a number that the trailer could humanely accommodate. Pasha, one of the men Nastia lures to the trailer, has his own ambitions. Born in Ukraine and raised in Canada, Pasha's secret is that he doesn't plan to return to the West with his bride like the other clients. Instead, he fantasizes about resettling in the Ukraine and forging a life that might command the respect he craves from his parents. Pasha is the sympathetic face of Western men beguiled by nostalgia for 'traditional' wives unsullied by feminism and high expectations. His motives are sincere even if his relationship with women and his family might be better served through therapy. 'Endling' isn't an easy read, but it is brilliant and heart-stopping. Authorial interludes can feel like interruptions, but by breaking the fourth wall, Reva forces us to pay attention to the ongoing devastation behind the narrative while unpacking the compromises of storytelling. Plus, Yeva, Nastia and Pasha and the merchants of romance spin their own fictions: They have trouble telling the difference between truth and make-believe even as the sounds of war grow near and even when bullets penetrate flesh. This building up and breaking down of artifice forces reflection on how we use fiction to explore and bend reality while undermining the comforts of distance. As the author confesses, 'I need to keep fact and fiction straight, but they keep blurring together.' Bell is a critic and media researcher exploring culture, politics and identity in art.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nvidia is in constant 'cat-and-mouse game' with US regulators
Nvidia (NVDA) released its highly anticipated first quarter earnings report after Wednesday's closing bell, rounding out the Magnificent Seven's earnings season. Ahead of the earnings release, the Trump administration released an order for US suppliers to halt shipments of AI chip software to China. The chip stock continues to get a lift in extended hours trading after beating first quarter revenue estimates — $44.1 billion vs. estimates of $43.3 billion — while bans on chip shipments to China dragged down the company's earnings per share to $0.81 (below estimates of $0.93 per share). Rhodium Group Director Reva Goujon comes on Yahoo Finance's Nvidia earnings special to speak further on the United States' export controls on AI semiconductors and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's relationship with President Trump. Also catch Benchmark Company's Cody Acree full interview with Yahoo Finance on Nvidia's business in China and whether it can overcome new trade barriers. When video like most chip makers has struggled with geopolitical concerns, tariff policies and global marketplace risk, our next guest is a geopolitical strategist who works with businesses and governments to help mitigate risk. Reva Gujan is the director at Rhodium Group. It's a research and advisory firm focusing on global challenges and data analysis. Reva, it is great to see with always. So let me get your take Reva on on this Nvidia report and specifically Reva, what do you make of of what they're telling us about business in China? Uh, well, they are certainly lamenting declining business in China due to the H20 ban. As we know, Jensen referred to that as a deeply painful hit, um, affecting some 15 billion in potential sales of the China market. So obviously they're not thrilled about that. Um, but it was a long time coming, right? And Nvidia is also trying to use a lot of momentum in the moment from Trump's overhaul of the Biden era AI diffusion rule, which opens up third markets, uh, for Nvidia to to deploy its GPUs while still closing off China. Um, but they're trying to use that momentum to also push for a broader easing of chip controls on China directly. There are just a lot of reasons why I don't think that latter part is going to happen. Well, and Reva, Nvidia continues to try to sort of get around these export controls. There's been reporting that it's developing another chip to ship into China, although it did say in a filing today that it might be unable to uh, provide and create that product that would be a competitive one in China. Do you think it does succeed in sort of getting around the the rules as it has been? It's tough. I mean, there is a cat and mouse game between BIS regulators at Commerce on the one hand and Nvidia on the other. Of course, Nvidia is going to be the prime target under scrutiny for the design of any potential controls. And so, you know, with this, the the kind of variant of the Blackwell chip for the China market, um, from what we can tell, right, they have designed it to strip down the memory bandwidth by more than half compared to the original H20. Um, they designed this without any advanced coOS advanced packaging technology. Um, so it's a stripped down, uh, chip and it is going to come at a discount, but you, this is where you also have Huawei, um, with a competitive edge, um, offering discounted chips, um, that are also are going to be at higher performance. Reva, you know, President Trump right now does seem to be a fan of Jensen Wong. You saw them in the Middle East together. That's a nice place for Jensen to be. I'm wondering how you think Jensen Wong maybe could try and and capitalize on that relationship, capitalize on that friendship, Reva. Well, it's, uh, it's a mixed bag, right? There are a number of tech influencers surrounding the president, um, and he's hearing from from all of them, but there are also lines being drawn. And I think the message here, um, for a company like Nvidia and others is focus on the X China market for your growth, right? Don't bank on on that market for your future that, you know, AI infrastructure build outs have to happen all around the world. Um, Jensen has taken this message globally of this idea of AI sovereignty and he wants Nvidia to be at the epicenter of those build outs. Uh, from a policy perspective, the White House agrees and says, you know, this is the time to lock in those AI infrastructure dependencies so that it's US-made and design chips and US hyperscalers that are are leading these build outs globally, but not in China, right? And so, so that's the catch here. So whenever you're looking at any one of these tech influencers, there's always going to be, um, some give and take on on how far that influence actually goes. Stay tuned for Yahoo Finance's special live coverage of Nvidia's first quarter earnings here, beginning at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28. Sign in to access your portfolio
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Gujarat offers unmatched warmth and hospitality: Monal Gajjar
Monal Gajjar joined us for a Gujarat Day shoot at Tran Darwaja, Ahmedabad For Monal Gajjar , Gujarat is 'maru ghar.' On Gujarat Day , the Kasoombo actress, who joined us for a shoot, tells us, 'No matter which place I travel to, as soon as I am in Gujarat and meet Gujaratis, I know I am home. When I used to work down south (she has done Tamil and Telugu films), I would be ecstatic even if I met one Gujarati person! That is the beauty of our state and our people; we can be in any part of the country but if you meet a fellow Gujarati, they treat you warmly and most importantly, feed you home food. The warmth and hospitality offered by Gujarat and its people is unmatchable.' 'Despite development, we haven't let go of our traditions and culture' Talking about Gujarat's diversity and rich culture, Monal says, 'Be it literature, business sense, music, share market or different art forms like theatre and dance, Gujarat is known for everything in some way or the other. I feel proud that when Gujaratis meet, they can talk about anything because we have been able to tap into various fields successfully.' She adds, 'Also, when you talk about development, it has been wholesome. Whether it's the metro or the kind of infrastructure that the city has today, it is brilliant. However, what is special is that despite development, we haven't let go of our traditions and culture. In the old city in Ahmedabad, people still celebrate festivals together and your neighbours become your family. It's true for every city in Gujarat.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 'Want to do more films like Reva that talk about Gujarat' Monal, who was a part of the National Award-winning Gujarati film Reva, says 'it shaped my career and my personality', adding, 'Doing a film which represents Gujarat, its culture and Narmada river, and successfully reaching the right audience, will remain a highlight of my career. When I go to Tier 2 or Tier 3 cities, people tell me, 'We have seen you in Reva', and I feel it is a win-win situation for all of us. I wish to do more films that talk about untapped topics and stories of Gujarat.' She adds, "The stereotype of Gujaratis carrying theplas everywhere is true. I feel happy about it; we will never starve and can offer theplas to others too. Gujarati food is my comfort food. Khichdi, aloo ki sabzi and buttermilk remain my go-to Gujarati food."
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Pankaj Udhas' wife and daughters on his Padma Bhushan honour: It was a bittersweet feeling, we wish he was with us
Late singer Pankaj Udhas was honoured posthumously with the Padma Bhushan — India's third-highest civilian award — for his contribution to the field of art. His wife, Farida Udhas, who accepted the honour from President Droupadi Murmu on Monday (April 28) evening, tells us, 'I received the award on his behalf. It was a bittersweet feeling. I felt so proud of him, but at the same time, missed him at every moment.' The Ghazal maestro's daughters – Nayaab Udhas and Reva Udhas – also attended the ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi. Nayaab, his elder daughter, says, 'It was the proudest day of our lives. Dad took ghazal to the masses and as his daughters, Reva and I felt so proud when he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan. Everyone we met reiterated the same feeling. Meeting President Droupadi Murmu ji and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji was heartwarming. They spoke so highly of dad and shared anecdotes of their memories of him. The fact that they spared the time to meet every winner and their families individually spoke volumes about how much they value art and its contributors.' Reva, his younger daughter, 'felt his presence' at every moment. She tells us, 'We missed dad so much and wished he was there to receive it himself. It was an emotional moment for us, but we tried to stay strong. We feel proud that he was ours and we belonged to him.' The singer, who had hits such as Chitthi Aai Hai (Naam; 1993) and Chandi Jaisa Rang Hai Tera, died on February 26, 2024, at the age of 72. A master of the ghazal genre, he began his rise to fame in the early 1980s with the album Aahat, which quickly became a sensation among music lovers.
