Anisha Durve was born in India, grew up in Ohio, and lived all over the country before a seven-year run in Fort Lauderdale and a move to Miami two years ago. An acupuncturist, Ayurvedic doctor, yoga therapist, and meditation instructor – she blends all of those things in her clinical practice – as well as an author, her first book, a clinical textbook, is Marma Points of Ayurveda; her second book, The Power to Break Free: Surviving Domestic Violence With a Special Reference to Abuse in Indian Marriages, is part memoir and part handbook. She’s been a Friend of the Fair since coming to Miami.
How did you first learn about Miami Book Fair?
I feel like I’ve always known about it, even when I was living in Fort Lauderdale. A lot of my clients went every year and I wanted to go, too, but I always seemed to be out of town when it happened. It wasn’t until I moved to Miami that I was finally able to go myself.
So 2023 was your first year at the Fair.
Yes, and what made me realize I couldn’t miss out on it any longer was one of my favorite comedians, Trevor Noah. He wrote the book Born a Crime, which I loved, and I didn’t know he was coming to the Fair until afterward – I was so upset! I was like, I can never miss another Miami Book Fair, ever. [laughs]
What do you think the Fair has brought to the city, and what has it brought to you?
I don’t think the Fair is the first thing that comes to mind when people think about Miami and the cultural hub that’s been created downtown, but the Fair is definitely a part of that, and it shows that we have a strong literary community here. For myself, it is so exciting to be around other writers and hear their stories, and to find out why they wrote the books that they did.
What do you appreciate most about being a Friend?
Being a part of this bigger community – meeting new people at the events, getting to talk to authors, and hearing about their work and inspiration. Just reading a book itself, you don’t get all of that.
Now that you’re a diehard Fairgoer, do you go solo or with friends?
I try to map out who I really want to see each day, and then I invite friends to come with me to specific author sessions and events that I know they’d like to experience. So partly solo and partly with friends – but basically I just want to make sure I get to do everything that I want to do. [laughs]
Tell me about an MBF moment or experience that really stands out for you.
There have been so many! If I have to pick just one, the highlight for me at last year’s Fair was meeting Amy Tan. She’s definitely a hero of mine. I remember devouring her books when I was a teenager and loving her writing style, especially coming from an Asian background. Back then I didn’t have a lot of Indian authors to look to so she sort of filled that Asian connection for me. The Joy Luck Club allowed me to see the dynamics of familiar families and multigenerational relationships; it was the first book that provided a real glimpse into my personal background as someone in an immigrant family. There was really nothing else I could relate to in Western literature at the time that had any reflection on my lived experience. Reading it also made me realize I wanted to be a writer and tell stories the way that Amy Tan did, that were deep and personal and spoke to things that are universal, no matter what your background is.
What’s the last great book you read, and are you reading anything good right now?
I just read Some Kind of Magic, which was written by a really good friend of mine, Sonya Moore. Originally I was one of the editors –
Cool!
Yes, and she even mentioned my name a couple of times in the book. It’s a nice reminder of the magic in our lives and opening up to that. I like to read it again from time to time as a way to bring myself back to a place of believing in wonder and trusting the universe.
I just started reading Shark Tales by Barbra Corcoran; I love Shark Tank. I think she’s so great and dynamic, and I came across the book and thought, I want to know her story and who she is beyond her TV persona. She always strikes me as someone who’s fully laid-back, pragmatic, and relatable. She’s definitely had opportunities that came her way, but the book shows you the drive behind what’s made her so successful.
You started a nonprofit after writing The Power to Break Free, in which you shared the struggles of your own divorce – what compelled you to take your story even further?
I wanted to support women from different communities in healing their own trauma, and something else that inspired me to create The Power to Break Free Foundation was Half the Sky, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It’s a collection of heartfelt stories from parts of the world that they’ve traveled to, about empowering women and how that plays out differently in different places – yet there’s this common theme that we really do need to uplift women globally.
If MBF came to you and said, “Who do you most want to see at this year’s Fair?” who would that author be?
I recently finished Michelle Obama’s book The Light We Carry, and I think people like her are so inspirational. Especially with all the political turmoil happening these days, we need more people who represent kind people coming together who care about community. It would be lovely to connect with her in person – the world needs more of that kind of wisdom right now.
Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.
