Interview with Author Maya Mitra Das

Interview with Author Maya Mitra Das

• I want to welcome you to Dream Chasers Radio with me, your host, Diamond.
• What's up, people?
• How are you doing?
• It is a great day, and I'm so very excited to be here.
• I have a returning guest today.

Interview with Dr. Maya Mitra Das

• We have Dr.
• Maya Mitra Das on the line today, and she wrote another book.
• Welcome to the show.
• I am Maya.
• And my full name, you know that it's Dr.
• Maya Mitradas.
• And I have MD and PhD.
• And I did help and take care of sickle cell children in Oakland.
• It is UCSF Benihalf Medical center at Oakland.
• And I wrote several scientific paper and whole group has been developed a protocol which is being followed in United States and abroad.
• Besides that, I have several hobbies, like writing.
• I'm a poet.
• I'm a published author, poet, Indian classical dancer, and I play classical piano, though I am not a concert pianist.
• That's all about me.
• That is it.
• You sure?
• You've done so much in your life, and now you can add published author more than one time to your name.
• Yes.
• Thank you.
• Thank you very much.

Introduction to 'Echoes of the Past'

• So I'm so happy for you, and it's just such a pleasure to have you back here talking about another book that you've written, 'Echoes of the Past'.
• Tell me about this book.

The First Gentleman: A Famous Sculptor

• Actually, I just wrote about two gentlemen, one who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries, and he lived in Florence.
• And his name will keep on going.
• He is a famous sculptor.
• I took it.
• And then another person who is actually my friend, who is a neurosurgeon, and I thought that both are artists in a different way.
• Like, he was a famous sculptor.

The Second Gentleman: A Revolutionary Neurosurgeon

• And he is a neurosurgeon who developed a technique where the patient can regain the ability to walk after the surgery and live whatever life is left to them.
• So I thought this was an odyssey.
• And both of them had very difficult childhoods.

Challenges Faced by the Sculptor

• The sculptor also had a very difficult childhood because his father passed away when he was 14 years old.
• But he continued and flourished, and his name will live on.
• And this neurosurgeon also had a very unfortunate situation.
• He couldn't go to school.
• He used to sell fruits at a fruit stand to help his family and himself.

The Neurosurgeon's Journey to Success

• From that stage, he became a famous neurosurgeon.
• Queen Elizabeth honored him with the OBE, Order of the British Empire.
• So you can see how far he has come.
• Wow, that is just amazing.
• Wow, that's huge.
• That is really impressive.
• To receive those accolades is almost virtually impossible.

The Inspiration Behind 'Echoes of the Past'

• So why did you write this book?
• I just love to write.

The Author's Motivation

• First of all, that's what I wrote.
• And I thought that I wouldn't take, which everybody knows Michelangelo, so I will take somebody who is famous, but everybody doesn't mention his name often.
• So I chose him.

Fascination with the Sculptor's Journey

• And it fascinated me how he was from 14 years old.
• He struggled and became successful.
• And he is the first one who sculpted in a way that the sculpture could stand without a backrest.
• And he used to say, 'come alive.'
• He wanted to give expression to the sculpture so that it would smile in pain and convey all these emotions.
• So it fascinated me when I saw his sculptures, especially the ones depicting children as real children, not adults in children's clothes.
• So that fascinated me very much.

The Neurosurgeon's Struggles

• And then, of course, there's this neurosurgeon who struggled to become somebody, survived in this world, and didn't even have one meal a day.
• And then from that stage, he became a neurosurgeon and became very famous and renowned all over the world.
• Wow!
• And this is a true story.
• This is all based on two true stories.

Blending History and Fantasy

- So you're saying it's based on a true story now?

• Yeah.
• I have my fantasy.

Adding a Touch of Fantasy

• Oh, I was getting ready to ask you.
• Now I have to make them decorated and my fantasy, and I have to do that.
• Otherwise, why should the readers will read?

Teaching History Through Fiction

• Actually, I'm not writing a biography, which will be boring.
• So I have my fantasy, and through this I am teaching history.
• I am just decorating this in a whole true history and offering to the readers to read it so that they know the true history from my book.

The Blend of History and Imagination

• So it's history mixed in with a little bit of fantasy.
• Yes, I like it.

Exploring the power of imagination

• What kind of fantasy?
• Decorating them a little bit, like I'm describing them, how they are walking, how they are talking to themselves when they are frustrated, what happened.
• And sometimes they scream and telling themselves that it's nothing happening.
• And they have, every day they walk in their lives with their emotions and things like that.
• But I don't know what happened, how they were doing this, but I was them.

Writing from empathy

• I made myself to have their fantasy and their pain and the sorrows and happiness which I thought, I am feeling it.
• And that's why it came through my pen.

- Wow.

• So how did this change you?
• Because as we write about people and we write about truth, but then we mix in a little bit of fantasy into it because we don't know the entire story.
• Obviously, you weren't there.
• But what I'm saying is, did this change your perspective at all?
• Yes.

Finding inspiration and determination

• It did that you can do anything.
• You can do anything.
• If you have this inspiration and will to do it, that I will be this so you can do it.
• That's the whole idea of this book.
• The people should read it.
• I mean, it is not for the children, but young adults could also read it and have the inspiration that whatever situation they are, they can go through it and reach their goal and never give up.
• There were so many failures and frustration in their lives, but they kept on going.
• I was talking about that this week.

Overcoming trials and tribulations

• The power of a positive mindset.
• Even though you're going through trials and tribulations, you keep going.
• You don't give up.
• That is amazing.
• So this has helped you to keep going as well.
• Do we have another book on the horizon?

Upcoming short stories

• Yes, there will be a short stories coming and I'm writing that there are three, already wrote some and then there is a few more to come.
• The next one will be short stories and other short stories.
• I love it.
• I love it.
• Doctor, thank you so much for being on the show.

Where to find 'Echoes of the Past'

• How can people find this book, echoes of the past?
• It is in Amazon and the bookstore Barnes and nobles.
• And also I heard that it is in the big bookstores in Waterstones, speakerelli in London.
• I just heard just now and I just have difficulty pronouncing that big name.
• And also in my website, I have a website, they can find it.

Celebrating success

• I am so happy for you.
• I am so happy for you.
• This is so beautiful.
• This is so wonderful.
• Doctor, thank you so much for coming back and sharing this with us.
• This is just such a pleasure, you guys.

Promoting 'Echoes of the Past'

• We're going to put the link for echoes of the past in the description box below by Dr.
• Maya Milter Das.
• And she's coming back because she's got some more stuff she's got to tell.
• Just I love it.
• I love you.

Closing remarks

• Thank you guys so much for tuning in.
• Don't forget to dare to be dear friend.
• But most of all, don't forget to go check out that book, echoes of the past.
• Until next time, guys.

Farewell

• Bye, doctor.
• You go, girl.