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{{Infobox writer
| name = Venkatesh Kulkarni
| image = Venkatesh Kulkarni Writer.JPG
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1945
| birth_place = [[Hyderabad]], [[India]]
| occupation = [[Novelist]] and academic
| alma_mater = [[Osmania University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])
| notableworks = ''[[Naked in Deccan]]''
| death_date = {{death date and age|1998|5|3|1945}}
| death_place = [[Houston]], [[Texas]], U.S.
| spouse = Margaret Preston
| children = 4, including [[Sri Preston Kulkarni]]
| awards = [[American Book Award]] (1984)<ref name=pre2001>{{Cite web |url= http://www.beforecolumbusfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Aba2001prior.pdf |title= Previous Winners of the American Book Award |date=2002 |publisher= Before Columbus Foundation |access-date= November 5, 2020}}</ref>
}}
'''Venkatesh Srinivas Kulkarni''' (1945 – May 3, 1998) was an Indian-American [[novelist]] and academic. His son, [[Sri Preston Kulkarni]], was the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidate for [[Texas's 22nd congressional district]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 2018 and 2020.<ref>https://sri2020.com/about/</ref>

==Early life and education==
Kulkarni was born in India and graduated from university at age 17. He was originally scheduled to go to medical school, but the admissions counselors at the institution asked him to come back when he was older.<ref name=Feldmanlifeafterdeath>Feldman, Margaret. "Life and death - Graduation was important to Silas Kulkarni but not as important as his dad." ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. June 7, 1998. Lifestyle p. 1. [[Newsbank]] Record Number: 3060644. Available from the [[Houston Public Library]].</ref> Kulkarni graduated with a master's degree from [[Osmania University]] at the age of 19.<ref name="kaplan" /> He undertook further studies at [[Cambridge University]], the [[University of Moscow]], the [[University of Heidelberg]], the [[Sorbonne]], and [[Tulane University]].<ref name="kaplan" />

==Career==
Kulkarni became a [[Rotary International]] fellow and came to the United States. A member of the [[U.S. Cabinet]] asked Kulkarni to apply for U.S. citizenship.<ref name=Feldmanlifeafterdeath/>

His first novel, ''[[Naked in Deccan]]'' (1983), won the 1984 [[American Book Award]] of the [[Before Columbus Foundation]] and was listed among the top ten novels of the decade by the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''.<ref name="kaplan" /> In the book, Kulkarni describes [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]], a region of India, as a “landscape lined with stretchmarks of fate masquerading as cart-driven paths deeply embedded in the dark earth”. The story is set in the feudal [[Caste system in India|caste system]] and has no heroes or villains. Human beings demonstrate weaknesses and passions; some demonstrate moral strength and some do not.

For twelve years until his death, Kulkarni taught creative writing at [[Rice University]] in [[Houston]]. Kulkarni's students included [[Kathi Appelt]]<ref>{{cite book| title=Kissing Tennessee: And Other Stories from the Stardust Dance| author=Kathi Appelt| publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt| year=2004| isbn=978-0-15-205127-3| url=https://archive.org/details/kissingtennessee00kath| url-access=registration| page=[https://archive.org/details/kissingtennessee00kath/page/118 118]}}</ref> and [[John Odam]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Odam |first1=John |title=The Candidate Conspiracy |date=October 7, 2008 |publisher=Bertrams Print On Demand |isbn=978-0-595-91163-9 |oclc=1124549357 |page=vii |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Candidate_Conspiracy/JhrcgbtX3YYC |access-date=6 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
In 1997, he had a late diagnosis of [[leukemia]] and despite prolonged treatment at the [[MD Anderson Cancer Center]] in Houston, died on May 3, 1998. He was survived by his wife, Margaret, and four children:<ref name="kaplan">{{cite web |title=Rice Mourns Loss of Teacher |first=David |last=Kaplan |date=May 28, 1998 |publisher=Rice University |url=http://news.rice.edu/1998/05/28/rice-mourns-loss-of-teacher/ |access-date=2015-04-30}}</ref> eldest son [[Sri Preston Kulkarni|Sri]], next-eldest son Silas, daughter Margo, and youngest son Kris.<ref name=Feldmanlifeafterdeath/>

He left two unfinished books, ''Allah Baksh - The Man Eaten By God'', and ''The Modern American Apollo''.

A Teaching Prize has been named for him by Rice University.<ref name="kaplan" />

==Awards==
* 1984 [[American Book Award]] for ''Naked in Deccan''

==Works==
*{{cite book| title=[[Naked in Deccan: a novel]]| publisher=Stemmer House| date=December 1983| isbn= 978-0-88045-030-0 }}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{American Book Awards}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kulkarni, Venkatesh Srinivas}}
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:Writers from Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Osmania University alumni]]
[[Category:American Book Award winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:Novelists from Texas]]

Venkatesh Kulkarni - Revision history

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