Ruth Vanita is a poet, editor, translator, academic and activist. Her book of poems, Play of Light (Penguin India) was published in 1994. She is Professor at the University of Montana. She was founding co-editor of Manushi, an influential journal about women and society, from 1978 to 1990. Her poetry has appeared in several anthologies, and she has translated several works of fiction and poetry from Hindi and Urdu to English. She is deeply engaged in the fields of lesbian and gay studies, gender…