Salman Rushdie among the women

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Go ahead and smile, Salman.

(Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty)

You’ve been seen with many enchantresses of late. First, there is your novel ‘The Enchantress of Florence,’ a story brimming with the bewitchments of the female gender.

There’s also that White House outing in April with actress Olivia Wilde on your arm:

(AFP/Getty Images)

And of course, there’s your former marriage to Padma Lakshmi:

And yet, there was someone else long ago who made possible your receipt of the Best of the Booker Prize for ‘Midnight’s Children,’ which was announced today. That novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 1981 (when it was known just as the Booker), and ‘the best of’ shortlist included other winners such as Peter Carey’s ‘Oscar and Lucinda’ and Nadine Gordimer’s ‘The Conservationist.’ Hmmm.

The lady in question? It has to be Calliope, muse of poets and writers:

Didn’t she get you where you are today? C’mon, Salman, buy the lady a drink.

Nick Owchar