Vidhi Doshi in Wonderland

Vidhi Doshi, of the Washington Post

As a student at Oxford University in England, a young Vidhi Doshi ran across a bronze placard that told of a certain Charles Lutwidge Dodgson who had taught mathematics at Oxford more than a century earlier, and was commemorated as an outstanding author.

Giving the matter no further thought at the time, Ms. Doshi went on to finish a brilliant BA in History at Oxford; she then accepted a one year Lectureship in Oriental History, with the understanding that at the end of that time she would be free to pursue a different career if she chose. But what career would that be, she wondered to herself. She had no clear conception of what she wanted to do with her life.  

Her rooms at Christ Church were old but comfortable. One day she noticed a loose brick in the antique fireplace and tried to push it back in place. The brick fell to dust, revealing a scrap of parchment brown with age. On it was written:  "All the world has gone down the Rabbit Hole -- all I did was report about it. Signed Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, otherwise known as Lewis Carroll." 

Intrigued, she took the scrap to a sub-librarian. He, in turn, excitedly told her something of Alice in Wonderland and begged to be allowed to put the scrap of parchment on display. Ms. Doshi gave her consent, and then spent the next several months studying the works of Lewis Carroll, including The Hunting of the Snark as well as the Alice books. 

And thus was born her resolve to become a journalist so she could report on how the entire world, as Dodgson wrote, has gone down the Rabbit Hole. Her stellar career as a reporter has seen her interview many a Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts, as well as humbler characters similar to Bill the Lizard and the Dormouse.

Today, as the India correspondent for the Washington Post in New Delhi, she often finds herself repeating that famous quote from Alice as she writes her stories:

"Curiouser and curiouser!" 

Ms. Doshi replied to this profile by email, thus:  

I replied to you on Twitter. I love this so much. I'm wondering whether to frame this and put it on my wall. The only factual error in it of course is that I went to St Peter's and not Christ Church. 

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