Menlo Grad's Award-Winning 'Ghosthood Blues' Explores Twins and Suspense

Ruchi Mangtani's short story, about a ghost grappling with her twin's murder, won second place in the Palo Alto Weekly's young adult competition.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 11:06pm

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An abstract close-up photograph of shattered glass fragments in a kaleidoscope of colors, capturing the layered emotions and fragmented perspectives within the award-winning short story 'Ghosthood Blues.'The haunting, textured imagery of Ruchi Mangtani's award-winning short story 'Ghosthood Blues' explores the complexities of sibling relationships and cultural identity.Menlo Park Today

Ruchi Mangtani, a 19-year-old Menlo Park native and Menlo School graduate, wrote the award-winning short story 'Ghosthood Blues' about a ghost trying to come to grips with the twin who killed her. The story examines themes of sibling comparisons, parental expectations, and media tropes. Mangtani, now a freshman at Columbia University, has been writing her entire life and is working on turning 'Ghosthood Blues' into a full novel.

Why it matters

Mangtani's story provides a fresh perspective on the 'evil twin' narrative, exploring the complexities of sibling relationships and cultural identity. Her focus on writing about characters from her own South Asian background represents an important shift towards more diverse representation in literature.

The details

Mangtani's short story, which won second place in the young adult category of the 39th annual Palo Alto Weekly short-story competition, is the first chapter of a 100-page novella she began writing in a high school creative writing class. The story examines themes of sibling comparisons, parental expectations, and media tropes surrounding twins. Mangtani, who has been writing since kindergarten, drew inspiration from her own fascination with twins as well as suspense stories like 'Dark Places' by Gillian Flynn and 'The Silent Patient' by Alex Michaelides.

  • Mangtani wrote 'Ghosthood Blues' during her senior year of high school in a creative writing class.
  • The 39th annual Palo Alto Weekly short-story competition, where 'Ghosthood Blues' won second place in the young adult category, was held in 2026.
  • Mangtani is currently a freshman at Columbia University in New York City.

The players

Ruchi Mangtani

A 19-year-old Menlo Park native and Menlo School graduate who wrote the award-winning short story 'Ghosthood Blues.' She is now a freshman at Columbia University and is working on turning the story into a full novel.

Oscar King

Mangtani's high school English teacher who encouraged her to submit 'Ghosthood Blues' to the Palo Alto Weekly short-story contest.

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What they’re saying

“I did not … intentionally write about twins again. Someone pointed that out to me … and they were like, 'Damn, you seem really interested in twins.'”

— Ruchi Mangtani, Author

“I wanted to definitely write something that was personal to me in the way that, like there are details only I could know about. So I wanted to write about characters who come from my culture. Because when I was younger … I would either make the characters racially ambiguous, or just make them white, because that's what I was used to seeing.”

— Ruchi Mangtani, Author

“the narrator draws the reader in with biting humor, but the story is deftly layered with haunting emotion.”

— Elaine Ray, Contest Judge

What’s next

Mangtani is currently rewriting the entire 'Ghosthood Blues' story to turn it into a full novel. She hopes to continue engaging with the literary community in New York City, where she is now a freshman at Columbia University.

The takeaway

Mangtani's award-winning short story 'Ghosthood Blues' showcases her talent for crafting compelling narratives that explore complex themes of identity, family, and the human experience. Her focus on diverse representation and personal storytelling is a promising sign for the future of literature.