Literature as resistance: A conversation with Azar Nafisi

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Aired on Wednesday, May 4th.

"Nafisi moves effortlessly across the literary landscape.... [She] has a talent for combining the academic and the everyday, the theoretical and the personal, and thanks to her deliberate and confident voice, the lessons [in "Read Dangerously"] will stick with us, too." -- The New York Times Book Review

Our guest is Azar Nafisi, the bestselling Iranian-American writer and professor of English literature. Born in Tehran and based in the United States since 1997, she's well-known for her books "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and "The Republic of Imagination" (among other volumes). She joins us to discuss her latest book, which is a collection of letters-as-essays titled "Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times." It's a work that, per a starred review in Publishers Weekly, takes a "stunning look at the power of reading.... Nafisi's prose is razor-sharp, and her analysis lands on a hopeful note.... This excellent collection provokes and inspires at every turn." Please note that Ms. Nafisi will be a featured speaker at TU's upcoming Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony, happening on Saturday the 7th at 9:45am in the Reynolds Center.