(Note: This interview first aired earlier this year.) 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."
Literature as resistance: A conversation with Azar Nafisi (Encore)
![Aired on Friday, July 29th.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8b582fb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/880x542+0+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F48%2Fde%2F136f02804b38a817de892daf205d%2Fbook-cover.png)