In this episode, Mel speaks to Kaveh Akbar, an Iranian-American poet and scholar, on his new book, Martyr!
The book is a semi-autobigraphical tale, in which the main character Cyrus Shams shares some parallels to Kaveh's own life. It is the story of a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, who is guided by martyrs - in the forms of artists, poets, and kings. Cyrus goes on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Mel and Kaveh discuss being a martyr, writing a character who acts as a reality check in your own life and what it's like to replace subtance addiction with writing addiction.
Kaveh Akbar has published and recieved awards for his books of poetry, and he is a college writing professor at the University of Iowa.
Literati Glitterati Book Club Launch! - details here: https://www.rrr.org.au/events/literati-glitterati-book-club-launch
About this program
Championing stylish wordsmiths and sterling conversation, Literati Glitterati is a weekly book show that loves a good story, well told.
LITERATI GLITTERATI SALON: A MONTHLY BOOK CLUB
Join Mel and a rotating roster of bookish conversationalists as they unpack Literati Glitterati’s book of the month.
Expect a spiriting assortment of cult classics, forgotten wonders, timeless treasures, zesty new releases and pulp fictions wrestled straight from the zeitgeist by Mel herself.
Each book will be announced a month out from the special, so that you can read along at home. On the last Wednesday of every month, tune into Literati Glitterati from midday till 1pm with your thoughts and feelings ready: we’ll be taking questions through the text line.
Literati Glitterati Salon: a monthly book club for folks who like a good story, well told.
NOVEMBER'S BOOK: Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginzburg.
‘Autobiography crept up on me like a wolf,’ said Natalia Ginzburg of her charming and dynamic autofictional novel from 1963, Family Lexicon: a dancing love letter to memory, language and family, set against the backdrop of fascist Italy.
What do you do when you miss your home and your big raucous family? You summon them on the page in clean, supreme prose of course. You make them TALK. You like Cusk? Maggie Nelson? Tessa Hadley? You like to laugh? This one’s for you, cutie. Ginzburg’s dad called all his kids jackasses.
Tune in! Call your sister! Stick it to the fascists! Stop dropping bombs you fucking ghouls! Love and hugs to all.
Featuring an unbelievable panel of kaleidoscopic life force, of course: giant of publishing Hilary McPhee; songwriting storyteller of Orbweavers fame, and all-time great conversationalist Marita Dyson; and author of the electric The Degenerates, Raeden Richardson. Much to discuss!
Tune in Wednesday 27 November, 12pm.
