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Iranian Novelist and Doctor Taghi Modarressi.

Novelist Taghi Modarressi. His new novel, The Pilgrim's Rules of Etiquette, is set in Iran after the Islamic revolution. It revolves around an aging academic, well acquainted with the ways and mores of the West, and his family and friends as they deal with the fear and poverty during the Iran-Iraq War. But when his prize student is killed at the front, the academic, who until now has closeted himself away with his philosophical pursuits, must acknowledge the meaninglessness of his efforts when compared to the chaos of contemporary Iran. Modarressi, a native of Iran who has written two earlier novels in Persian, is a psychiatrist who heads the Infant Study program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

10:44
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Other segments from the episode on August 30, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, August 30, 1989: Interview with Gregory Hines; Review of Benjamin Britten's albums "Albert Herring" and "Billy Budd"; Interview with Taghi Modarressi; Commentary on…
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22:21

Gregory Hines Discusses His Career.

Dancer and actor Gregory Hines. Hines made a name for himself on Broadway, in shows such as "Eubie," and "Sophisticated Ladies," as well as Hollywood, where he appeared in "The Cotton Club," "White Knights," and "Running Scared." Hines' latest film, "Tap," is a musical about the waning days of that dance form. (Rebroadcast. Originally broadcast on Wednesday, February 8, 1989.)

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03:42

Geoffrey Nunberg Wants a New Job Title.

Language Commentator Geoffrey Nunberg, unhappy with his job description, tries on a few other possibilities while dissecting the very notion of a "language commentator."

Commentary

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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21:10

Illustrator Marjane Satrapi

Illustrator Marjane Satrapi is the author of the memoir, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. The book is in the form of an illustrated comic. Satrapi was born in 1969 in Iran, and grew up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. One reviewer writes, "A triumph... Like Maus, Persepolis is one of those comic books capable of seducing even those most allergic to the genre."

Interview
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09:31

An American Author's "Persian Nights"

Diane Johnson's first novel in eight years deals with an American woman's affair during the Iranian revolution. She joins Fresh Air to talk about writing biographies and screenplays and why it took her so long to finish her newest book.

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