Azar Nafisi

Over Thanksgiving break, I went to a book talk by Azar Nafisi about her new book Republic of Imagination about how the US has shaped and been shaped by literature. She is a force of nature and an inspiration. Here were the quotes I wrote down during her talk.

• "Hope is always defiant" 
• We are taught that reality is static, but reality is fragile
• You have to keep your dignity by becoming more yourself
• Oppression, violence to anyone decreases my dignity. We are all implicated. 
• We are withdrawing within ourselves because we feel helpless. Instead, we should come out!
• The great writers write about "us." They tell human stories. 
• Like Dorothy, we go to other worlds to come back with fresh eyes
• American literature is about underdogs who refuse to be underdogs
• We watch the Republican debates so we can laugh. This [political landscape] is no laughing matter. 
• Activism - You complain because you care so much about a place
• Governments come and go, only the trace of genius remains. 

Nafisi is without a doubt a genius.