Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: NPR's Book of the Day
Episode: Kaveh Akbar's novel 'Martyr!' is a journey of identity, addiction and poetry
Description: Halfway through today's episode, author Kaveh Akbar tells NPR's Scott Simon that his life is a summation of "private joys amidst collective grief and private grief amidst collective joy." It's a contrast that contextualizes his emotionally dark yet deeply funny debut novel, Martyr!, about an Iranian-American poet grappling with addiction, loss, displacement and art. Akbar, who is also poetry editor at The Nation, explains why his protagonist is so obsessed with the concept of martyrdom, and how it relates to his own personal journey with sobriety. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book...