Democracy is integral to America’s story, but recent book banning efforts from across the country may be a red flag. Author and English literature professor Azar Nafisi joins the podcast to talk about the power of fiction to challenge tyranny and preserve democracy. As a witness to the Iranian Revolution firsthand, Azar has explored the subversive power of literature in her bestselling book Reading Lolita in Tehran. On the pod, Azar talks about her new book Read Dangerously, which draws from her experiences as a woman and voracious reader living in the Islamic Republic of Iran, her life as an immigrant in the United States, and her role as literature professor.