Part 2 of our discussion with Dina takes us to even more unfamiliar territory for the Middle East, starting off with why women choose to remove their hijabs and somehow end up talking about gay marriage, trans acceptance in the region, and so much more...

Books referenced:

In episode 2, I'm joined by my good friend Mohammed (who also goes by Tiggs) to talk about Golden Years by Ali Eskandarian. The novel, which drew heavily from Ali's real life experience as an Iranian-American punk rocker in a band called the Yellow Dogs, has been billed as the 'great Iranian punk beat novel'. 

This book was picked as part of the effort to join the #2BooksUnder50Reviews started by bookstagrammer @reggiereads over on Instagram. Check out his page and the hashtag especially if you're interested in expanding your reading taste. 

Ali and two of his bandmates, Arash and Soroush, were tragically killed in a shooting in their Brooklyn apartment in November 2013. 

Books mentioned: 

1. On the Road - Jack Kerouac; 2. Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller 3. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk; 4. Snuff - Chuck Palahniuk 5. The Spirit of Science Fiction, Roberto Bolaño

Films mentioned: 1. No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009) 2. Kill Your Darlings (2013)

All the music you hear on this episode is from a 2012 live performance of the Yellow Dogs: 1. Get Used To It; 2. Dancefloor Rules Forever; 3. Dragon Flower

Vocal Mixes: WassupNile 

Production Assistant: Samantha Petty

In my first episode of The Papercut, I discuss the award-winning novel Celestial Bodies by Omani author Jokha Al Harthi.

I spoke with the book's editor, Kay Farrell, from Sandstone Press, who was generous enough to talk to me about how this book fell into their hands and the process of getting it published. She also touches on some other exciting projects of Sandstone Press.

Enjoy the show!

Click here for a full transcript of this episode: [link]