ThoughtGallery.org > Author Rabeah Ghaffari in Conversation with Artist Shirin Neshat

Author Rabeah Ghaffari in Conversation with Artist Shirin Neshat

Join us for the launch of Rabeah Ghaffari’s compelling debut novel To Keep the Sun Alive which portrays the 1979 Iranian Revolution through family dramas and personal struggles. Author and filmmaker Ghaffari will be joined in a conversation by internationally recognized Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat.

The year is 1979. The Iranian Revolution is just around the corner, as is a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse. Meanwhile, in the northeastern city of Naishapur, a retired judge and his wife, Bibi, tend an ancient orchard, growing apples, plums, peaches, and sour cherries, and provide the linchpin for an extended and contentious family whose personal divisions reflect the growing fault lines in Iranian society of that time. They pass their days by long, elaborate family lunches on the terrace and arguments about government corruption and the rise of religious fundamentalism, peppered with tales of ancient Persia that foreshadow the seismic political changes to come.

Family rituals and traditions are honored by Bibi, the matriarch, as she struggles to keep her family together. One nephew goes to university, hoping to lead the fight for a new Iran and marry his childhood sweetheart while another surrenders to opium. One brother longs for a life in Europe, another brother evolves into a powerful Islamic cleric and Bibi’s husband retreats into intellectual reflection. Told through a host of vivid, unforgettable characters, ranging from children to servants to family friends To Keep the Sun Alive is a compelling, richly woven story that not only retells the past but also reminds us of the human aspirations that animate historical events.

Followed by a book sale and signing.











When: Thu., Jan. 10, 2019 at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Ave.
212-288-6400
Price: $10 Members; $12 Students/Seniors; $15 Nonmembers
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Join us for the launch of Rabeah Ghaffari’s compelling debut novel To Keep the Sun Alive which portrays the 1979 Iranian Revolution through family dramas and personal struggles. Author and filmmaker Ghaffari will be joined in a conversation by internationally recognized Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat.

The year is 1979. The Iranian Revolution is just around the corner, as is a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse. Meanwhile, in the northeastern city of Naishapur, a retired judge and his wife, Bibi, tend an ancient orchard, growing apples, plums, peaches, and sour cherries, and provide the linchpin for an extended and contentious family whose personal divisions reflect the growing fault lines in Iranian society of that time. They pass their days by long, elaborate family lunches on the terrace and arguments about government corruption and the rise of religious fundamentalism, peppered with tales of ancient Persia that foreshadow the seismic political changes to come.

Family rituals and traditions are honored by Bibi, the matriarch, as she struggles to keep her family together. One nephew goes to university, hoping to lead the fight for a new Iran and marry his childhood sweetheart while another surrenders to opium. One brother longs for a life in Europe, another brother evolves into a powerful Islamic cleric and Bibi’s husband retreats into intellectual reflection. Told through a host of vivid, unforgettable characters, ranging from children to servants to family friends To Keep the Sun Alive is a compelling, richly woven story that not only retells the past but also reminds us of the human aspirations that animate historical events.

Followed by a book sale and signing.

Buy tickets/get more info now