Podcast appearances and mentions of Ayad Akhtar

Jackson and Jacob discuss Ayad Akhtar's new play "McNeal" which starred Robert Downey Jr. in its Broadway debut. In the play, Akhtar takes on the issue everyone's talking about: AI.  ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue.  https://www.patreon.com/noscriptpodcast  ----------------------------- We want to keep the conversation going! Have you read this play? Have you seen it? Comment and tell us your favorite themes, characters, plot points, etc. Did we get something wrong? Let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Find us on social media at:  Email: noscriptpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/No-Script-The-Podcast-1675491925872541/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noscriptpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/noscriptpodcast/ ------------------------------ Thanks so much for listening! We'll see you next week.

As I was preparing for this sermon, I read something that John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T, said back in 2022 with the acquiring of HBO concerning his goals for HBO that I think was very perceptive. Its not hours a week, and its not hours a month. We need hours a day. You are competing with devices that sit in peoples hands that capture their attention every 15 seconds. I want more hours of engagement. Why are more hours of engagement important? Because you get more data and information about a customer that then allows you to do things like monetize through alternate models of advertising as well as subscriptions. Theres a reason why social media platforms, streaming services, etc. are called attention merchants. They are working hard to capture our attention. Some people also call it adhesiveness. The longer they can get us to stick around, the more money they make.[1] Stankey rebranded HBO to HBO Max, and under his leadership, subscriber growth more than doubled from 36 million to 76 million. Social media platforms rely on sophisticated algorithms to decide which content appears in your feed and in what order. These invisible gatekeepers shape your online experience, curating what you see and when you see it, all with the aim of keeping you engaged for longer periods. What is my point? My point is that there are pressures that you are both aware of and unaware of that seek to influence you. There may not have been the kinds of algorithms that we have today in the day, and age, James wrote his epistle, but they were no doubt there. There is a system that is spiritual that is opposed to God that wants to do all that it can to draw you away from Him, and that system is what the Bible calls the world. We were not made for the world, but for God. It is the tension we face as Christians to be pooled by the world or to draw close to God that he addresses in these verses. Going with the Current of the World is Friendship with the World (vv. 1-5) We gravitate towards the kinds of things James lists in verses 1-5. If comes naturally for us as a species to fight against each other. Remember what James wrote in 3:14; he said, But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart... your jealousy and selfish ambition is, earthly, natural, and demonic (v. 15). Then in 4:1, James informs us that the source of our fighting with one another comes from that part of us the apostle John described: All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16). What James means by World is the ethics and principles that are motivated by a desire to dethrone God. The wisdom of the world encourages those who live in it to cater to what you want, give yourself everything your eyes desire and live life your way to get the most of it. This is the wisdom of the world that James warns us of in chapter three, and it is here in chapter four that shows us how it affects everything around us. The Greek word for quarrels can mean battle, fights, strife, or conflicts. What instigates this kind of fighting with one another is what James calls our pleasures. This is another Greek word that you knew without knowing that you had it in your vocabulary (last week it was the Greek word zēlos that the NASB decided to translate jealous); the Greek word of pleasures is hēdonē from which we get the word hedonism. What is hedonism? You may think that it is the pursuit of pleasure, and it certainly is that, but at its core, hedonism is the pursuit of joy. In fact, what we learn from the Bible is that we were made to pursue and experience joy. There are scores of verses in the Bible I can show you, but for now, three should do: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Phil. 4:4) You will make known to me the way of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (Ps. 16:11) Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials... (Jas. 1:2) The Word of God encourages us to pursue joy. Blaise Pascale, the famous philosopher, observed: All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.[2] We even acknowledge that we were made for joy in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. However, what we were not made for is a joy that excludes a relationship with God. The kind of worldly wisdom and joy-seeking that leads to conflicts is a secular wisdom and the Godless pursuit of joy. This is kind of joy seeking is secular hedonism, and it is, earthly, natural, and demonic (3:14). What is the fruit of secular hedonism? James provides us with a list in verses that follow: Fact + result You lust and do not have... so you commit murder. (v. 2a) Fact + result You are envious and cannot obtain... so you fight and quarrel. (v. 2b) Fact + reason You do not have... because you do not ask. (v. 2c) Fact + result You ask and do not receive... (v. 3a) Full reason ...because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures. (v. 3b)[3] What kind of joy seeking is James describing? It is one where the pleasure and joy seeking is rooted in a world that is hostile towards God. Secular hedonism is self-centered joy seeking that makes the one pursuing it the center of his/her universe. So James accuses those who pursue such pleasures in verse 4 as adulteresses. Why? Because he is writing to Christians who should know better that the only joy we were created for and the one that is lasting, is a joy that can only be found in God. To seek your pleasure from this world, is to align yourself with the world by becoming its friend. To this, James states emphatically: do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (v. 4). What do we do with verse five? What does James mean? There is much debate over the way this verse should be translated and some of the main versions of the English Bible show that. Theologians are divided over whether the Greek word for Spirit is referring to the immaterial part of us that we also call our soul or if it is the Holy Spirit that every Christian receives at the moment he/she becomes a Christian. Here is what I think James means by the statement: Do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us? I think what he means is what we have seen in verses 1-4, and that is: we were made for a joy that can only be satisfied in God and the reason why He gave us a soul is the same reason He gave us the Holy Spirit, and that is to use our lives and to find our joy in Him. In other words, we were born on this earth to know God, but because we are dead in our sins, God caused us to be born again and has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live for Him for the purpose of finding our joy in Him (remember that James is writing to Christians). Abiding in the Word is Friendship with God (vv. 6-10) So what is the solution for the kind of problem James lists for us in verses 1-5? He provides us with the answer in verses 6-10. Its really found in verse 6; lets read it slowly and thoughtfully: But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says... What says? from the same Scripture in verse 5 James referred to: God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. God created you; you did not create Him. Of all the gods that people worship, there is only One who is the Creator and we were made for Him just as the apostle Paul testified before a group of idol worshipers at Mars Hill: He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, For we also are His descendants. (Acts 17:26-28) God created us to know Him, but humans are fallen, sin-cursed, and spiritually dead! What hope is there for a humanity bent on finding their satisfaction and joy in anything or anyone but the One who created mankind in His image? James doesnt need to explain the gospel again to his readers because they have already heard it and received it, all that he needs is one word, and that word is grace. Christian, how is it that you have gone from death to life in Jesus? How is it that you have been called out of darkness into Gods marvelous light? How is it that you have been born again and are now sealed by Gods Holy Spirit and are a child of God? Just one word will do! He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Because you have received a greater grace there is a greater joy available to you. Remember what it was that brought you to the cross of Christ: You came to Jesus because you were poor in spirit, you came to Him because you mourned over your sins, you came to Him because you could not save yourself. There is no coming to Jesus if you are not willing to humble yourself before Him; it is Jesus alone who is able to save and it is only by grace that you are born again today. Because there is a greater grace, there is a greater joy to be experienced through God. James explains where one can experience that joy through a series of imperatives. Lets read the passage and break these imperatives (commands) down so that you can see the point James is making: Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you (vv. 7-10). The word submit comes from a Greek word that also means to attach yourself to the thing or person you are submitting to. To submit to God is not just to bow before Him, but also to attach yourself to Him. There is another word that the Bible uses for that same idea, and that word is abide which comes from a Greek word that also means to remain in. Attach yourself to the One you were made for! In verse 8, we are told to Come close to God... So what happens when we submit to God? We come close to Him. This is how I can resist the devil so that he will flee from me (v. 7). This is also how I can cleanse my hand and purify my heart. Listen, there is no getting closer to God if you are not willing to submit to God. There is no lasting joy if you are not abiding in Him. There will be no victory over sin in your life if you are not humbling yourself before Him (v. 10). What will happen as you submit to God and draw closer to Him? You will see your sin for what it is, but instead of coasting further from Him, you will run to Him because that is where grace is to be found in your time of need! This is the point of verse 9-10, Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. What does it mean for God to exalt those who humble themselves before Him? He will give you the kind of joy you were made for, a joy available only through His Son. You were made for joy, but not the secular and godless kind that our world strives after. You were made for a joy and pleasure that can only be known in God by abiding in His Son. The question I have for you is this: What or who is it that has your attention and your heart? Arent you tired of pursuing lesser joys? There is a greater joy before you, but it can only be experienced by submitting yourself to God by drawing closer to Him. Let me close with something Jesus said that I think will make more sense to you in light of James 4:1-10, I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and remain in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:5-11) What Jesus describes and what James addresses is the kind of faith that abides in Him. [1] Ayad Akhtar, The Singularity Is Here, The Atlantic (11-5-21) [2] John Piper, Desiring God (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Books; 2011), 19. [3] Daniel M. Doriani, James, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR Publishing, 2007), 130.

Margaret Atwood—author of more than 60 books in almost every conceivable genre, recipient of more than 100 literary prizes—is a global icon. Like Kafka and Orwell before her, she and her writing have become part of the public discourse, wherever we live and whatever our age. Her intelligence is that vital and exacting, her wit that mischievous, her concerns – feminism, environmentalism, dystopian societies – that urgently relevant. The author is fond of quoting a Polish resistance fighter from the Second World War who once told her: “Pray that you will never have the occasion to be a hero.” As it's turned out, in her long and singular literary career, Margaret Atwood has indeed had the occasion to be a hero, numerous times, and always risen to the moment. After receiving the 2024 Sun Valley Writers Conference Writer in the World Prize, she spoke to Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Ayad Akhtar about her life, her work, and some of the wonders and terrors of the world we are living in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season Three of BOOKSPO launches here! But if podcasts aren't your thing, you can opt out of receiving BOOKSPO notifications. Go to https://substack.com/home and log in. Click on your personal icon in the top corner to find a drop-down menu. Select “SETTINGS.” Scroll down to find your subscriptions, and click on the arrow beside PICKLE ME THIS. Scroll to “NOTIFICATIONS” where you can opt out of anything you're not interested in being alerted to, such as podcasts. Thanks for sticking around!I loved talking to Su Chang about her debut novel, THE IMMORTAL WOMAN, which came out in March from House of Anansi Press and has been much buzzed-about in literary circles. And for good reason—this debut novel includes 70 years of contemporary Chinese history, and crosses both continents and generations to tell an epic mother/daughter tale that grapples with the traumatic legacy of China's Cultural Revolution. It's a powerful, moving and incredibly dynamic novel that complicated my understanding of China and its history in surprising and essential ways. In our conversation, Chang talks about the ambitiousness of one's debut novel being an epic, but also why she couldn't have told a story of the Cultural Revolution any other way. She talks about how she understood the Cultural Revolution as a child growing up in China overhearing discussions at the dinner table, but about how it wasn't until she'd left China and began reading uncensored histories of her country that she began to understand just why those dinner table discussions had been so different from what she'd been taught in school. She describes the kind of broad reading that's required to get close to something resembling truth, and also the ways in which she identified with the protagonist of Ayad Akhtar's HOMELAND ELEGIES and the paradoxical way in which he understands Americanness. A sweeping generational story of heartbreak, resilience, and yearning, revealing an insider's view of the fractured lives of Chinese immigrants and those they leave behind.Lemei, once a student Red Guard leader in 1960s Shanghai and a journalist at a state newspaper, was involved in a brutal act of violence during the Tiananmen Square protests and lost all hope for her country. Her daughter, Lin, is a student at an American university on a mission to become a true Westerner. She tirelessly erases her birth identity, abandons her Chinese suitor, and pursues a white lover, all the while haunted by the scars of her upbringing. Following China's meteoric rise, Lemei is slowly dragged into a nationalistic perspective that stuns Lin. Their final confrontation results in tragic consequences, but ultimately, offers hope for a better future. By turns wry and lyrical, The Immortal Woman reminds us to hold tight to our humanity at any cost.SU CHANG is a Chinese-Canadian writer. Born and raised in Shanghai, she is the daughter of a former (reluctant) Red Guard leader. Her fiction has been recognized in Prairie Fire's Short Fiction Contest, Canadian Authors' Association (Toronto) National Writing Contest, ILS/Fence Fiction Contest, the Masters Review's Novel Excerpt Contest, among others.Pickle Me This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kerryreads.substack.com/subscribe

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/israel-studies

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

John joins Lori Allen and Ajantha Subramanian for the roundup episode of the second series of Violent Majorities, focusing on long-distance ethnonationalism. Looking back at their conversations with Peter Beinart on Zionism and Subir Sinha on Hindutva, Lori begins by asking whether Peter underestimates the material entanglements keeping Jewish American support for Israel in place. Ajantha wonders if a space has been opened up by Zionism's more naked dependence on coercion and brute force. When John expresses puzzlement about the fervent ethnonationalism of minorities within a pluralistic society Lori and Ajantha point out that a sense of minority vulnerability may heighten the allures of long-distance ethnonationalism. The three explore various questions. Does the successful rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the UK stem from a perceived contrast between benign Hinduism and dangerous Islam? Does the need for popular ratification through electoral democracy limit the scope of long-distance ethnonationalism? Is there a limit to how effectively Zionists and Hindutvites in the US and UK can wield claims to wounded religious minority sentiment while benefiting from from the hollowing out of democratic institutions? And finally, the three ask if the ominously successful assimilation of Zionism into American right-wing politics may also start working for Hindutva. Mentioned in the episode: Isabella Hammad, Recognizing the Stranger Azad Essa, Hostile Homelands Recall This Book with Shaul Magid on Meir Kahane Ben Lorber on masculinist “Bronze-Age” Zionism Recallable Books: Lori singles out The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries, (1979) by Rosemary Sayigh, anthropologist and oral historian. It explores the ways Palestinian nationalism and organized resistance to their dispossession and oppression took hold in the refugee camps of Lebanon. Ajantha's choice is Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies, published in 2020, a readable, poignant, and edgy account of US empire, Islam, and race and the challenges of being an South Asian American Muslim. She also recalls the film Mississippi Masala from 1991, a compelling take on race and class dynamics in the US Indian diaspora. John proposes Paul Breines' Tough Jews and Gita Mehta's Karma Cola–to which Ajantha adds Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia. Listen and Read Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

Robertz, Andrea www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute

“Digital machines are not just remaking stories, they're remaking us.” So says Oscar-winning actor Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character in his Broadway debut, MCNEAL. Kara talks with Downey Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar and Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher about the play and the thorny questions it raises around truth, lies and power in the AI age. They also discuss who is responsible for creating a new “social contract” around AI. Plus: Kara and Robert get into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whether Downey is more like Elon Musk as Tony Stark aka Iron Man or in his upcoming role as Dr. Doom. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Threads @karaswisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ben and Nayeema tackle the emerging AI battle between machines and humans, a topic that was glaringly absent from this week's Veep debates but is at the center of everything from the dockworkers' strike to Hollywood's grand plans. To figure out how long they and the creative and media elite have job security, they speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar whose latest play, McNEAL, wrestles with AI and ethics. And for Blindspots, Max spills on what film you need to see … before, um, the machines replace the filmmakers.  NOTE: This episode discusses the dockworkers' strike, and was taped before the strike was suspended on Thursday night. If you have a tip or a comment, email us mixedsignals@semafor.com Find us on X: @semaforben, @nayeema @maxwelltani or on Instagram @nayeemaraza  Sign up for Semafor Media's Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

Carvell Wallace's memoir Another Word for Love recounts life growing up Black and queer with beautifully crafted, emotional storytelling. Wallace joins us to talk about vulnerability, authenticity and liberation, his literary influences and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.   This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                      New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.            Featured Books (Episode):  Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace  The Sixth Man by Andre Iguodala & Carvell Wallace  Good Lord Bird by James McBride  Heavy by Kiese Laymon  Colored Television by Danzy Senna  Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham   Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar 

Today, I'm honored to announce my interview with Tony winning director Doug Hughes. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including the simple mantra that dictates what kind of work he wants to direct, a very important review he received early in his career, creating tension in DOUBT, what he loves about directing Shaw plays, the anxiety of the rehearsal process for OLEANNA, why he prefers intimate rehearsal spaces, transferring FROZEN to Broadway, the unique talent of Cherry Jones, what appealed to him about directing Ayad Akhtar's JUNK, why ELLING couldn't succeed on Broadway, the opportunities Lynne Meadow gave him, and so much more. You won't want to miss this conversation with one of Broadway's best directors.

It's Library Lovers' Month! Let's celebrate with books written by Wisconsin authors. Check out what we talked about: Books mentioned: "Siren Queen" by Nghi Vo with readalike "The Chosen and the Beautiful" by the same author. "American Dervish" by Ayad Akhtar with readalike "Homeland Elegies" by the same author. "Hello, Transcriber" of the "Dark Harbor" series by Hannah Morrisey with readalike "Figure 8" of the "Northern Lakes Mystery" series by Jeff Nania. "The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis with readalikes "The Wisconsin Road Guide to Mysterious Creatures" and "The Wisconsin Road Guide to Gangster Hostpots" by the same author. "The Goblin Emperor" by Katherine Addison with readalike "Nettle and Bone" by T. Kingfisher. "Worse than the Devil: Anarchists, Clarence Darrow, and Justice in a Time of Terror" by Dean A. Strang. To access complete transcripts for all episodes of Not Your Mother's Library, please visit: oakcreeklibrary.org/podcast Check out books, movies, and other materials through the Milwaukee County Federated Library System: countycat.mcfls.org hoopladigital.com wplc.overdrive.com oakcreeklibrary.org

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Andrea Elliot sits down with another Pulitzer winner, novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar, at the 2023 Writers' Conference to talk about Elliot's book, Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City. The subject of the book is a Black girl in New York City named Dasani, whose story – told through the lens of almost a decade of Elliot's deep reporting – brings to vivid and devastating life the realities of how poverty and race and the moral failings of our institutions impact the most marginal among us.  Elliott tells us about Dasani's life and how it is both singular and emblematic, and she talks about her own passions for the deeply immersive journalism that is the hallmark of her professional life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ayad Akhtar, American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter, joins Eboo Patel at the Chicago Humanities Festival to discuss art, creativity, and cultural sensitivity. They emphasize the need to engage with and respect different identities in a diverse democracy rather than resorting to simplistic labels like "victim" or "racist." Bio: Ayad Akhtar is a novelist and playwright. His work has been published and performed in over two dozen languages. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Edith Wharton Citation of Merit for Fiction, and an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Akhtar is the author of Homeland Elegies (Little, Brown & Co.), which The Washington Post called "a tour de force" and The New York Times called "a beautiful novel…that had echoes of The Great Gatsby and that circles, with pointed intellect, the possibilities and limitations of American life." His first novel, American Dervish (Little, Brown & Co.), was published in over 20 languages. As a playwright, he has written Junk (Lincoln Center, Broadway; Kennedy Prize for American Drama, Tony nomination); Disgraced (Lincoln Center, Broadway; Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony nomination); The Who & The What (Lincoln Center); and The Invisible Hand (NYTW; Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award, Olivier, and Evening Standard nominations). 

Journalist Rinske Wels gaat in gesprek met theatermaker, acteur en muzikant Saman Amini. Amini is bekend van voorstellingen als ‘Saman Amini's Integratieplan' (2022) en ‘A Seat at the Table' (2017) waarvoor hij de Toneelschrijfprijs won. Hij speelde in onder andere de series ‘Van God los' en ‘de Fractie'. In november is hij te zien met zijn toneelgezelschap ‘Black Sheep Can Fly' het stuk ‘Disgraced' van Pulitzerprijs winnaar Ayad Akhtar. Presentatie: Rinske Wels

In a preview of their PEN World Voices dialog, Ayad Akhtar, president of PEN America, playwright and novelist and the author of Homeland Elegies: A Novel (Little, Brown and Company, 2020), and Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America and the author of We Need To Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy (Beacon Press, 2022), now in paperback, talk about the tension between protecting marginalized groups and freedom of expression.

Ayad Akhtar won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his provocative play Disgraced, described as "a combustible powder keg of identity politics." He's also tackled themes of race and culture through fiction: his first novel, American Dervish, about a young Pakistani-American boy growing up in the Midwest, and his powerful, prize-winning 2020 novel, Homeland Elegies. Frankly autobiographical, Homeland Elegies explores the idea of the "American dream" through the experience of Akhtar's parents and his own dual identity as a Muslim American following the 9/11 attacks. *This episode originally aired Oct. 25, 2020.

Beim ersten Kongress des PEN Berlin drehte sich alles um die Macht des Wortes und die Verteidigung der Kunstfreiheit. Ayad Akhtar, Präsident des PEN America, beschrieb in seiner Festrede ein Klima der Einschüchterung unter Künstlern in den USA.Sielmann, Larawww.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, FazitDirekter Link zur Audiodatei

Der PEN-USA-Vorsitzende Ayad Akhtar sieht die Funktion seines Verbands nicht in erster Linie darin, Stellung zu beziehen, sondern eher darin, die Debatte über verschiedene Standpunkte zu ermöglichen: "Wir müssen einen öffentlichen Diskurs schaffen."Ayad Akhtar im Gespräch mit Frank Meyer (Übersetzung: Jörg Taszman)www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, LesartDirekter Link zur Audiodatei

Today on The Weekly Reader, we review two new books about maintaining your cultural identity whilst working hard to “fit in": Rabia Chaudry's memoir "Fatty Fatty Boom Boom" and Ayad Akhtar's novel "American Dervish."  All titles available at The Ivy Bookshop and other fine local retailers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sondra Myers, Senior Fellow for International, Civic and Cultural Projects at the University of Scranton, & member of the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library Committee, speaking about Pulitzer-Prize winning author Ayad Akhtar who will receive the 2022 Royden B. Davis, SJ, Distinguished Author Award from the Friends on November 18th in the Ballroom of the DeNaples Student Center. There will be a book signing at 5:00 open to the public without charge; a dinner reception at 6:00 followed by the award presentation. Reservations & tickets are required for the dinner & award presentation. www.scranton.edu/authaward

In this episode of Beyond the Page, BEN RHODES, Barack Obama's former Deputy National Security Advisor, sits down at the Sun Valley Writers' Conference with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright AYAD AKHTAR for a deeply informed conversation about the state of the world we are living in today, with the rise of authoritarian leaders and ethno-nationalism and the flood of disinformation enabling them — and what responsibility America must take for these threats to freedom across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As PEN America celebrates its 100th year, Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, the human rights and free expression organization, and Ayad Akhtar, president of PEN America, playwright and novelist and the author of Homeland Elegies: A Novel (Little, Brown and Company, 2020), talk about today's gathering of renowned writers from around the world to talk about drawing on the organization's history to fight threats to free expression going forward.

Three days after being repeatedly stabbed onstage as he was preparing to give a lecture, author Salman Rushdie is recovering while the man accused of attacking him has been charged with attempted murder. Ayad Akhtar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist and president of PEN America, joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss Rushdie's life, work and the wider impact of the attack against him. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Three days after being repeatedly stabbed onstage as he was preparing to give a lecture, author Salman Rushdie is recovering while the man accused of attacking him has been charged with attempted murder. Ayad Akhtar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist and president of PEN America, joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss Rushdie's life, work and the wider impact of the attack against him. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Three days after being repeatedly stabbed onstage as he was preparing to give a lecture, author Salman Rushdie is recovering while the man accused of attacking him has been charged with attempted murder. Ayad Akhtar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist and president of PEN America, joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss Rushdie's life, work and the wider impact of the attack against him. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Ayad Akhtar's parents met in Pakistan in the early '60s, when they were both medical students and “ridiculously attractive” — or so their friends say. Despite having a love marriage (against the wishes of their parents), theirs was rocky from the start.“By the time I was 4, I already knew my father had ‘other women,' as my mother used to call them,” Ayad wrote in his Modern Love essay. But it wasn't until years later, when Ayad was an adult, that his mother shared her own confession with him. Today, Ayad tells his story about seeing his mother in a new light. Then, we listen to a Tiny Love Story about a child who recognizes their parent for the very first time.Ayad Akhtar, who received the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is the author of the novel “Homeland Elegies” and the president of PEN America.

Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar's latest novel, “Homeland Elegies,” is a meditation on American identity through the lens of an American son and his immigrant parents. It is also a treatise on American economics, Muslim identity in this country, the power of dreams, and syphilis. We listen back to a conversation that was part of the Portland Book Festival put on by Literary Arts.

In this episode librarians Andy, Keri, Sam, and Sarah talk about their favorite books they've read during 2021 and preview some books they're excited about in 2022. In this episode we talked about: Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea Some Choose Darkness by Charlie Donlea Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea Sergeant Salinger by Jerome Charyn Cool Town: How Athens, Georgia, Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture by Grace Elizabeth Hale Earthlings by Sayaka Murata The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams Girl in the Walls by A. J. Gnuse The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones People of Abandoned Character by Clare Whitfield Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam Rise and Run: Recipes, Rituals and Runs to Fuel Your Day: A Cookbook by Shalane Flanagan, Elyse Kopecky The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy! by Ree Drummond Trisha's Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends and Family by Trisha Yearwood The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu The Veiled Throne by Ken Liu Speaking Bones by Ken Liu We also mentioned: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar Disgraced play by Ayad Akhtar (winner of 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama)

In this episode of Novelist Spotlight, host Mike Consol discussed two rock memoirs from Gregg Allman and Sammy Hagar and the lesson fiction writers can derive from their style of storytelling.The featured books are the Gregg Allman memoir, “My Cross to Bear,” and the Sammy Hagar memoir, “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock,” which hit No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list years ago.Also mentioned during this podcast in relation to the popularity of auto-fiction is “Homeland Elegies” by Ayad Akhtar.If you haven't already subscribed to this podcast, please do so, and share the link with friends, colleagues and family members who are avid readers or aspiring writers. Mike Consol is author of “Hardwood: A Novel About College Basketball and Other Games Young Men Play.” Write him at novelistspotlight@gmail.com

Disgraced is a 2012 play by novelist and screenwriter Ayad Akhtar. It premiered in Chicago and has had Off-Broadway and Off West End engagements. The play, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play is centered on sociopolitical themes such as Islamophobia and the self-identity of Muslim-American citizens. It focuses on a dinner party between four people with very different backgrounds. As discussion turns to politics and religion, the mood quickly becomes heated. Described as a "combustible powder keg of identity politics, the play depicts racial and ethnic prejudices that "secretly persist in even the most progressive cultural circles. It is also said to depict the challenge for upwardly mobile Muslim Americans in the post-9/11 America. Venmo's: @jacob-santos-22 ; @rda956 ; @annika-pk

Work in Progress with Christopher Michaelson, discusses every working person's work in progress, namely, our quest to be fully human in a working world that all too often makes us feel like machines, in which we often don't even have time to think, and that, in the words of Studs Terkel, too often feels like “a Monday through Friday sort of dying.”Our third podcast episode airs with host Michaelson and two guests: Playwright, novelist, screenwriter, Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author of Homeland Elegies, Ayad Akhtar as well as the reviewer of Homeland Elegies, Associate Professor of Ethics and Executive Director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at The American College of Financial Services, Azish Filabi, JD.  Michaelson, Akhtar and Filabi discuss Akhtar's recent book, Homeland Elegies, exploring the role capitalism played - and continues to play - in simultaneously building and crushing lives in the name of the American dream. This book review has also been published in The Journal of Business Ethics (JBE) to answer two questions: "Is this book worth reading?" and "What ideas or questions will this book illuminate for anyone with interest in business ethics?" To advance dialogue between scholars and the public about business ethics and society, this review will be free to access at JBE for a period of 8 weeks, ending September 30, 2021.With special thanks for the support of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at the American College of Financial Services and the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Johanna Pfaelzer. Johanna has walked the creative path from actor to producer and now is an artistic director. Those steps gave her control over the future she wanted while still being able to influence theatrical arts in a powerful way. Under Johanna's leadership, many notable works have been developed, including the 2016 Tony Award winner “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Like many creative people, Johanna waitressed tables early on to pay her bills and fund her projects. Money has continued to be a leading actor throughout her career as she helps support her family and the different theater companies she's been a part of. Today, Johanna is honored to serve as Berkeley Repertory Theater's fourth artistic director. She recently spent 12 years as the artistic director of New York Stage and Film (NYSAF), a New York City-based organization dedicated to the development of new works for theatre, film, and television. NYSAF is known for providing a rigorous and nurturing environment for writers, directors, and other artists to realize work that has gone on to production at the highest levels of the profession. Other notable works that were developed under Johanna's leadership include “The Humans” by Stephen Karam, “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe, “Junk and The Invisible Hand” by Ayad Akhtar, “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music” by Taylor Mac, “Hadestown” by Anaïs Mitchell, “The Homecoming Queen” by Ngozi Anyanwu, “The Great Leap” by Lauren Yee, John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer- and Tony-Award-winning “Doubt”, “The Fortress of Solitude” by Michael Friedman and Itamar Moses, “The Jacksonian” by Beth Henley, and Green Day's “American Idiot.” Learn more about Money Tale$ > Subscribe to the podcast Recent episodes See all episodes > Form CRS Form ADV Terms of Use Privacy Rights and Policies

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Johanna Pfaelzer. Johanna has walked the creative path from actor to producer and now is an artistic director. Those steps gave her control over the future she wanted while still being able to influence theatrical arts in a powerful way. Under Johanna's leadership, many notable works have been developed, including the 2016 Tony Award winner “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Like many creative people, Johanna waitressed tables early on to pay her bills and fund her projects. Money has continued to be a leading actor throughout her career as she helps support her family and the different theater companies she's been a part of. Today, Johanna is honored to serve as Berkeley Repertory Theater's fourth artistic director. She recently spent 12 years as the artistic director of New York Stage and Film (NYSAF), a New York City-based organization dedicated to the development of new works for theatre, film, and television. NYSAF is known for providing a rigorous and nurturing environment for writers, directors, and other artists to realize work that has gone on to production at the highest levels of the profession. Other notable works that were developed under Johanna's leadership include “The Humans” by Stephen Karam, “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe, “Junk and The Invisible Hand” by Ayad Akhtar, “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music” by Taylor Mac, “Hadestown” by Anaïs Mitchell, “The Homecoming Queen” by Ngozi Anyanwu, “The Great Leap” by Lauren Yee, John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer- and Tony-Award-winning “Doubt”, “The Fortress of Solitude” by Michael Friedman and Itamar Moses, “The Jacksonian” by Beth Henley, and Green Day's “American Idiot.” See all episodes >

Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar's latest novel, “Homeland Elegies,” is a meditation on American identity through the lens of an American son and his immigrant parents. It is also a treatise on American economics, Muslim identity in this country, the power of dreams, and syphilis. We listen back to a conversation that was part of the Portland Book Festival put on by Literary Arts.

Award-Winning Playwright Ayad Akhtar Joins Us! Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/0vxs2XI2I5QTime Stamp for Straight-to-Interview content: 06:00Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse Christopher Ashley catches up with Ayad Akhtar - the acclaimed screenwriter, novelist and playwright of two Playhouse world premieres: 2014's The Who & The What, which went on to Lincoln Center Theater and was subsequently produced around the world, and 2016's Junk: The Golden Age of Debt, which enjoyed a second life on Broadway before receiving a Tony nomination for Best Play. Named American Theatre magazine's most produced playwright in 2016, Ayad is the author of the recently published Homeland Elegies: A Novel, in which an American son and his immigrant father search for reunion and belonging in post-Trump America. The novel has been included in the Top 10 Best Books of 2020 by The New York Times, The Washington Post and Time Magazine.Don't forget to subscribe!FOLLOW USFacebook: @LaJollaPlayhouse https://facebook.com/LaJollaPlayhouse/​Instagram: @LaJollaPlayhouse https://instagram.com/LaJollaPlayhouse/​Twitter: @LJPlayhouse https://twitter.com/LJPlayhouse​#AyadAkhtar​ #HomelandElegies​ #LaJollaPlayhouse​ #BroadwayAtHome

On Sayaka Murata's Earthlings, Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies and Thomas McMullan's The Last Good Man

Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Ayad Akhtar's latest novel, “Homeland Elegies,” is a meditation on American identity through the lens of an American son and his immigrant parents. It is also a treatise on American economics, Muslim identity in this country, the power of dreams, and syphilis. Ayad Akhtar joins us as part of the Portland Book Festival put on by literary arts.

Very troubling developments in Nigeria are getting global attention from political heavyweights, football stars and musicians. Activist and renowned rapper Falz joins Christiane Amanpour to discuss the situation on the ground. Then, spokesperson for the Republican National Convention Liz Harrington shares her take on the state of the U.S presidential race. Hari Sreenivasan speaks to playwright Ayad Akhtar about his new book, “Homeland Elegies.” Turning to music, jazz artist Melody Gardot talks to Amanpour about creating during lockdown and her new album "Sunset In The Blue."To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

This week on The Book Show, novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar. Akhtar is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His latest work is Homeland Elegies, a deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams. It blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of longing […]

Just weeks away from the American election, three American writers on religion, a search for identity, racial injustice and the comfort of science.

Homeland Elegies is Pulitzer-winning playwright and novelist Ayad Akhtar's lyrical response to post-9/11, Trump-era American politics. Drawing on his perspective as the child of Muslim immigrants, Akhtar pens an elegy to the American dream. Part memoir, part fiction, this novel about a father and son searching for belonging paints a picture of disillusionment. Akhtar is joined at CHF by Obama-administration alumnus and founder of Interfaith Youth Core Eboo Patel to discuss his latest book and what it means to call a country home. This program was livestreamed on September 23, 2020. This program is generously underwritten by Anita and Prabhakant Sinha and is presented in partnership with PEN America. Order the book Homeland Elegies: A Novel online at Seminary Co-op: https://www.semcoop.com/homeland-elegies Donate now to support programs like this: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/don... Explore upcoming events: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/ Connect on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicagohuman... Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chihumanities/

Zakiya Young, a Los Angeles-based actress and VO artist, talks about why she has felt called to speak about race and how having a teachable spirit is essential to dismantling racism. Zakiya tells Denis why being in Ayad Akhtar's Disgraced was a pivotal experience in her growth, speaks about microaggressions and interracial relationships and shares what it was like being the first and only black actress to play Lois Lane in Superman and Betty Haynes in White Christmas. Zakiya Young:Instagram: @officialzakiyayoungTwitter: @zakiyayoungDenis:Instagram: @denis_e_lambertWebsite: www.denislambertonline.comFollow the Podcast:Instagram: @thevoraciousstudentFacebook: facebook.com/thevoraciousstudentEmail: thevoraciousstudent@gmail.com

Anne McElvoy looks at current debates about economics, British manufacturing and entrepreneurialism talking to Juliet Michaelson from the New Economics Foundation, the politicians Liam Byrne and John Redwood and entrepreneur Luke Johnson. They also consider the arguments in new books from Yanis Varoufakis and Thomas Piketty. The panel is joined by theatre critic Matt Wolf who'll be reflecting on the way business and economics are represented on stage reporting on recent openings on Broadway and looking ahead to the UK premiere of The Invisible Hand by Pulitzer Prize–winner Ayad Akhtar at London's Tricyle Theatre. Liam Byrne is the author of Turning to Face The East: How Britain Can Prosper In The Asian Century and Dragons: 10 Entrepreneurs Who Built Britain Chronicles by Thomas Piketty is out now. And the Weak Suffer What They Must? by Yanis Varoufakis is out now. The Invisible Hand by Ayad Akhtar runs at the Tricycle Theatre in London from May 12th to July 2nd. Producer: Eliane Glaser.