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How to pronounce Nadine Bjursten: nay-deen BJUR-sten
Nadine Bjursten discusses her first novel, Half a Cup of Sand and Sky
What inspired you to write Half a Cup of Sand and Sky? Why Iran?
Looking back, I think I was always going to write this novel. I grew up with Persian poets Hafiz, Sa'di, and Rumi and am drawn to subtle Iranian concepts such as ta'ārof and letafat, which underscore caring for the person in front of you, whether you are just meeting or cooking a meal. The Iranians in my life seemed to take that way of living and being to heart. That's why later when I was managing editor of the foreign policy journal Arms Control Today during the presidency of George W. Bush, I found it jarring when Iran was labeled a member of the axis of evil. There is little nuance in the word evil, and it rarely stays with the leaders who commit the crimes. Instead, it sweeps over its citizens, religion, culture, and history. When I went to the bookstore to read some contemporary fiction based in the country, I found books depicting Iranians as backward, religious extremists. So, this single story was not just in the news. It was in the novels being read, and soon I found it popping up in conversations with friends and colleagues. A single story cements our perception of the other. It is devastating, not just because it makes the step to war so much easier, but because it increases misunderstandings and hate.
So, it sounds like your novel was a reaction to the social and political environment you found yourself in.
Absolutely. As much as social engagement is undervalued in fiction writing, I felt compelled to explore this othering that is so common in the West. I started my journey as a series of essays, but after deep diving into Persian culture, reading more than sixty translated works of fiction, and traveling to the country, a novel started to take form. Maybe this extraordinary literary journey made a novel the only path open to me.
What is the message you are conveying about female identity?
Amineh tries to remake herself into what the people around her want. She is seeking approval, and that journey will always be doomed to heartache. As her best friend, Ava, tells her, "Unless we love ourselves, our hearts are as good as a black hole all the love in the world can't fill." In the end, when she accepts herself, when she learns that mistakes and failings are just part of the human experience, she is able to finally land. She has found love, true love, the kind that is not warped by need. This new strength is also the power source for both empathy and compassion.
We have all read about the current plight of women in Iran. Can you speak to the relevance of your novel at this time?
My novel is deeply researched, so the reader will come away with a historical context to the current issue. The 1979 revolution was interesting in the sense that all classes of society rose against the shah. They were tired of the shah's arbitrary policies and secret police that reduced the populace to subjects rather than citizens. Ayatollah Khomeini won the revolution, but instead of addressing the cause of the revolution, he simply gave Iranians another government dependent on the whims of one individual. What's more, he gradually stripped rights from Iranians, particularly women, so they were soon left with a worse situation than what they had under the shah. Iranians and the world are still living with this terrible irony.
You mentioned letafat. Can you explain what that term means?
It is a Persian concept that encompasses grace and tenderness. When Amineh cooks a meal for her family, she does not simply satisfy their hunger. Instead, each dish is pleasing to the eye, provides balance to the body, and warms the soul. This concept is also alive in Iran's cultural, literary, and even religious history—and in Half a Cup of Sand and Sky, I try to do justice to this sensibility.
What do you say to those who ask why you, as a non-Iranian, are writing this story?
It is such an important question, and I will have to answer by asking my own question: do I perpetuate the single story about Iranians and Muslims, or do I offer another story? I hope the reader will see that I do the latter. My background in nuclear arms control and disarmament diplomacy enabled me to write the Iranian character of Farzad, who is trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons. His character is inspired by real people, and it is important to show that side of things. My Sufi background also gives me fluency in Sufi poetry and concepts, which is important to this story. I will add that I think that the larger point within the cultural appropriation issue is disrespect and disregard. I hope my novel is the opposite of that.
How did September 11, 2001, impact your writing about Islam?
Islam is as diverse as Christianity, and its central tenet is the same: treat others as you wish to be treated. The Iranians take this further with ta'ārof, treating others better than yourself. After 9/11, New Yorkers went out of their way not to condemn the religion for the actions of the few, and that soothed many hearts. It was different on talk shows and in much of the media. Like other religions, Islam contains guidelines for how to be good and have compassion for others. Fasting, for instance, helps you understand how it feels to be without food so that you feel compelled to do what you can to feed someone regardless of that person's class, religion, or race. What I have always found so interesting is that the people in the different religions who take the central tenet of their religion to heart (to treat others as they wish to be treated) are more similar to each other in their different faiths than they are to others in their faith who take the extremist view of their religion. An extremist Christian also behaves and speaks very much like an extremist Muslim or Hindu.
Why would a woman today be looking for this novel?
I think this novel will hit a raw note in women who pressure themselves into being best in all areas of life. They fall short in their own eyes and seek approval in so many different ways, and social media has only exacerbated this. Amineh is an Iranian woman who has lost herself. She turns to others for approval and love but finds instead only more reasons to believe that she is flawed and insufficient, that she is not worthy of being loved. The devastation happening to her country mirrors her own feelings of inadequacy and inner turmoil. But one day a small act of love shakes her just enough to make her see something else. What follows is a challenging and intimate journey back to herself.
What Iranian writers would you recommend to readers wanting a better understanding of the country?
Oh, the list is long. Probably the most delightful novel I read was Uncle Napoleon by Iraj Pezeshkzad. You will understand once you read it. You cannot read a Molla Nasrod-Din story without laughing. Other novels that will leave a lasting impression are Women without Men, The Blind Owl, Missing Soluch, Savushun, Her Eyes, The Cannon, By the Pen, Censoring an Iranian Love Story. The epic poem by Ferdowsi called The Shahnameh tells the mythical and historical past of Persian Empire. One has to read The Conference of the Birds by the poet Farid od-Din Attār, Rumi poetry translated by Coleman Barks, any poem by Hāfez or Sa'di. This is not even going into the contemporary works, of which there is a wonderful selection. To start the reader off, I would direct them to nonfiction works: Shrin Ebadi's Iran Awakening, Kamin Mohammadi's The Cypress Tree, and Trita Parsi's A Single Roll of the Dice. In fiction I would read The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani, Children of the Jacaranda Tree by Sahar Delijani, In the Walled Gardens by Anahita Firouz, Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji. There are so many more.
What do you want readers to take away from this novel?
I'd like readers to step outside of their ideas of the country in the headlines and feel a little of the love in these pages. There are no individuals or countries or religions out there that can be reduced to just one story. Most importantly, however, I'd like readers to feel like they have gotten to know Amineh and company and have been enriched.
Unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the copyright holder.
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