Like a Love Story - Abdi Nazemian
Details
Join us Sunday, October 18th for a discussion on Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian.
Meet the Author:
This month is special because October 4-10 is officially Banned Books Week. The University of Utah has invited this award-winning author, Abdi Nazemian, to Utah for a discussion on Monday, September 28th from 12-1 at the J. Willard Marriott Library. Many of us will be reading the book prior to that event and attending it as well. It's free and we invite you to join us.
The Book:
- Title: Like a Love Story
- Author: Abdi Nazemian
- Description: It’s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.
Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He’s terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he’s gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media’s images of men dying of AIDS.
Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating.
Art is Judy’s best friend, their school’s only out and proud teen. He’ll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.
As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won’t break Judy’s heart—and destroy the most meaningful friendship he’s ever known.
This is a bighearted, sprawling epic about friendship and love and the revolutionary act of living life to the fullest in the face of impossible odds.
Why it's Often Banned:
- Sexual Content: Local review committees and conservative advocacy groups flagged the novel—which features teenage characters dating and discussing sex and HIV/AIDS safety—arguing that it meets state definitions for objective sensitive or indecent material.
- LGBTQ+ Themes: Critics and literary advocates point out that the book, which centers on a gay Iranian-American teenager in 1989 New York City during the height of the AIDS crisis, is part of a broader wave of targeted removals focusing on queer history and marginalized identities
---
Event Details
- When: Sunday, October 18th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Where: Wasatch Theater Company at the Gateway Mall (77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101)
- Because it's Sunday, there is free parking at the Gateway, and it's usually not too busy.
- What to Bring: Please bring a food item to share and your own drink of choice (alcohol is allowed!).
- Get Connected: Click here to join us on GroupMe to vote on future books and chat with fellow members.
Note: In August, we had nearly 30 people RSVP and we had 5 show up. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan for food. If you RSVP, please plan on showing up. You don't have to have finished or even read the book - we don't judge. :)
---
Stay Connected on GroupMe!
Don't wait until the meetup to join the conversation!
Join our active GroupMe community to:
- Discuss current reads in real-time.
- Cast your vote in polls to help choose our upcoming books.
- Connect with other club members between meetings.
- Click Here to Join us on GroupMe
* Reminder: This is a non-political, respectful space where all viewpoints are welcome. Our discussion stays focused on the book and the ideas it raises. We won’t always agree, and that’s okay! Different perspectives make for great conversation. See you there!