Martir!

Cyrus seeks meaning in death after loss and exile. An American missile hits a civilian plane by mistake. His mother dies in the strike. He leaves Iran with his father. They settle in the United States. His father's life there seems as senseless as her death. Cyrus uses drink and pills to ease his distress.

He grows fixed on martyrdom, above all his own. This shapes his poems, dreams, and talks with friends. It also leads him to Orkideh, an artist nearing death. She chooses to spend her last days as a museum exhibit. Their bond comes as a surprise. It gives Cyrus hope that he can find purpose in death.

Kaveh Akbar's first novel tells a family story. It also takes a close look at its characters. It explores addiction, exile, art, language, and the search for meaning. It blends grave questions with humor and life's lack of sense. The novel was a National Book Award finalist. The New York Times Book Review named it its book of the year.

Akbar was born in 1989. He also wrote two books of poems. These are Calling a Wolf a Wolf and Pilgrim Bell. He has won Pushcart Prizes and the Levis Reading Prize. He also received a Civitella Ranieri Foundation fellowship. He founded Divedapper in 2014 to share interviews with poets. He teaches at the University of Iowa. He also teaches writing to graduate students at Randolph College and Warren Wilson College. Poetry journals and major newspapers have printed his poems.

This edition is part of the Anansi series. Petru Iamandi translated it from English. Its English title is Martyr!