This week on The Write Question, host Lauren Korn speaks with cartoonist Navied Mahdavian, author of the graphic memoir, <i>This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America</i> (Princeton Architectural Press).
Before Navied moved with his wife and dog in November of 2016 from San Francisco to an off-the-grid cabin in rural Idaho, he had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted, or lived in a snowy place. But there, he could own land, realize his dream of being an artist, and start a family—the Millennial dream. Over the next three years, Navied leaned into the wonders of the natural Idaho landscape and found himself adjusting to and enjoying a slower pace of living. But beyond the boundaries of his six acres, he was confronted with the realities of America's political shifts and forced to confront the question, Do I belong here?
About Navied:
Navied Mahdavian has been a contributing cartoonist at The New Yorker since 2018. His work has also been published in Reader's Digest, Wired, and Alta Online; as well as collected in the books The Rejection Collection and Send Help! Before becoming a cartoonist, he taught the fifth grade, where he learned most of his jokes. Navied was born in Miami and now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Navied Mahdavian recommends:
Illustrator and graphic designer Christoph Niemann
<i>Impossible People: A Completely Average Recovery Story</i> by Julie Wertz (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers)
<i>Artificial: A Love Story</i> by Amy Kurzweil (Catapult)
<i>Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood</i> and <i>Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return</i> by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon Books)
Lauren Korn recommends:
<i>This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America</i> by Navied Mahdavian (Princeton Architectural Press)
<i>Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands</i> by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
<i>Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness</i> by Kristen Radtke (Pantheon Books)
<i>Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic</i> by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books)
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The Write Question team for this episode was Lauren Korn, host, co-producer, and editor; and Chris Moyles, co-producer, editor; and Aidan McMahan, sound engineer. This episode is supported by Chapter One Bookstore in Hamilton, Montana, a literary and community resource for the Bitterroot Valley—providing space to explore, discover, and share passions since 1974. More information can be found at <i>Chapter1Bookstore.com</i>.
The Write Question logo and brand (2022) was designed by Molly Russell. You can see more of her work at iamthemollruss.com and on Instagram @iamthemollruss. Our music was written and recorded by John Floridis.
Funding for The Write Question comes from Humanities Montana; members of Montana Public Radio; and from the Greater Montana Foundation—encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans.
The Write Question is a production of Montana Public Radio.
