Interruptions: Love, Chaos & Revolution in Iran

One hot summer's day in Tehran, school-teacher Farzin Rouhani leaves his house for a short walk to meet his lover. In the next half hour his life is turned upside down. The secret police arrest him on suspicion of conspiring to overthrow the Iranian government. Although he is innocent, telling the truth is not an option. Facing his interrogator, Farzin has to decide--does he want to be jailed for subversion or for revealing his homosexuality?

Fiction. Middle Eastern Studies. Gay & Lesbian Studies. On a hot summer's day in Tehran, Farzin Rouhani leaves his house on a short walk to meet his lover. Suddenly he encounters a political demonstration and his routine is interrupted. The secret police arrest him on suspicion of conspiring to overthrow the Iranian government. Although he is completely innocent, telling the truth is not an option. Facing his interrogator, Farzin has to decide: does he want to be jailed for subversion or for revealing that he is gay? INTERRUPTIONS examines the various paths we choose when our day-to-day life is interrupted. On another level, it is also an intimate look at the interrupted psyche of a country whose dreams of freedom and justice have repeatedly been thwarted. Alemi's examination of Iranian society and its complex rituals is fresh and full of life. Continual political upheavals in a country dominated by fanatics form the backdrop--where the rich history of the Rouhani family is interwoven with the misfortunes of a nation. Massud Alemi was born in Iran and moved to the United States in 1977. He writes fiction and non-fiction both in English and his native Persian. INTERRUPTIONS is his first novel. He lives in the Washington DC area.