Supported by Lola Jackson & Dilys Tosteson Garcia ‘Community-Building’ Conversation Series

The National Writers Series rarely invites a debut novelist to the City Opera House Stage, but we’ve made an exception with acclaimed poet Kaveh Akbar. That’s because early praise for his book, "Martyr!," was simply phenomenal. Our instincts were right. "Martyr!" was just named as one of “The 25 Most Anticipated Books of 2024” by Time Magazine.
"Martyr!" is the story of Cyrus Shams, a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants. He is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his family’s past.
Electrifying, funny, and wholly original, "Martyr!" is an homage to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, and others.

EVENT INFORMATION
You can attend Kaveh’s book either livestream or in person at the City Opera House, 106 E. Front Street, Traverse City, Michigan. Doors open at 6 p.m. with live music and a cash bar. The event begins at 7 p.m. and includes a Q&A. Signed copies of "Martyr!" will be available and discounted 20 percent. After the conversation wraps up at 8:30 p.m., Kaveh will personalize books.

TICKETS
City Opera House In-Person Tickets
Tier One Seats: $25
Tier Two Seats: $15
Student Tickets: $5
Virtual Tickets: $14