Colbert Report: Former FCNL Intern to Appear

By Joe Volk on 11/05/2010 @ 01:18 AM

Tags: Around the Office

Check out the Colbert Report on November 8th at 11:30 PM when former FCNL summer intern, Reza Aslan, will appear to talk about his new book Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East.

Reza describes his new book as a “Words Without Borders” project and notes that “the mesmerizing prose of the Middle East-Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu-has been virtually excluded from the canon available to English readers.” He offers this collection of short stories, memoirs, essays, and poems as an introduction to English readers to the experience of the Middle East.

Reza came to FCNL years ago to work with me over a summer. My daughter Johanna and her boyfriend were in California. They and Reza were friends. The two guys played in the same rock band. Reza wanted some Capitol Hill experience, and Johanna introduced us. I invited Reza to come to FCNL for that summer. I knew from his first week at FCNL that Reza was a talented writer and a thinker. By the way, he was a bike commuter too! So, I knew he would go places.

The Colbert Report Monday evening, November 8, kicks off Reza’s book tour. Google him to find out when he’ll be in your area. — JV