Saint Louis University professor, co-editor of poetry imprint Flood Editions and brilliant poet in his own right, Devin Johnston, has tipped us off to the fact that novelist Saher Alam wil be reading from her new book, The Groom to Have Been (Spiegel & Grau) at SLU’s Boileau Hall (Vandeventer and Pine) on Thursday, November 6 at 4 p.m. The reading is free and copies of the book will be available for signing. Ms. Alam was born in Lucklow, India, moved to the U.S. at the age of 5, attended Princeton and the Creative Writing Program at Boston University and is currently a visiting professor at Saint Louis University. Her book, inspired by The Age of Innocence, is set during that 21st century pivot point we've dubbed 9/11. Here’s a synopsis from the S&G website:
“Just as Nasr, a young man with a vibrant professional and social life in New York, begins to prepare for the arranged marriage he hopes will appease his Indian Muslim family and assure him a union as happy as his parents’, he starts to suspect that his true love has been within his reach his entire life. Nasr has known Jameela since they were children, and for nearly that long she has flouted the traditions her community holds dear. But now the rebellion that always made her seem dangerous suddenly makes him wonder if she might be his perfect match. Feeling increasingly trapped as his wedding date approaches, Nasr contemplates a drastic escape, but in the wake of 9/11, new fears and old prejudices threaten to stand between him and the promise of happiness. Current in its political themes and classic in its treatment of doomed love, The Groom to Have Been is a graceful and emotionally charged debut."
—Stefene Russell
