The Rampage 2270 Highway 133 Carbondale , CO 81623
Februrary 2017 Volume 10 Issue 5
Best Selling Author Speaks at RFHS
- Solana Teitler
“Books, art, music, reminds you not of death, but of the dignity of an individual,” author Azar Nafisi shared at Roaring Fork on January 17th. Through the Aspen Words Winter Words program, Nafisi spoke at the Aspen Institute and visited Roaring Fork High School. Nafisi,who is the author of three books, Reading Lolita in Tehran, The Republic of Imagination, and Things I have been Silent About, came to our school, speaking about her love for fiction, need for knowledge, and power to inspire change. Azar Nafisi grew up in Tehran, Iran, studied in Switzerland, and taught English literature at the university of Tehran. She quit teaching when she was forced to cover her head and instead began teaching controversial western literature to students secretly from her home in opposition to the Ayatollah. Her books all discuss the importance of fiction and knowledge in resisting oppression, maintaining democracy and forming morals. Nafisi wrote her books because of observations she made on cultural misperceptions. “Nowadays especially, when we think of others, we are thinking only of differences,” Nafisi explained, “Understand
Azar Nafisi Talking to a group of students. Photo by Kelsie Goodman.
ing others’ cultures is so crucial to connecting to one another.” Nafisi explained how even the geography of our homes can connect us. She said that the snow and mountains that characterize our valley brought her back to her city of birth: Tehran, Iran. “Nature, Nature itself links us to one another.” Nafisi says a majority of the world suffers from generalization. As Americans, we see a whole country of individuals only as they are represented by a single leader or story, and we dismiss horrible things we see as their “culture”. While understanding helps bring us closer together, Nafisi also explains how fiction connects us. “Fiction doesn’t generalize,” Nafisi said, “Fiction, as opposed to politics, focuses on an individual: on genuine people.” American fiction is different from any other, according to Nafisi, because it’s heros and heroines are regular people, and it humanizes a culture, making it something connectable and associable. Nafisi operates on the theory that there is nothing uninteresting in this world. Everything we encounter deserves to be learned about, challenged, and discovered. “Being alive means being restless” Nafisi states; “If you don’t take risks, you won’t be able to do a damned thing.” Nafisi, an agent of change herself, talked about the necessity
What’s Inside
Cutest Couple at RFHS Page 2
Azar Nafisi takes a photo with a group of students. Photo by Kelsie Goodman.
of knowledge to inspire advancement, and the place of criticism. “When you love something, you’re critical of it, because you want to make it better.” Nafisi explained as she described her inspiration for writing. Similarly, In order to change our world, the world we love, we need to criticize it, just like we criticize everything else we love. “You need to learn about the world because you are involved in the world and it is your world,” Nafisi states. In order to rebel, you need to have knowledge of your oppressor so you never become like them. “Resistance does not equal guns,” Nafisi elaborates, “These are not the threats. Who are the threats? The ones who think; the ones who say ‘No’.” Nafisi spoke about how american students see anti establishment as refusing to read an assigned book for class, when reading itself is anti establishment, and how these false ideas are stunting american growth. Nafisi’s message was that fiction, knowledge, culture, they help us define ourselves and learn what we must fight for. After speaking, she stayed to talk with a few students, signing books, exchanging emails, taking pictures, and giving book recommendations. It was an honor for Roaring Fork to host such an inspirational author, and hearing her speak made AP Language and AP Composition students rethink their views of the world.
X- Games Review Page 3
Battle of the classes Pages 4 & 5
The end of RFHS Football? Page 6 Courtesy Photos.
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