1. What inspired you to write this book? I wanted to write a book that not only
portrayed the immigrant story in a very honest way, but also focused on the
aspects of being Iranian that unite us and bring us together rather than
aspects that can mainly be a dividing force. Aspects like our rich culture,
language, idioms and expressions that we’ve heard all our lives, our history —
the facets of us that are the points of pride of every Iranian. They are things
we can, for the most part, all agree on, whether it’s Iranians still living in
Iran or the Iranian diaspora living outside of Iran. They are also the
main themes at the center of this story; they are the glue that keeps the
Nezami family together as they grapple with a personal tragedy.
2. What exactly is it about and who
is it written for? The
book is about an Iranian immigrant family living in Virginia, the Nezami
family, and the story is told from the POV of fifteen-year-old Cyrus
Nezami. When an unspeakable tragedy rocks the Nezami family, Cyrus finds
himself on the verge of losing everything he ever loved. His father Sohrab, a
talented storyteller, reassures him that once he hears the stories about his
namesake and the first ruler of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, everything
will make more sense. But as everything comes crashing down, Cyrus begins
to lose faith. In this story of cultural duality and the significance of
reputation, loyalty, family bonds, and the values they install in you, even the
oldest, most unlikely stories can parallel your own, teach invaluable lessons,
and end up saving you.
This book is written for everyone —
especially those readers who love books that center around a mystery, different
cultures, stories within stories, history, and strong family bonds. I also
wanted this book to speak to people of all backgrounds — not just Iranians —
as well as those who are immigrants and grew up with two cultures.
3. What do you hope readers will get out
of reading your book? In recent years, most
of the books that have been published by Iranian authors, all of which are
wonderful, wonderful works, have mostly focused on the Iranian Revolution, our
conflict-ridden political history, and themes and topics that I feel divide us
or create more controversy around what it is to be Iranian. I wanted to steer
away from that, and while it’s also not something I am choosing to deny or edit
away from the overarching Iranian identity, I intentionally chose to steer away
from it in this book. Further, I was born in the post-Revolutionary era, then
immigrated to the U.S. with my family when I was six years old and grew up here
my whole life. The revolution and its aftermath did not immediately
impact me, therefore I cannot tell a story about that time in an
honest, organic way because I didn’t directly experience it.
I want people to realize there is so much more
to Persians/Iranians and our country of Iran than just the Revolution and over
40 years of political conflict, which is what’s solely covered in the media. I
want to change that narrative. Every country in the world has been or currently
is entrenched in political conflict, but why is the global spotlight always on
Iran in regard to that?
I want the people of the world, especially those in Western countries, to
learn about the richness of our culture, history, and language. For instance,
when you mention Greece, most people immediately think of Ancient Greece, of
beautiful architecture and art, of philosophy, and Socrates, and Homer. Not the
country’s current political climate. However, when you mention Iran, people
immediately think of the Revolution, the Shah, Ayatollah
Khomeini, the issue of hijab and Iran-U.S. relations, and so on. Not the
Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, and Hafez and Rumi. And while I don’t want to
get too political, I realize this is all due to years of propaganda and media
influence. However, I think as writers, creators, and artists, we have the
responsibility, the opportunity, and the voice to change the narrative.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and
cover design? The title of the book,
“Death Has None,” is part of a line from a Rumi poem, which is:
“Only love has power over lovers, death has none.” I touch on this
line a few times in the book because the meaning of the line captures one of
the main themes of the book flawlessly. As for the cover, I wanted to
again depict some of the main themes and aspects of the novel in a captivating
and aesthetically-pleasing way. I worked with a wonderful cover artist, Catrina
Barquist, who created my vision in the most beautiful way. I am so grateful I
got to work with her and that she was able to grasp and create exactly what I
wanted in such a beautiful way. I couldn’t be happier with the cover!
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have
for fellow writers – other than run!? Ha, “run” is a good one! But no, all joking aside, the
best advice that I can give to fellow writers is to just write. Try to carve
out a few minutes out of your day, even if it’s just five minutes, and write —
even if it’s one sentence or one paragraph. Being able to stick to a writing
routine and having that discipline is key in being a successful writer. That’s
also a good way of knowing whether you’re meant to be a writer or not — if you
can’t go a day or two without writing or at least thinking about writing, then
it’s probably not for you. The passion and drive to write has to be
there!
6. What trends in the book world do you see —
and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I am seeing a lot of self-publishing and
hybrid publishing these days, as well as more and more authors working with
indie book publishers rather than just the Big Four. With so many tools and
resources available to writers these days, I am seeing the book publishing
industry heading towards a big shift — it’s no longer this unattainable feat
where it’s imperative that you have an agent so that you can woo the high and
mighty publishers. Of course, you still have to be talented and put in the work
as a writer, but there are so many more avenues and opportunities available to
writers today than there were maybe 30 or 40 years ago.
7. Were there experiences in your
personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Absolutely. As an Iranian immigrant myself, I
touched on a lot of my own experiences and memories growing up in the U.S. and having
this very difficult task of juggling two very different cultures. That’s why it
was so important for me to tell this story and talk about an experience that so
many Iranian and non-Iranian immigrants face.
8. How would you describe your writing style?
Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I would say that my writing style is quite
lyrical and poetic. I relate on a deep level to the words of Baudelaire, who
stated, “Always be a poet, even in prose.” As an avid reader, I took
a lot of inspiration from the writing styles of the greats, such as F. Scott
Fitzgerald and Vladimir Nabokov, as well as more contemporary (and still
legendary) writers whose works I love and admire, such as Ian McEwan and Carlos
Ruiz Zafon.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the
writing of this book? One of the main
challenges in writing this book was the research. I not only had to research
about ancient Persian history, such as the Persian Empire and Cyrus the Great’s
Life, but I also had to do a good amount of research about criminal justice, as
well as the prison system and courtroom decorum in the state of Virginia, since
a criminal trial takes place during the second half of the book, so I had to
make sure all of those scenes were depicted accurately and correctly.
One of the more fun challenges was writing
from the POV of a 15-year-old teenage boy, and it was fun to give myself — a
woman in her late 20’s at the time of writing the book — that challenge. It
was also helpful when it came to the crime and courtroom/trial scenes, because
if there was something I wasn’t 100% sure about and it turned out I wrote it
wrong, readers would realize that it’s told from the POV of a 15-year-old
teenager who doesn’t know much about the law, criminal justice, or courtroom
decorum, and could only speak to what he witnessed even if it wasn’t correct.
Since I kept the POV very genuine, this truly worked to my advantage.
10. If people can buy or read one book this
week or month, why should it be yours? Great question! I believe my book is something new and something
you don’t come across every day in books, especially books written by Iranian
authors.
But don’t just take my word for it. A dear
reader who recently finished my book wrote, “A captivating, genre-bending
story, partly coming-of-age and partly murder mystery told through the eyes of
a fifteen-year-old boy. Its lyrical prose about parallel stories, family
tragedy, faith, and navigating between two cultures pierced my heart and left
me with a plethora of emotions. I couldn’t put it down. It taught me how truth
stands the test of time and ultimately triumphs.”
And another dear reader wrote, “This book
has it all. It’s a coming-of-age novel, a whodunit mystery, a courtroom drama,
a character study about a young immigrant living between two cultures, and a
modern take on the timeless story of sibling rivalry of (dare I say it) sin and
reconciliation through love. And for me, it was also a rich introduction to
Persian storytelling, historical perspectives, poetry, and family traditions.
Thank you for giving the world this beautiful book, Mahdis!”
About The Author: Mahdis Marzooghian is
cofounder and editor-in-chief of Five on the Fifth. She has a
master’s degree in professional writing from Towson University, and is an
author and editor based in McLean, Virginia. Her fiction and nonfiction have
appeared in the Miso for Life anthology, Heartwood Literary Magazine, Welter Literary Journal, Mud
Season Review, BULL Men’s Fiction, Lunch
Ticket, Arkana Literary
Journal, where her piece won the Editor’s Choice Award, and
most recently in Nowruz Journal. Mahdis is the author of debut novel, “Death Has None” (Austin Macauley Publishers, 2023).
She is a founding member of the PRWR Towson University Alumni Alliance Writers
Retreat program at Still Point, WV. Please see: https://mahdismarzooghian.ampbk.com/
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including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
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has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah
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