Hannah Lillith Assadi loses her podcast virginity while discussing her father's life story.
The episode begins with host Sina Grace introducing Hannah Lillith Assadi, noting this is her first podcast appearance. Assadi's credentials are listed: a National Book Foundation 5 under 35 author who teaches fiction at Columbia University and Pratt Institute, with previous novels 'Sonora' and 'The Stars Are Not Yet Bells'. 'Paradiso 17' follows the life of Sufian, a Palestinian man displaced from his home, based loosely on Assadi's father. Assadi explains she began writing the book in the weeks before her father's death, composing the first scene on the patio of his ranch house while he was inside on his deathbed. After he passed, she wrote nightly, recording everything she remembered him telling her, often in a state of grief while caring for her infant daughter. The initial draft was 96,000 words, later cut to 77,000, with short, episodic chapters reflecting her compressed writing time. Assadi discusses how the character Sufian blends aspects of her father and herself, with geographical textures richest in places she knows personally like New York and Arizona. Research involved Google Maps, conversations with her father's friends and uncle, but much was fictionalized due to gaps in knowledge. She addresses a reviewer's comment that the book is an 'anti-immigrant story' because the protagonist never finds a true home. Assadi talks about portraying her father as an 'imperfect victim' with flaws, noting it was difficult for her mother to read. She emphasizes writing characters with love, even when they act monstrously. Assadi contrasts this novel's creation with her previous books: 'Sonora' was her MFA thesis seen by many, while this one was a private process shared only with her agent initially. Her writing process has evolved: 'Sonora' was written in fits and starts, her second novel in disciplined morning sessions, and this one in late-night spurts. She reflects on ideal writing conditions, wishing for financial stability to write in fresher morning hours but acknowledging she is a night owl. The conversation turns frivolously to what Assadi is reading: she is teaching a class on death and desire, rereading 'The English Patient', and recently read 'The End of the Affair' and 'Horse Crazy'. She and Grace briefly debate the 2022 film adaptation of 'Wuthering Heights', noting its visual beauty but departure from the book. The episode concludes with Assadi sharing her Instagram handle and thanks.
