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The State of Things

American Dervish

WUNC | By Frank Stasio,

Shawn Wen

Published November 28, 2012 at 11:51 AM EST

Ayad Akhtar’s book "American Dervish" (Back Bay Books/2012) has launched a flurry of praise as an intelligent, self-assured debut novel. The main character is a Pakistani-American boy growing up in Milwaukee. Akhtar has also stirred controversy for creating idiosyncratic, even unflattering portrayals of Muslim-Americans. Host Frank Stasio is joined in the studio by Ayad Akhtar to talk about writing and identity.

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The State of Things Author

Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

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Shawn Wen

Shawn Wen joined the staff of The State of Things in March 2012 and served as associate producer until February 2014.

See stories by Shawn Wen