The Jewish Literary Exchange
Absurdistan: A Conversation with Gary Shteyngart
Daniel Septimus, editor-in-chief of myjewishlearning.com and columnist for The Jerusalem Post, moderates a conversation with American writer Gary Shteyngart about his new book, Absurdistan (2006). This event is part of the Jewish Literary Exchange discussion series. Absurdistan is a comedy about a man named Misha Weingard who travels to the fictional country of Absurdistan while trying to return to the United States from Russia. Shteyngard, who was born in Leningrad, explains that he “wanted to pursue the Russian and American experience” in Absurdistan, but “didn't want to do a traditional immigrant story.” He comments on how he developed the premise and characters, explains the process of writing and rewriting the story and reflects on his own immigrant experience. The discussion is followed by questions from the audience.
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