Believe the widely touted hype for this book or don’t, but it definitely sparked a wide conversation about life, family, society, and expectations for us. Be sure to also check out the podcast extras from this episode below.

Primary Reading:
Kaveh Akbar, Martyr! (Knopf, 2024).

Participants:
Valerie, Geena, Ginny, Kieran, Alexa, Alex, Sam, Detroit Sam (& Alyosha, of course).

Soundtrack:
Original music written, played, and recorded by Tadhg.

Conversation recorded on July 9, 2025.

Episode 5 Outtakes

Included below are additional best bits which did not make it into the full podcast but are featured here for your continual enjoyment.

How many stars

We naturally compare

Life v. literature

Roya in literary history