Rabih Alameddine’s novel An Unnecessary Woman is a 2014 National Book Award finalist; he is both an author and a painter. Grove Press hails his novel as “a love letter to literature with the power to define who we are.” It provides a portal into the life of a brilliant, thoughtful, and humorous octagenarian who reads books constantly, translates complicated books into Arabic, and is coming to terms with the aging process. Colm Tóibín, a long-time friend of Rabih Alameddine, will moderate the on-stage conversation. An Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, critic, and poet, his books include The Master and Nora Webster. Undermain Theater is staging Tóibín’s play The Testament of Mary in March. Expect lively banter from this conversation about identity and whether it’s best conveyed through words or pictures.
Colm Tóibín Photo by Brigitte Lacombe