It’s a very L.A. book, isn’t it? It’s also a book in which I was interested in drawing the parallels between L.A. and Tehran. When you catch her in her L.A. moment, she’s been there for a long time, and she’s trying to stay. I think there’s a valid critique of the academy inherent in the novel. MR: I think there’s a more basic point too, which is that the book wasn’t written for this world.