My name is Gary Zidek. Welcome to The Arts Section. Tune into the radio program every Sunday morning on WDCB 90.9 & 90.7 FM or listen to it online here. I'll be showcasing a variety of arts & entertainment stories.
WDCB's Gary Zidek talks to author Rebecca Makkai about her new book THE GREAT BELIEVERS.
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WDCB's Gary Zidek talks to author Rebecca Makkai about her new book, THE GREAT BELIEVERS.
"It's such a sensitive subject. I had tremendous concern about, not only doing it poorly or reinforcing stereotypes, but just of the simple question, of whether I'm allowed to write this? It's not my story to tell. So, if I'm going to do this, I better do it as near to perfectly as I can." - Rebecca Makkai, talking about the pressure to get the details right.
THE GREAT BELIEVERS is incredibly ambitious, with alternative timelines, readers will spend time in mid-1980’s Chicago and modern day Paris. The HIV-AIDS crisis that devastated gay communities all over the world is at the forefront of the novel. Makkai spent 4 years working on the book, with a large portion of that time spent digging specifically into Chicago’s gay community and how AIDS affected the city in the 80’s.