Stavros Stavros Mavrakis is the Greek immigrant patriarch at the center of Annie Liontas’ debut novel Let Me Explain You. He has a premonition that he has just ten days to live, and proceeds to send a harsh email to his ex-wife and three daughters about how they should live their lives better after he’s gone. The novel explores the dynamics and relationships of a Greek immigrant family and their community. In this hour of Radio Times, Marty speaks with Liontas about her new book, her own family experiences, working with youth in Philadelphia, her writing, and more.
Annie Liontas
Annie Liontas’ debut novel, Let Me Explain You (Scribner), was featured in The New York Times Book Review as Editor’s Choice and was selected by the ABA as a 2015 Indies Introduce Debut and Indies Next title. She is the co-editor of the anthology A Manner of Being: Writers on their Mentors, and the recipient of a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund.
Her story “Two Planes in Love” was runner-up in BOMB Magazine’s 2013 Fiction Prize Contest. Since 2003, Annie has been dedicated to urban education, working with teachers and youth in Newark and Philadelphia. She co-hosts the Tire Fire Reading Series in Philadelphia and lives across the street from the best pizza jawn with her wife and cat. Follow her @aliontas.
Interview by Marty Moss-Coane of Radio Times / NPR