Abdi Nazemian
Iranian-American writer and producer (born 1976)
Abdi Nazemian (born 1976) is an Iranian-American author, screenwriter, and producer. His debut novel , The Walk-In Closet , won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction at the 27th Lambda Literary Awards . He has subsequently received a second Lambda Literary Award for his young adult novel Only This Beautiful Moment , as well as a Stonewall Book Award for Only This Beautiful Moment and a Stonewall Honor for Like a Love Story, both from the American Library Association .
Career
Nazemian is a Choate Rosemary Hall alumnus. It was at Choate that he first wanted to become a writer. Nazemian continued his education at Columbia University and then at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he received a Master of Business Administration .[ 1]
Since, Nazemian has also worked as a screenwriter,[ 2] including the television shows Ordinary Joe , Almost Family and The Village , and the films The Artist's Wife , Menendez: Blood Brothers , Beautiful Girl , Celeste in the City and The Quiet . As head of development for Water's End Productions, Nazemian has served as an executive producer or associate producer on numerous films, including Call Me By Your Name , Little Woods , Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood , It Happened in L.A. , The Price , and The House of Tomorrow .[ 3]
Literary work
His debut young adult novel, The Authentics , was released in 2017 by Balzer + Bray , an imprint of HarperCollins .[ 4] His third novel, Like a Love Story , a love letter to queer history, ACT UP and Madonna , was released in 2019, again by Balzer + Bray.[ 5] It was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best young adult novels of all time,[ 6] received a Stonewall Honor and a nomination for the Audie Awards .[ 7]
His fourth novel, The Chandler Legacies , which is inspired by his time at boarding school, was published in 2022. His 2023 young adult novel, Only This Beautiful Moment , won the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Young Adult Literature[ 8] as well as the 2024 Stonewall Book Award for Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association .[ 9] [ 10]
His upcoming novel Desert Echoes will be published by HarperCollins in the United States in September of 2024.[ 11]
Nazemian's books, especially Like a Love Story , have been widely challenged or banned across the United States.[ 12] [ 13] He told CNN that his response to the banning is, "First and foremost, a heartbreak over the message it sends to young queer kids who deserve love and support."[ 14]
Awards and honors
Three of Abdi Nazemian's books are Junior Library Guild selections: Like a Love Story (2019),[ 15] The Chandler Legacies (2022),[ 16] and Only This Beautiful Moment (2023).[ 17]
Time named Like a Love Story among the 100 best young adult novels of all time.[ 6] In 2019, the Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library included it on their list of the best young adult books of the year.[ 15] The following year, the Young Adult Library Services Association included it on their top ten list of Best Fiction for Young Adults .[ 18]
Only This Beautiful Moment was included on Booklist 's 2023 "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth" list.[ 19] It was also included on best books of the year lists from publications including The Guardian ,[ 20] New York Public Library ,[ 21] Kirkus ,[ 22] and The Boston Globe .[ 23]
Only this Beautiful Moment was also the winner of both the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Young Adult Literature[ 8] and the 2024 Stonewall Award for Young Adult Literature from the American Library Association .[ 24]
Publications
References
^ "Columbia Spectator 8 May 1996 — Columbia Spectator" . spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu . Retrieved September 5, 2021 .
^ "Screenwriter Abdi Nazemian Says Hollywood Films Are A 'Very Sad Depiction Of Gay Culture' " Archived May 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine . Huffington Post , May 31, 2014.
^ "Abdi Nazemian | Writer, Producer, Director" . IMDb . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ "The Authentics, by Abdi Nazemian" Archived August 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine . Kirkus Reviews , May 24, 2017.
^ Needle, Chael (October 8, 2019). "Abdi Nazemian: Cover Story" . A&U . Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2020 .
^ a b "The 100 Best YA Books of All Time" . Time . Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2022 .
^ a b "2020 Audie Award Finalists" . Audible . Retrieved September 24, 2020 .
^ a b "2024 Lambda Literary Awards - See the Complete List of Winners" . Peoplemag . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ " 'Cross My Heart and Never Lie' and 'Only This Beautiful Moment' win 2024 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Awards | ALA" . www.ala.org . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ a b "Announcing the Finalists for the 36th Annual Lambda Literary Awards" . them. March 27, 2024. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024 .
^ "Here's What Your Favorite Authors Are Reading for Pride Month (Exclusive)" . Peoplemag . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ "Huge increase in book bans nationwide spurs backlash" . www.advocate.com . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ Siemons, Jorja (June 9, 2023). "They wrote books to fill voids they felt growing up. Being banned has deepened those wounds. - The Boston Globe" . BostonGlobe.com . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ Darcy, Oliver (April 17, 2024). "Book bans are accelerating across the country amid right-wing pressure campaign | CNN Business" . CNN . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ a b "Like a Love Story" . Junior Library Guild . Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "The Chandler Legacies" . Junior Library Guild . Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "Only This Beautiful Moment" . Junior Library Guild . Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "YALSA names 2020 Best Fiction for Young Adults" . American Library Association . Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2023" . Booklist . December 1, 2023. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ Williams, Imogen Russell (December 7, 2023). "Five of the best young adult books of 2023" . The Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ "Best Books for Teens 2023" . www.nypl.org . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ "Best of 2023: Our Favorite YA and Teen Books" . Kirkus Reviews . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ Cheuk, Leland; LeBlanc, Lauren; Sancken, Renata; Steffens, Daneet; Vognar, Chris. "Here is a list of 55 books we loved in 2023" . BostonGlobe.com . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ " 'Cross My Heart and Never Lie' and 'Only This Beautiful Moment' win 2024 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Awards | ALA" . www.ala.org . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ "Next Generation Indie Book Awards - Winners" . Next Generation Indie Book Award . Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ Kellogg, Carolyn (June 2, 2015). "Lambda Literary Awards laud best gay, lesbian and transgender books" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022 .
^ Thrasher, Steven W (June 2, 2015). "John Waters receives 'crown of queer royalty' at 27th Lambda literary awards" . the Guardian . Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021 .
^ "2020 Audie Awards" . Audio Publishers Association . Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ Morales, Macey (January 27, 2020). " "When Aidan Became a Brother" and "The Black Flamingo" win 2020 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award" . American Library Association . Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ " 'Cross My Heart and Never Lie' and 'Only This Beautiful Moment' win 2024 Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Awards" . American Library Association . January 22, 2024. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ Kalamaroff, Alex (July 20, 2014). " 'The Walk-in Closet' by Abdi Nazemian" . Lambda Literary . Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "The Authentics" . Kirkus Reviews . May 23, 2017. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "Like a Love Story" . Kirkus Reviews . March 12, 2019. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "The Chandler Legacies" . Kirkus Reviews . December 14, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "Only This Beautiful Moment" . Kirkus Reviews . March 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2024 .
^ "Desert Echoes by Abdi Nazemian" . www.publishersweekly.com . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
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