. >> joining us now is azar nafisi his most recent book is called "the republic of imagination." where did this come from? >> it came from ssi finished my last book on my last chapter, i kept thinking of the old democracy, that freedom is also an ordeal and, in fact, totalitarian societies could be a mayor, mayor in the best and worst in societies like ours. as ray bradbury says in a democracy you don't have to burn books to kill a culture. just get people not to read them. and that's what i said was happening here, so i thought i wrote the book with the question, can a democracy survive without a democratic imagination? you can get my answers in the book spent your subtitle is america in three books. what are those three books? >> well actually it is more than three books because i begin with "wizard of oz" which was the first book i heard about so the imaginary map for me was cancer to it ends with james baldwin whom i feel is a true progeny of mark twain but it begins with mark twain's huckleberry finn, goes into sinclair lewis babbitt, and heart is a lonely hunter. >> how do

. >> azar nafisi, how did reading lolita change your life? >> well, you know, it changed my life in the sense i rather always doubt and question myself. i never thought i would be successful and honest to god you should listen to let editors. i used to tell her this book is not going to sell more than 9000 copies, you know but the whole point about the success of that book is maybe understand the readers are not stupid that we should not underestimate them at that they want to know and the only thing it gave me gave me the opportunity to connected people i wanted to be connected to. that is the most important thing and that his readers, you know? so that is my take on it. >> booktv on c-span2 and we've been talking with azar nafisi "the republic of imagination" is her most recent book. [inaudible conversations] book. >> and now beginning from savannah, this year's savannah book festival, donald miller talking about his latest book, "supreme city." it's a look at prohibition-era manhattan. you're watching booktv on c-span2, live coverage of th

that is my take on -- [inaudible] >> this is booktv on c-span2 and we've been talking with author azar nafisi "the republic of imagination" is her most recent book. >> and now beginning from savannah, this year's savannah book festival, donald miller talking about his latest book, "supreme city." it's a look at prohibition-era manhattan. you're watching booktv on c-span2, live coverage of the savannah book festival. [inaudible conversations] >> good afternoon, and i just want you to know be you've been here before, this is the last time i'm going to remind you that it's happy valentine's day book lovers. my name is chris aiken and i'm delighted to welcome you to the eighth annual savannah book festival and to thank the 2015 presenting sponsors, georgia power and bob and jean faircloth. we are blessed once again to host such celebrated authors at trinity united methodist church a beautiful historic venue made possible by the generous city of the international paper -- generosity of the savannah morning news and the v.a. nana magazine. and we would also like to thank booktv for coming to the fe