Hyphen

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

To hyphenate or not to hyphenate has been a central point of controversy since before the imprinting of the first Gutenberg Bible. And yet, the hyphen has persisted, bringing and bridging new words and concepts.

Hyphen follows the story of the hyphen from antiquity-"Hyphen" is derived from an ancient Greek word meaning "to tie together" -to the present, but also uncovers the politics of the hyphen and the role it plays in creating identities. The journey of this humble piece of connective punctuation reveals the quiet power of an orthographic concept to speak to the travails of hyphenated individuals all over the world. Hyphen is ultimately a compelling story about the powerful ways that language and identity intertwine.

Mahdavi-herself a hyphenated Iranian-American-weaves in her own experiences struggling to find a sense of self amidst feelings of betwixt and between. Through stories of the author and three other individuals, Hyphen collectively considers how to navigate, articulate, and empower new identities.

Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.

Preface
Part 1 Ancestors Worshipped
1. My Big Fat Persian Wedding (Pardis)
2. U-Hyphens
3. Ancestors Hear My Prayers (Daniel)
4. Hyphen Justification - Gutenberg and His Travails
5. Lost in Migration (AdeChike)
6. Like Water for Chocolate (Ania)
Part 2 Hyphen as Divider
7. Scolding Private Hyphen
8. Pardis 9/11
9. Ade
10. A Hyphen Set in Stone
11. Dani
12. Ania 2.0
Part 3 The Death and Re-birth of the Hyphen(ated)
13. Hyphen Thief On-The-Loose?
14. The Big Moment
15. The Big Game
16. The Big Debate
17. The Big Read
18. The Big Reveal
Acknowledgments
Endnotes
Index