got an intriguing email from a lawyer source, informing him that a University of Chicago archaeology professor had been detained by the staffer and freelance journalist, was interested. But before the professor, Abbas Alizadeh, would talk, the university had to finish negotiating the return of thousands of ancient tablets to Iran, a delicate bit of diplomacy that had factored into Alizadeh’s release. Blaisdell’s academic background (he has a master’s degree in international relations from the U. of C.) helped him navigate the geopolitical complexities of the story (page 68). But he was just as drawn to Alizadeh as a person: “Even before his detention, he had a remarkable life.”
