Poetry | Hafez's payāmé naseem, Introduction with Fared Shafinury
In this introduction to the poem payāmé naseem, we are joined by musician Fared Shafinury to discuss the full selection of the poem. In addition, we provide a detailed overview of Hafez, the poet, and his significance in Iranian culture.
25 Mars 20241h
Poetry | Rudaki's shād zee Part 2
In this second part of the poetry lesson for Rudaki's poem shād zee, we go over the entire poem line by line, phrase by phrase so you can get a full grasp of the vocabulary in the poem. You'll then have a full understanding of how to use the vocabulary in everyday conversation.
11 Mars 202413min
Poetry | Rudaki's shād zee Intro
This is the introduction to our shabé shehr (night of poetry) series, where we go over short selections of poems in Persian, and their overall meanings in English. In this episode, we're joined by Yara Elmjouie to talk about a poem by Rudaki about living in the moment.
28 Feb 202412min
Shally Zomorodi, on Embracing Joy and Acceptance as a Form of Resistance
Shally Zomorodi is one of the more well-known and incredibly prolific members of the Iranian diaspora. Her day job is as a news anchor of Fox 5 San Diego Morning News where she’s been waking up San Diego for more than a decade now. However, her journalism career spans over two decades at this point, including a two-year stint in Texas where I live. But over the years, she’s also been heavily involved in the greater Iranian community, through her show Bereez o bepaz, through the many lives she does on her Instagram page interviewing other Iranians, or giving glimpses into her embrace of Iranian traditions in her home, through her Iranian gher breaks on her morning news show, and so much more. I had a lot of questions to ask Shally after having watched her develop into such a force in the past few years, and especially over the last year. Related Links:Shally Zomorodi on Instagram
21 Feb 202441min
Hollay Ghadery, on the perils of being half Iranian and her memoir, Fuse
Hollay Ghadery is is an Iranian-Canadian writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions (2021) and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box, came out Radiant Press in 2023 and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, is scheduled for release with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Hollay is also a book publicist and the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. I read Hollay’s memoir Fuse back when it came out in 2021, and I couldn’t believe how applicable the things she wrote about were for my audience- for biracial or bicultural Iranians raised in the west grappling with issues of identity, of all the difficulties and joys of being raised with all these identities, of the dark sides of it, and the beautiful sides as well. I’m so excited for y’all to hear our conversation, and of course for you to experience this book, as I hope you all do.Related Links:Hollay’s memoir FuseHollay on instagram
7 Feb 202446min
Noam Schuster-Eliassi, Israeli comedian and activist, on the current state of affairs in Israel, and her Iranian-Israeli identity
From the very beginning of this current stage of the conflict, after the horrific events of October 7th, the first person I turned to for an understanding of what was happening was Noam Shuster-Eliassi. I’d been following her for a long time because of her comedy about Israel and Palestine. I had so many questions to ask her, and was so incredibly grateful that she took the time to speak to me. There are no easy answers, and I will let the interview speak for itself. I thank you for taking the time to listen. Related LinksNoam’s speech from 2015Noam’s instagram pageStanding Together- a grassroots Jewish-Arab movement fighting for peace, equality and social justice in Israel/Palestine.
25 Jan 20241h 6min
Farnoosh Torabi, on Living in a Healthy State of Panic
In this episode of Growing Up Irooni, host Leyla interviews Farnoosh Torabi, renowned podcast host and author of the book "A Healthy State of Panic." Leyla and Farnoosh delve into the world of finances, personal development, and the positive aspects of fear. Farnoosh shares her insights on fear and how it can be a powerful force in our lives when understood and harnessed correctly.Related Links:Podcast Website: www.chaiandconversation.comBook Mentioned: "A Healthy State of Panic" by Farnoosh TorabiFarnoosh Torabi's Podcast: "So Money with Farnoosh Torabi"Farnoosh Torabi's instagram
4 Okt 202338min
Interview | Arya Shahi, author of An Impossible Thing to Say
I’m so excited to share with you my interview with Arya Shahi, author of the fantastic new debut novel, An Impossible Thing to Say. It’s coming out this week, September 26th 2023, so no matter when you’re listening to this interview, please drop everything and go buy it- you will love it.So as a brief introduction, Arya Shahi is an Iranian-American multidisciplinary artist. He is a co-founder of PigPen Theatre Co., the award-winning theatre company and band. With PigPen, Arya has written, directed, and performed in original musicals as well as books adapted for stage. Arya’s debut novel, An Impossible Thing To Say, has been published by HarperCollins and Arya will direct the Pulitzer Prize-winning English at The Old Globe in early 2024.We actually ended up recording this interview on September 11th, which is interesting because September 11th was a big part of this novel. I had been looking forward to talking to Arya for a long time, and our conversation did not disappoint- we could have talked for hours more. He is really an ideal guest for this podcast, and talked about so many of the issues I hear from a lot of you about all the time. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for listening!
27 Sep 20231h 24min
