Firoozeh Dumas our chat guest today

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Nazy Kaviani
by Nazy Kaviani
14-Sep-2009
 

We are very fortunate to have author Firoozeh Dumas join us in the chatroom today at 6:00 p.m. PST.

"Firoozeh Dumas was born in Abadan, Iran and moved to Whittier, California at the age of seven. After a two-year stay, she and her family moved back to Iran and lived in Ahvaz and Tehran. Two years later, they moved back to Whittier, then to Newport Beach. Firoozeh then attended UC Berkeley where she met and married a Frenchman.

Firoozeh grew up listening to her father, a former Fulbright Scholar, recount the many colorful stories of his life. In 2001, with no prior writing experience, Firoozeh decided to write her stories as a gift for her children. Random House published these stories in 2003. Funny in Farsi was on the SF Chronicle and LA Times bestseller lists and was a finalist for the PEN/USA award in 2004 and a finalist in 2005 for an Audie Award for best audio book. She lost to Bob Dylan. She was also a finalist for the prestigious Thurber Prize for American Humor, the first Middle Eastern woman ever to receive this honor. Unfortunately, she lost that one to Jon Stewart. Even though, as Firoozeh’s dad likes to point out, Jon Stewart wrote his book with a team of writers, while Firoozeh wrote hers, alone, before her children woke up for school.

Critics and readers of all ages have loved her stories. Jimmy Carter called Funny in Farsi, “A humorous and introspective chronicle of a life filled with love—of family, country and heritage.”

Orange County Reads One Book (California) selected Funny in Farsi for Community Reads 2004, the City of Whittier (California) in 2005, Cape Ann, (Massachusetts)) in 2006, Palo Alto and Berkeley (California) in 2006, and Dayton, (Ohio), Lamorinda, (California) Wood Dale, Ithasca and Bensensille,(Illinois) in 2008 and Brentwood (California) in 2009. Funny in Farsi is now on the California Recommended Reading List and is used in many junior high, high schools and universities across the country. You may have also heard Firoozeh’s commentaries on NPR or read her pieces in the NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Good Housekeeping, Gourmet, SF Chronicle or Lifetime Magazine.

For the past five years, Firoozeh has traveled the country reminding us that our commonalities far outweigh our differences…and doing so with humor. She has spoken in conferences, schools, universities, churches, Jewish Temples and Islamic centers. Her travels have taken her from the East Coast to the West Coast, from Harvard University to UCLA. Everywhere she has gone, audiences have embraced her message of shared humanity and invited her back for more.

The Persian version of Funny in Farsi is currently one of the bestselling books in Iran and ABC has optioned Funny in Farsi for a sit com. Firoozeh’s second book, Laughing Without an Accent, a series of autobiographical essays, was published by Random House in May 2008."

Take a look at excerpts of an interview she did on FORA.tv:

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desi

I wasn't able to join the

by desi on

I wasn't able to join the chat but I had the opportunity to read Firoozeh's book some years back on a family cruise to Alaska.  I dreaded the thought of being on a ship with my entire family and in-laws meandering thru icebergs.  I bought the book and what a joy.  It got me through the entire week.  I found myself laughing and relating to  everything.  By the end of the cruise the book had been passed thru the entire family and we'd sit and discuss the funny scenarios that makes being an Iranian-American special and oh so kooky.  

The article she wrote for Gourmet was an enjoyable read as well. 

//www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2009/07/swee...

 


Shazde Asdola Mirza

Dear Nazy, thanks for organizing this and other Chat events

by Shazde Asdola Mirza on

Every voice counts! Every action counts!


Anahid Hojjati

Abadan Rocks, Abadani is the best

by Anahid Hojjati on

I think Abadan rocks and Abadani is the best and please don't write that Abadani is khaliband or if I see you I will have to take my Ray-Ban sunglasses off and in my "ahmad abad Kofeisheh" outfit I wil have a fit and will look at you chap chap.   


Jahanshah Javid

Khoda omresh bedeh

by Jahanshah Javid on

Firoozeh's father and my father were buddies in Abadan. So it gives me extra pleasure that yet another Abadani and family friend has made the world a better place for all of us :o)

Firoozeh's books and interviews have humanized Iranian emigrants who have been falsely associated with a brutal theocracy for too long. With great wit and compassion, she has shown a side us that non-Iranians have never had the chance to see and appreciate.

Khoda omresh bedeh


Anonymouse

October is good. Any month is good. I'll try to attend 2night.

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred.


Nazy Kaviani

Hi Anonymouse!

by Nazy Kaviani on

Sorry, I have been overwhelmed with life and I haven't spent a lot of time reading on the site. Thanks for telling me about your comment on the MPD blog. I just went and read it. It sounds like a good idea. You are right, this seems to be a topic of interest for many people these days. There was good discussion on an article I wrote in my "Kissing All the Frogs" series which had to do with online dating, too. //iranian.com/main/2008/shaadis-story .

Anonymouse Jan, September is a difficult month for me and I won't be able to do a new project justice as I have very limited time to devote to it. I will be able to do this in early October. Would that be too late?

Please do come to chat today. Firoozeh Dumas promises to be a delightful chat guest, full of wit and wisdom. See you at 6:00!


Anonymouse

Nazy I'll try to attend but did you see my other comment about a

by Anonymouse on

new writing assignment?  I even used Tarzan's call of wild, you did not hear it?!

//iranian.com/main/blog/multiple-personality-disorder/farewell-eharmony 

So what do you think? 

Everything is sacred.