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This book combines oral history, storytelling, and ethnographic research in communication and performance studies into a unique archive of the history of contemporary Iranian diaspora experiences. This book provides an artistic vision of the transformations that Iranian exiles experienced in family, gender, and spiritual beliefs.
List of contents
Acknowledgments
A Note on Translations, Monologues, and Stories
Introduction: Revolution, War, and the Making of an Iranian Diaspora Literature .
Monologues
1.My Rite of Passage and Unexpected Fate
Ziba Shirazi
2.The Outsider
Fariba Boghraty
3.The Pain of Language Barrier
Farrokh Boghraty
4.Senior Life
Massy Alavi
5.Lost Identity
Nasrin Almasi
6.A Girl with an American Husband
Shahla
7.Made in America, Delivered in Iran
Shahrzad Safinya
8.Unfulfilled Dreams
Shervin
9.A Simple Dream
Valentina Nazaretian
Stories
10A Dream of Hope
Mahvash Dareshi Gheytanchi Levi
11.Asal (Honey)
Homayoun Houshiarnejad
12.Living a Full Life
Iran
13.A Space to Design
Manijeh Teymouri
14.A Small Suitcase for a Great Escape
Modjgan Rashtian
15.The Teacher
Sorour Nayeri
16.The First Kiss
Vida Ghahremani
17.The Doorbell Ring
Zohreh
In Place of a Conclusion. A Selective Analysis of the Themes of Iranian Diaspora
Bibliography
Index
About the Editors
About the author
Ziba Shirazi is a poet, singer, songwriter and storyteller best known for her poignant songs and storytelling through poetry. Shirazi created the ongoing project of Story & Song, a lyrical storytelling series of performances, set to live music with video projections featuring stories of Iranian diaspora experiences.
Kamran Afary is assistant professor of communication studies at California State University Los Angeles and a registered drama therapist (RDT). He is the author of Performance and Activism: Grassroots Discourse after the Los Angeles Rebellion of 1992.
Summary
This book combines oral history, storytelling, and ethnographic research in communication and performance studies into a unique archive of the history of contemporary Iranian diaspora experiences. This book provides an artistic vision of the transformations that Iranian exiles experienced in family, gender, and spiritual beliefs.
Additional text
A unique collection of engaging and moving migration stories of diverse groups of Iranians to the US after the Islamic revolution of 1979. Shirazi and Afary provide an informative introduction to the revolution and its subsequent social-political conditions that led many to leave the country. The authors offer an in-depth analysis of the themes of migration and the processes of acculturation and identity transformation that help the reader gain a better understanding of the experiences and challenges of Iranian diaspora in the US. An important work of aural history and unforgettable stories.
