A few years ago, I received an email from a reader in Tasmania who had read FUNNY IN FARSI and really liked it. I asked him where he had found my book. “The library,” he answered. Aren’t libraries fantastic? I am now getting ready to send a couple of copies of LAUGHING WITHOUT AN ACCENT to his library in Tasmania. I hope you are lucky enough to live near a well-stocked library.
I am also getting ready for my book tour. Because I have three kids, the youngest not yet two years old, traveling involves more logistics than planning a wedding. For part of the time, my husband stays home and helps. Of course this means he has to work twice as much at the office when I return. My parents also come up sometimes. My mother being here has added benefits, namely Persian food! She actually travels with fried eggplants to save time. Within an hour of her arrival, my kitchen smells like Persian food, and for those of you who know what that smells like…ummm, I’m getting hungry just writing about it!
I look forward to meeting many of you during my tour. Keep reading!
Cheers,
Firoozeh
February 21st, 2008 at 9:41 am
Dear Firouze,
Just while ago I finished your book, about your childhood interestings events, and really excited by the sence of humor, and theme of your book.
Really appreciated you for writting this book and sharing your nice memory with us, which I believe can take every body to the realm of the childhood dreams.
My Name is Zahra ,30years old and sales manager of an export company in Iran.But my most hobby is reading.
I am glad to meet you by your book.
Regards.
Zahra./
February 21st, 2008 at 10:45 am
Khanoum-e-Firouzeh azizam,
khailey khailey khosh Khal shodam ke enshab didam shoma be Stanford bad az panj sol ke neshveshtim baham. It was really great to meet you at long last. You were right about my lack of technical ability. After getting that great head shot of you and me together, I blythly closed the camera phone without saving it…okh okh okh! khok par saram!
Anyway I wish you all the luck on your new book and I will try to make the signing at Kepler’s May 5th. BTW, you are even funnier in person than as a read.
all the best,
Rasool
ps I didn’t want to hog the mike tonight since it was your show but I wanted to share one more changed name story:I know a man named Jeff Fini and when I first heard the name on the phone I thought he would be Irish but when I saw him in person, he looked like a Persian version of Saddam Hossein in his younger and livelier days. Turns out his real name was Jaffary Finikashan. After butchering his name, no doubt his ancesters must have been the tamam owners where the great Amir Kabir was assassinated.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Merci Rasool!
That’s very funny about Jeff Fini. Immigrants, if nothing else, are a creative bunch.
Glad you enjoyed the event at Stanford. It was a fantastic audience. I had a great time too.
See you at Kepler’s on May 5th! Tell your friends.
Best,
Firoozeh
February 21st, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Salam Zahra!
Thank you for your email. You have the best possible hobby! I hope you find lots of good books to read.
Perhaps someday we shall meet in person.
Ghorbanat,
Firoozeh
February 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 am
BTW, I was in such a hurry I wrote tamam instead of hammam…that’s Freudian…LOL
February 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Our bookclub read your book this past month. I missed the meeting due to other obligations, however, I was determined to read it. Our book last month was “1,000 Splendid Suns”. Incredible book, but very depressing. I can’t even begin to tell you what a delight it was to read your book. I was almost through with it when I set it down to make dinner and my husband picked it up. I wound up reading the last 3 chapters of the book aloud at our dinner table to him and our 11 year old twin girls. We all enjoyed it so much, I had to go back and reread the chapter about America, Land of the Free to them all.
I could really relate to the lady who first brought you a whole bundt cake and then half. I have similar well intentions that always seem to taste better if I try them first!
I was raised in San Dimas, California which is not too far from Whittier. I now live in Utah close to all the beautiful mountains and ski resorts. Although I absolutely love living here, I miss all the different and wonderful cultures of Southern California. You brought back many sweet memories of home in California. Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us all. Shelley Hutchinson
February 26th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Hi Shelley,
Thank you for your email! I love that you read some of the stories with your family.
I have never been to Utah but if I ever have a book event there, I hope you come. It looks like such a beautiful state without horrendous traffic!
Thanks again for your thoughtful email. I hope your book club enjoyed the book as well, and more importantly, I hope they had some baklava while discussing it.
best,
Firoozeh
March 19th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
HI this is jesse from paris, remember me? We sat on the plane next to each other from NY to SF. I am in Paris now, let me know if this is the right place and the right person. Thanks
April 6th, 2008 at 12:01 am
hi, firoozeh dumah
i’m a teenager girl, from Turkey and I have just finsihed your book FUNNY IN FARSI, which was utterly great .and in fact it was really funny. because i am turkish, while reading your book i realized lots of familiar things and traditions in our cultures and languages. so it was a great joy to read it. and i want to ask you something, i know it’s a little bit personal but i couldn’t find any other way to contact.i’m going to an american school, so most of the time when i’m in school i speak in english and it really affects my subconscious. i sometimes think in english and i even sometimes dream in english. and all these occure without my control. so i just wanted to know in which language you are thinging? you are iranian, but you lived in us and you are married with a frech man. so i couldn’t decide what language…
thanks already
April 6th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Hello Naz,
That is a really good question. Most of the time, I think in English because I am surrounded all day long with the language. But if I spend time with my parents, I swtich to thinking in Persian.
In my dreams, I dream in differnt languages. One time, I even had a dream in Spanish!
Thank you for writing to me and I hope you keep reading.
Best,
Firoozeh
April 10th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Dear Firoozeh
In my life time I have read 4 or 5 novels, the reason is that for me to be entertained the book has to be extra good, innocent real,non fiction and funny. My husband and I booked a holiday to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary, to my surprise I found myself looking for a book to read to kill the time while traveling. My 3 girls also were excited to find me a book that I could enjoy but they failed. I searched amazon for funny stories and your book looked inviting. I can’t tell you how much I connected to this book and the similarity between your culture and ours (Iraqi) was amazing.Your story about not having a shower during your holiday remind me when the teacher once called me and said that my daughter is refusing to take off her clothes to do PE (stay with pants and vest when she was 8). We lived in the UK for 25 years and being a house wife I kept my Iraqi English accent which my daughters find very amusing. I felt that your father has a similar personality as mine and you were like my daughters. I was laughing while sunbathing and reading when the rest were serious reading their books. I can’t thank you enough for the lovely book and I am so happy now that there is another one that you have published. As for the cover of the book is very pleasantly inviting. Thank you Firoozeh very much and God bless you.
Keep on writting
Nadia
April 12th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Thank you Nadia! I am honored that you enjoyed my stories so much. I do think that immigrants experience many similar situations and reactions.
I hope you enjoy my next set of stories also. I am guessing you live in the US now. If so, perhaps I will meet you and your daughters at an author event this summer.
Keep reading,
Firoozeh
April 13th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I really loved your first book, especially because I purchased it from Audible and hearing you tell your stories in your own voice added so much to the experience. Will you be recording your new book with Audible? If so, I will buy it as soon as it is out! I have already recommended it to several people. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I hope to see you on the book tour at some point.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
THANK YOU!
I have some of the nastiest reviews on Audible so your words are music to my ears! Could you please take a few minutes to write a review on Audible.com? It seems like people who find my work annoying tend to be the ones who write reviews on that site.
I have not yet been asked to make an audio of my next book. But maybe it will happen. If it doesn’t, just come to my house and I will read it to you.
Thanks again,
Firoozeh
April 15th, 2008 at 4:09 am
Hi firoozeh,
I adore your book “Funny in Farsi”. I work 5 days a week 8 hours a day so I make sure to it that I spend my Saturdays especially in the bookstore here in Atlanta, Georgia. I read your book in one setting straight for 5 hours. I couldn’t put it down. It was so funny I tired to giggle as discretely as I could. I am an immigrant too from the Philippines and you actually mentioned my country on that chapter where you vacationed in Hawaii.
I love the Hotdog and the price club food trip with your dad and uncle. I just want you to know that you have an amazing family and you’re a great writer. I’m looking forward to more of your works in the future!
April 15th, 2008 at 4:16 am
Thank you Aileen!
Your note could not have arrived at a better time. I needed some uplift and there it was! So thank you.
I’m glad my stories brought you five hours of pleasure and giggles.
My next book is a bit longer so maybe that one will take you six hours…
Keep reading on those Saturdays!
Best,
Firoozeh
April 19th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
I just finished “Funny in Farsi” and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didnt laugh this much and this hard in a long time. you have a gift with words and humor. I recommended your book to all my friends. Firoozeh, please, please, please do not ever stop writing. I enjoyed reading about you, your father and your mother and the whole family. I am waiting for your next book to come out. Have a good day. Thank you so much for such a good book - Kamala
April 21st, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Thank you Kamala. It’s always fun to know that somewhere out there, someone is reading one of my stories, and laughing.
Keep reading and I hope you enjoy my next book as well. (Let me know!)
Best,
Firoozeh
April 21st, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Dear Firoozeh,
I wish you all the luck in the world with your new book, which I hope to buy very soon. I want to echo the above sentiments: never stop writing. Your words and humour are too precious.
You responded to my e-mail a few years ago and it meant the world to me, as it does to everyone when a respected and generous writer takes time to talk to her readers as friends.
It’s at times like this, when I want to go on and on (and on) about how much I treasure your writing, that I must learn the art of brevity
Best regards to you.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Thank you!
It’s funny that you mention talking to readers like they are friends. Maybe it’s just because I write autobiographical essays but I feel like my readers know me and my family, as if the readers have all been sitting in my living room listening to me tell these stories. They ARE my friends!
I have traveled all over the country and my readers are, without exception, overwhelmingly kind people. I am very, very lucky that way.
Let me know what you think of my next book. I hope you enjoy it! (If you like it, please post a review on Amazon.com. I am starting to get nervous!)
Best,
Firoozeh
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:54 am
I have read other autobiographical essays and even if I liked them, often didn’t feel that same warmth and friendliness so I have to say I’m certain it’s because of the voice you write with that your book is so encouraging and inviting!
I have always liked to write but it’s only since reading Funny in Farsi three years ago that I’ve become oriented with a routine, found confidence in my work and not stopped after I got discouraged.
I most certainly will go to Amazon and write a review of your new book as soon as I read it.
Speaking of which, I’d like to write and post a review of Funny in Farsi on my blog- I’ve mentioned the book several times but not actually written a review.
As an example of how I applaud when I admire a work, here’s a review I did for The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher:
And I thank you for responding to my comment. Cheers.
http://akosmic.blogspot.com/2008/03/eating-words.html
Similarly, I’ll do my best to do your book justice and let people know how much it has helped me in my life
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:47 am
I am so happy to know that you were inspired by my book and have found a routine. That’s just about the best thing a writer can hear. Discouragement is every artist’s number one enemy and it’s found everywhere.
Thank you for spreading the word about my writing. MFK Fisher also happens to be one of my favorite writers so I agree with your comments about her.
Good luck with your writing! And keep reading.
Best,
Firoozeh
April 27th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Dear Ms Jazaaieri(Mrs Dumas)
5 days ago I finished “funny in Farsi”, and then I tried to find you in the internet. I could, and I left a comment in your website, but it doesn’t support persian to write. And as you see, all my comment is “?”.
Although it’s really hard for me to write in english to my counryman, I try to describe(by my broken english) what I wrote.
Well, I’m a 20 years old girl who is interested in your book. When I read your book I felt I know you, I wanted to hug you, and I’m really pruad of you. You’re really a great Artist and also a great writer. I wish I could read “Laughtin Whithout an Accent”. But I don’t know when it comes to Iran and I don’t know when someone may translates it into persian.
Let me tell you something els Ms Jazaaieri; Honesty I was curious to see your image and also your nose:D you’re really more beautiful and nicer than I had tought.But I knew I could find a kind of kindness in your face, as I found.
I wish I could tell you my emotions in Farsi because I feel words in english doesn’t translate my emotions.
Any way, I know that someday I will see you, hug you, kiss you(three times!), and I will tell you in Farsi how I wished to see you.
with respect,
Hassiba (from Iran, Rasht)
April 27th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Merci Hassiba!
I have never been to Rasht but if I ever come there, I will look for you and get my hug and three kisses.
Your English is good and I’m so glad that you wrote me. It makes me very happy to know that my stories are making people like you happy and proud of me. That means a lot to me.
Thanks again,
Firoozeh
April 27th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Hello, Firoozeh,
I am so excited because I just read in today’s paper that you are COMING TO TOWN!!!!!!! (Columbus, Ohio) And now, an apology if I freaked you out because I am not crazy, nor a stalker. Just a fan. My book club read your Funny in Farsi book two years ago. And I wrote to you at that time (and you even responded, the book club got a kick out of that!). Do you happen to know if we can buy Laughing Without an Accent there, or do we need to get it prior to seeing you at the Columbus Museum of Art? I look forward to meeting you. I have e-mailed the book club for the potential of a “field trip.” I hope they join me. See you May 14!
LauraLee Jingo
April 28th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Hi LauraLee!
I do remember you! You have one of those memorable names. (I know a thing or two about memorable names.)
LAUGHING WITHOUT AN ACCENT goes on sale on Tuesday, April 29th. I have no idea if the museum will have any copies, but they should. You should call and ask.
In any case, the book will be available at all bookstores so you should have no problem finding a copy.
I hope your book club decides on the “field trip.” A good time will be had. I promise.
See you in a few days!
Best,
Firoozeh
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Dear Firoozeh,
Writing from Tehran, I appreciate to have your email address for my personal request.
Thanks in advance.
Masood Zohrevand
May 5th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Dear Masood,
I never have time to answer personal emails so go ahead and use my blog. I always make time to read the comments and try to answer each one.
Thank you,
Firoozeh
June 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Salam Firouzeh jan,
I am so sorry that I missed your book signing at Kepplers last month, my kids were sick. When is your next one in the Bay Area? Provided I am not out of the country I will be there! How do they like your new book so far?
all the best,
Rasool
ps check out my website www.zirzameen.com; I’ve added a ton of stuff!!!
June 4th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Salam Brian Rasool,
Alas, no more Bay Area events for now. Keep checking my website though. I add new events all the time.
All the best,
Firoozeh