Abbas Amanat’s Engaging History of Iran: Book Review
By Ariane Moshiri
Abbas Amanat's "Iran: A Modern History" is the culmination of decades of patient and careful scholarship. For those who may be intimidated by the 1,000-page opus, Amanat writes in engaging prose, and offers...
Sixteen-Year-Old Underachiever is Hero of Arvin Ahmadi’s Debut Novel
By Fred Parvaneh
“Down and Across,” published by Penguin Random House, is the debut novel by Iranian-American Arvin Ahmadi: a coming-of-age story of grit and self-discovery that follows Scott Ferdowsi, a high-school student with a...
A Memoir of Iran: Interview with Cyrus Kadivar
By Tara Biglari
"Farewell Shiraz" is the title of a new memoir by the Iranian author Cyrus Kadivar, which details how the 1979 Iranian Revolution uprooted his family and led them far from the place...
Abbas Amanat’s ’Iran‘: The Challenges of History with an Attitude
By Amir Taheri
Throughout the history of writing history, that is to say since Herodotus put pen to paper, Iran has always attracted and at the same time repelled those who, for a variety of...
Bahrain Orders 17,000 School Textbooks Reprinted over “Persian Gulf” Gaffe
DUBAI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Bahrain has ordered 17,000 English school textbooks reprinted for labeling the body of water surrounding the Arab island kingdom as the "Persian Gulf", a political taboo, state news agency...
Author Alexandra Monir Writes Sci-Fi Book With Iranian-American Female Lead
By Fred Parvaneh
Alexandra Monir is the Iranian-American author of five published young adult novels, including the bestselling time-travel romance "Timeless" (a Barnes & Noble bestseller and an Amazon Best Book of the Month). It...
Book Review: Memoirs Of An Iranian Rebel, Masoud Banisadr
By Amir Taheri
You are young and unhappy because you think your people lack the freedom they deserve. So, you join a group that promises a new dawn of humanity only if you agree to...
Award-winning Author Khakpour Writes Memoir of Her Illness
Porochista Khakpour is an acclaimed Iranian-American author and academic whose memoir "Sick: A Memoir" – about her battle with Lyme Disease – is due to be published by HarperCollins in May 2018.
Khakpour's debut novel...
Portraying Iranian-American Diversity: Novelist Abdi Nazemian
By Fred Parvaneh
Abdi Nazemian is an Iranian-American novelist whose nuanced stories offer a realistic portrayal of the community he was born into – without stereotyping. He recently released his second novel, "The Authentics," a...
How Central Asia Has Had a “Raw Deal” for 200 Years
When people think of Central Asia, they usually associate the region much more with the former Soviet Union than with Asia or even the Middle East – and sometimes even less so with Islam....














