Persian Autobiographies​

Service Description

This course offers advanced students a deep dive into the heart of Iranian identity, history, and culture through the intimate lens of autobiographical writing. By analyzing memoirs, diaries, and personal essays, students will move beyond standard textbook prose to engage with the "authentic" voice—the first-person narrative. Through the 12 weeks, we will explore how Persian authors construct their identities against the backdrop of revolution, exile, and social change. While fostering a sophisticated understanding of the Iranian lived experience, this course is designed to sharpen advanced language skills: specifically nuanced vocabulary, cultural idioms, and the transition from formal to informal registers. ​ Weekly Reading List Each session focuses on a pivotal text that represents a unique era or perspective in Persian literature. Week 1: The Qajar Court and Feminine Awakening Book: Memoirs of Taj al-Saltaneh by Taj al-Saltaneh Persian: خاطرات تاج‌السلطنه — تاج‌السلطنه Week 2: Childhood and the Rural Landscape Book: Days (Volume 1) by Mohammad-Ali Eslami Nodooshan Persian: روزها — محمدعلی اسلامی ندوشن ​ Week 3: The Intimacy of Loss and Modernity Book: A Stone on a Grave by Jalal Al-e-Ahmad Persian: سنگی بر گوری — جلال آل‌احمد Week 4: A Literary Partnership and Reflection Book: The Sunset of Jalal by Simin Daneshvar Persian: غروب جلال — سیمین دانشور Week 5: Political Struggle and Patriotism Book: Memoirs and Reflections by Mohammad Mossadegh Persian: خاطرات و تألمات — محمد مصدق Week 6: The Visual Narrative of Revolution Book: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Persian: پرسپولیس — مرجان ساتراپی Week 7: Diaspora and the Secret Life of Books Book: Things I've Been Silent About by Azar Nafisi Persian: آنچه در موردش سکوت کردم — آذر نفیسی Week 8: The Writer’s Craft and Internal Exile Book: The Bread of Writing (Nun-e Neveshtan) by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi Persian: نون نوشتن — محمود دولت‌آبادی Week 9: Nostalgia and Scattered Memories Book: Scattered Memories by Goli Taraghi Persian: خاطرات پراکنده — گلی ترقی Week 10: Resilience and the Prison Experience Book: Prison Memoirs by Shahrnush Parsipur Persian: خاطرات زندان — شهرنوش پارسی‌پور Week 11: Growing Up in the Kerman Desert Book: You're Not a Stranger Here by Houshang Moradi Kermani Persian: شما که غریبه نیستید — هوشنگ مرادی کرمانی Week 12: Modern Identity and Mig