Persian through Autobiographical Texts 

​Peyman Eshaghi 

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Course Description

This course offers a deep dive into the heart of Iranian identity, history, and culture through the intimate lens of Life 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.

Throughout the 12 weeks, we will explore how Persian authors construct their identities against the backdrop of revolution, exile, and social change. This course is designed to sharpen advanced language skills—specifically nuanced vocabulary, cultural idioms, and the transition from formal to informal registers—while fostering a sophisticated understanding of the Iranian lived experience.

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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

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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 Migration

• Book: Journey from the Land of No by Roya Hakakian

• Persian: سفر از سرزمین نه — رویا حکاکیان

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Course Details

Schedule: Thursdays, 25 June - 10 September, 2026 

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Time: 9:00–10:00 AM (US Pacific), 12:00–1:00 PM (US Eastern), 6:00–7:00 PM (Central European)

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Format: 12 online sessions 

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Tuition: $300 (payable in installments)

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​​Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials.

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Registration link: https://forms.gle/cspWSGEuMwmK6SZE6