In this laugh-out-loud and deeply personal conversation, Iranian Canadian actor, writer, and creator Tara Grammy joins Leyla to talk about growing up as an Iranian weirdo, navigating diaspora identity, creating her hit comedy series Soosi Lee , and embracing curiosity (aka being fusooli) as a cultural superpower. From getting discovered by Woody Harrelson in a tiny Toronto theatre to producing a DIY Iranian Borat-meets-Cribs series in LA, Tara's story is as inspiring as it is hilarious. She shar...
Jul 16, 2025•58 min•Ep. 190
In this fourth part of the discussion of Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh , we cover the next two lines in detail, regarding the indispensability of love.
Jul 14, 2025•13 min•Ep. 188
In this lesson, we learn some more expressions we can use when meeting new people and a new expression related to tārof .
Jul 14, 2025•26 min•Ep. 189
In this third part of the discussion of Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh , we cover the next two lines in detail, beginning to contemplate the importance of love to all human beings.
Jul 07, 2025•13 min•Ep. 187
In this lesson, we learn some useful expressions for talking with friends or people we know, especially people who we haven't seen in a long time.
Jul 07, 2025•32 min•Ep. 186
In this second part of the discussion of Nizami Ganjavi's sokhanee chand dar eshgh , we go over the first two lines of the poem in detail.
Jun 30, 2025•18 min•Ep. 185
In this lesson, we learn a new way to call attention to someone and how to return a lost item.
Jun 30, 2025•15 min•Ep. 180
In this lesson, we introduce Nizami Ganjavi, an important 12th-century poet in the cultures of Iran, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan who is also considered the national poet of Azerbaijan. We are joined by Dr. Sahba Shayani to discuss sokhanee chand dar eshgh , or “A Few Words on Love,” an excerpt from Nizami Ganjavi's Romance of Khosrow and Shirin.
Jun 23, 2025•54 min•Ep. 183
In this lesson, we learn some phrases that could be useful when talking to people on the street and how to talk briefly about some routine daily activities. We also introduce Vijay, his mixtape, and his YouTube playlist, which you can find here !
Jun 23, 2025•25 min•Ep. 184
In this episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation , we conclude The Parable of the Moths by Attar, taken from his masterpiece Conference of the Birds . I'm joined by the brilliant Omid Arabian of YOUniversal Center , who walks us through the last 4 lines of the poem—exploring its language, imagery, and deeper meaning. This lesson is perfect for those with some background in Persian who want to experience the richness of mystical poetry and engage with timeless questions of love, longin...
Jun 09, 2025•34 min•Ep. 182
In this episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation , we continue to the third part of The Parable of the Moths by Attar, taken from his masterpiece Conference of the Birds . I'm joined by the brilliant Omid Arabian of YOUniversal Center , who walks us through the next 4 lines of the poem—exploring its language, imagery, and deeper meaning. This lesson is perfect for those with some background in Persian who want to experience the richness of mystical poetry and engage with timeless ques...
Jun 02, 2025•24 min•Ep. 181
In this episode of Growing Up Neem-Rooni , Leyla talks with Representative Yassamin Ansari , the youngest member of Congress and the first Iranian-American Democrat to be elected. From growing up in a mostly white Arizona suburb to representing her diverse district in Washington, D.C., Yassamin shares her story of identity, community, and public service. We talk about her family's immigration journey, what it was like growing up Persian in Arizona, the political awakenings that shaped her career...
Jun 01, 2025•26 min•Ep. 174
In this episode of Growing Up Irooni , Leyla sits down with Chelsea Fagan—founder of The Financial Diet and author of the new novel High Dive . Known for blending personal finance with cultural critique, Chelsea joins Leyla for a wide-ranging conversation that covers: Why she wrote a romance novel with a Persian American love interest Navigating privilege, assimilation, and identity in immigrant communities Representing Iranian culture through a “cultural reader” and deep research The challenge ...
May 28, 2025•46 min•Ep. 178
In this episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation , we continue to the second part of The Parable of the Moths by Attar, taken from his masterpiece Conference of the Birds . I'm joined by the brilliant Omid Arabian of YOUniversal Center , who walks us through the next 4 lines of the poem—exploring its language, imagery, and deeper meaning. This lesson is perfect for those with some background in Persian who want to experience the richness of mystical poetry and engage with timeless que...
May 26, 2025•32 min•Ep. 179
In this episode of Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation , we begin a brand new series on one of the most powerful mystical stories in Persian literature: The Parable of the Moths by Attar, taken from his masterpiece Conference of the Birds . I'm joined by the brilliant Omid Arabian of YOUniversal Center , who walks us through the first 4 lines of the poem—exploring its language, imagery, and deeper meaning. This lesson is perfect for those with some background in Persian who want to experien...
May 19, 2025•42 min•Ep. 177
In this episode of Growing Up Irooni , I sit down with Neema Naz—comedian, content creator, and the internet’s favorite Persian son—to talk about his rise from Scarborough’s multicultural neighborhood to international stages. Neema shares how being the “funny kid” at family gatherings led to his career in comedy, why his Iranian identity is core to his storytelling, and how his whole family (especially his mom!) became an essential part of his brand. We talk about: Neema’s evolution as a comedia...
May 14, 2025•37 min•Ep. 176
Growing Up Irooni - Gissou Nia, Human Rights Lawyer, on Justice, Diaspora Identity, and the Power of Speaking Up In this episode, Leyla talks with Gissou Nia, a leading international human rights lawyer and Director of the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council. Gissou shares her journey from growing up Iranian-American in New Jersey to taking on some of the world’s most urgent human rights cases. They discuss the tension between diaspora and homeland, how her name connects her to ...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 175
Babak Tafreshi is an incredibly inspiring Iranian photographer, science journalist and amateur astronomer. He got his start photographing in Iran, but has since moved to the United States. He is the creator and director of The World At Night, an international program in which photographers from around the world capture images of night skies as seen above notable landmarks of the planet.
Mar 20, 2025•53 min•Ep. 173
In this episode, Leyla sits down with Naz Deravian, the wonderful author of the cookbook Bottom of the Pot, to discuss how she started the tradition of growing sabzé for Nowruz (the Perisan new year) along with her international group of followers. Growing sabzé is an integral part of the Nowruz tradition. It acts as the centerpiece for the table we need to set up for Nowruz. She'll be starting on March 7th, so listen to hear how you can join, and why it's important that you do so, no matter whe...
Mar 05, 2025•25 min•Ep. 172
In this episode, Leyla sits down with Florida Representative Anna Eskamani, the first Iranian-American to serve in the Florida Legislature, to discuss her immigrant Iranian parents and how her mother's values continue to lead her as she's making big waves in Florida politics. Anna is a liberal politician in a sea of hostile Republican colleagues and now faces even more challenges at the federal level. Despite all this, she continues to fight for her values and is currently running for mayor of t...
Feb 20, 2025•27 min•Ep. 171
In this episode, Leyla sits down with acclaimed filmmaker Jasmin Mozaffari to discuss her short film Motherland , a poignant exploration of cultural identity, family trauma, and resilience. Jasmin reflects on her upbringing as a neem-rooni (half-Iranian, half-Canadian) in post-9/11 North America, the generational trauma of Iranian immigrants, and how her father’s story during the Iran Hostage Crisis shaped her art. Together, they delve into themes of assimilation, cultural pride, and rediscoveri...
Dec 31, 2024•28 min•Ep. 170
In this lesson, we introduce the poem ān kas ké bedānad va bedānad ké bedānad by Ibn Yamin and discuss it with Alan Eyre.
Dec 23, 2024•42 min•Ep. 169
In this discussion on Hafez's barafshān , we go over the last two lines of the poem.
Oct 28, 2024•13 min•Ep. 168
In this discussion on Hafez's barafshān , we go over the fifth and sixth line of the poem.
Oct 21, 2024•11 min•Ep. 167
In this discussion on Hafez's barafshān , we go over the third and fourth line of the poem.
Oct 14, 2024•11 min•Ep. 165
Kaveh Akbar is the Iranian-American author of the critically acclaimed and heavily lauded novel Martyr! In our long-awaited conversation we dive deep into the themes of his powerful book, Martyr , which explores the human cost of so-called “collateral damage” and the real-world trauma often reduced to mere statistics in Western media. I had so much I wanted to ask Kaveh about the deeply personal and timely relevance of his work, especially in light of ongoing global events. Check out the full ep...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 166
In this second part of the discussion for Hafez's barafshān , we go over the first two lines of the poem in detail.
Oct 07, 2024•18 min•Ep. 164
In this introductory lesson on Hafez's poem barafshān, we're joined by musician Fared Shafinury to go over the overall meaning of the poem. You can hear Fared's version of this poem in this track from his debut album.
Sep 30, 2024•40 min•Ep. 163
In this lesson, we watch a clip of a heated conversation between Nader and Simin, the title characters of the movie. This is a fast paced conversation, and gives us a glimpse at a type of conversation we may not often be privy to in the Persian language. This is the final episode in our series on clips from the movie A Separation by Asghar Farahadi with guest Yara Elmjouie.
Sep 11, 2024•36 min•Ep. 162
In this follow up episode about Khayyam's poem rendee deedam, we go over the poem word by word, line by line, to understand each part individually. We'll also learn how to use the particular words and phrases in current conversation.
Sep 09, 2024•15 min•Ep. 161
