Interview | From Oklahoma to Shahnameh: Daniel Nayeri, Author of Everything Sad is Untrue on Memory, Myth and Belonging

In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Daniel Nayeri, author of the acclaimed autobiographical novel Everything Sad is Untrue, talks about growing up as an Iranian refugee in Oklahoma, the mythic structure of memory, and the stories we inherit—true or not. He reflects on what it means to carry generational trauma, how he began writing the book in a Brooklyn bathroom, and the long journey of learning to tell his family’s story with emotional honesty.

We discuss the magic of Persian storytelling traditions, from Shahnameh to Khosrow and Shirin, why he originally wrote the book for adults, and how his father reacted to seeing himself as a character on the page. Daniel also shares a preview of his newest novel, The Teacher of Nomadland, a literary adventure set in WWII-era Iran, and why he wanted to sneak a Farsi lesson into the heart of it.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever tried to make sense of a fractured past—and found something beautiful in the pieces.

📚 Related Links

• Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri (Amazon):
  https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Sad-Untrue-True-Story/dp/1646140001
  

• The Teacher of Nomadland (Preorder):
  https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/the-teacher-of-nomadland

  
  

• Daniel Nayeri on Instagram:
  https://www.instagram.com/danielnayeri
  

• Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation:
  https://chaiandconversation.com

  
  

• Daniel's publisher:
  https://www.levinequerido.com/daniel-nayeri