Parnaz Foroutan: The Girl From the Garden
Parnaz Foroutan is a writer based out of Los Angeles. Her family fled Iran during the Iran-Iraq War and eventually found themselves in Los Angeles. She grew up listening to stories from her family elders – usually speaking of a harsh, demonic matriarch.
That woman served as part of the inspiration for her debut novel, The Girl from the Garden. The story follows a wealthy, Persian Jewish family. Rakhel is the family matriarch, who enters the home as a young bride and comes to realize she cannot “produce an heir”. Her experiences force her to cope with her circumstances in an oppressive manner…well, you’ll just have to read the book.
Parnaz Foroutan photo by Debbie Formoso
Parnaz joined me in studio for KBOO’s literary program, Between the Covers. We talked about her writing process, the challenge of writing characters and avoiding stereotypes, and the importance of looking past the media’s portrayal and judgment of minorities.
Check out the podcast!
Air date: 8/27/2015
*This interview features music by Kiran Ahluwalia