Firoozeh Dumas

Firoozeh Dumas (Persian: فیروزه دوماس) (b. 1965 in Abadan, Iran) is an Iranian-American writer.

At an early age, she began to write and submit essays to obtain money to go toward college. "Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America", reflects her witty humor and talent for writing.

At the age of seven, Dumas and her family moved to Whittier, California. She later moved back to Iran and lived in Tehran and Ahvaz. However, she once again immigrated to the United States; first to Whittier, then to Newport Beach, California. Kazem, her father, dominates many of her stories throughout the book. She takes pride in her Iranian heritage, but at the same time, mocks her dad's fascination with "freebies" at Costco and television shows like Bowling for Dollars. Growing up, Dumas struggled to mix with her American classmates, who knew nothing about Iran. She also retells firsthand experiences of prejudice and racism from being Iranian in America during the Iranian Revolution. However, throughout hardships, she emphasizes the significance of family strength and love in her life.

Dumas is a wife and mother. She often visits schools and churches to discuss her book and conduct book talks. As a result of "Funny in Farsi's" success, Firoozeh Dumas was nominated for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Not only was she the first Iranian author to be nominated, she was also the first Asian author to hold such an honor.

She is also the author of "Laughing Without An Accent", which is a memoir containing a few stories about her childhood, but mostly stories about her adventures as an adult. Her website has a schedule of her book tour.

References

*Dumas, Firoozeh, "Funny in Farsi", Random House, New York, 2003.

External links

* [http://www.firoozehdumas.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.levantinecenter.org/pages/firoozeh_dumas.html Firoozeh Dumas at Levantine Centre]