LIVE from the NYPL hosted a discussion titled “Who’s Afraid of Iran?” about the different conceptions people hold about Iranians and to expose some myths and stereotypes. It featured the the editor and some of the contributors of the book, My Sister, Guard Your Veil; My Brother, Guard Your Eyes: Uncensored Iranian Voices, published by Beacon Press. Ms. Broukhim opened the event by reading selections from the book. Ms. Zanganeh, editor of the book, had a conversation with Ms. Nafisi, one of the contributors. Then a panel of four Iranian women who contributed to the book, moderated by Ms. Zanganeh, discussed the problematic notion of Iranian identity, including their perspectives on race, religion, sexuality and being in exile from the Islamic Republic.

Ms. Nafisi is the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. Ms. Hakakian is the author of Journey from the Land of No: A Girlhood Caught in Revolutionary Iran. Ms. Moaveni is the author of Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran.

This event was co-sponsored by PEN American Center.