Questions for Roxanne Varzi

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You're one of the first people to write about the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq war from a cultural perspective. What are some of the lasting cultural and political repercussions of that war?

Tell us more about the martyr culture that was developed during the war and how it affects Iranian society today.

Your book points to the importance of the war as a political platform in Iran and you use Ahmadinejad's election as an example. How much does his nuclear agenda play into the memory and legacy of the war?

Why did you choose to write about upper-middle class secular youth? What can we learn about Iran from them? How were you able to do research on youth who were trying so hard to keep a low profile? What kind of access did you have?

How is it that the Islamic youth are suffering from similar issues as secular youth, such as depression, drug use, and suicide? Why are suicide, drugs and HIV on the rise in a state that these things are so antithetical to?

You coined a term "Sufi cool," to describe the phenomena of secular youth turning to a different kind of spirituality in Islam than what the government subscribes. How is this turn to spirituality different from state-sanctioned Islam? And if it is so radical why does the state allow it, or do they?

How does the generation of secular youth, who are not inline with the state, feel about the nuclear issue? How do they feel about the U.S. and the West?

You talk a lot about art, theater, and cinema. Is Iranian cultural production state-sponsored? How do the artists negotiate the divide between producing their own work and getting permission and sponsorship from the government?

You give an in-depth analysis of war films in Iran, films that are not among the ones we see here in the West. Why aren't these films shown outside of Iran? Are they just propaganda meant for domestic consumption?

How do Iranian secular folks in Iran feel about the Iranian Diaspora here in the U.S—what kinds of connections do they have? How does Diaspora media reach people in Iran? What consequences and effects will this communication have?

Your mother is an American. How did she end up in Iran? You were born in Iran and there during the hostage crisis. Was it difficult during the hostage crisis for your mother to be in Iran?

What made you first decide to go back to Iran?

You were the first Fulbright grant recipient to visit Iran since the revolution. How did that happen? Were you restricted at all in what you were allowed to research?