Framed quotes can be found pretty much anywhere in the WC. Before I started writing this post, I didn’t realize how many there actually were, but once you start looking for them, they show up everywhere.

One of the great things about Coe is the number of guest speakers they’re able to pull in every year. On the walls of the writing center, there are framed quotes or excerpts of some of these guests’ works, along with their own signature. 

Last semester, I, along with the rest of the student body, got the chance to hear from one of the speakers, whose quote now on one of the walls in the new WC. Firoozeh Dumas, Iranian-American author of Funny in Farsi and Laughing Without an Accent, came to Coe back in September.

The first time I heard her speak was during a presentation she gave to all first years. Persepolis, the book all incoming students were required to read, was written her friend, and fellow Iranian, Marjane Satrapi, so she spoke about Persepolis. She also talked about the basics of the Iranian Revolution and the history of Iran. It was a lot more interesting than I’m making it sound, because Mrs. Dumas is hilarious and tied in so many funny personal stories during her talk.

I got to hear her speak a second time during my Writing Center class (Topics in Composition) the next day. This was definitely more personal, since there were only twenty or so of us, versus the entire first-year class. She talked more about her personal life and the process of writing than she had the day before, and I definitely loved being able to hear about things straight from a published author.

After her visit, I went out and bought a copy of her book, Funny in Farsi, and I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone. If my recommendation isn’t convincing enough, because of this book, Firoozeh was nominated for the Thurber Prize for American Humor- the first Iranian author to be nominated. It’s definitely worth the time it takes to read! 

By Rachel Epperly