Episode two hundred eighty nine – part one

Parisa Akhbari’s JUST ANOTHER EPIC LOVE POEM tells a touching queer teen love story with gorgeous poetry and stunning poetry. Jenn talked to Parisa about crafting Mitra and Bea’s tender and moving romance.

Parisa Akhbari (@authorparisa) is a mental health therapist and writer from Seattle, Washington. Her debut YA novel, Just Another Epic Love Poem, follows two queer best friends in Catholic school as they fall in love through the pages of a never-ending poem they’ve been writing back and forth for five years. When not writing or therapizing, Parisa can be found trying to replicate her grandmother’s drool-worthy Persian recipes, riding ferries around the Puget Sound, and dancing around the kitchen with her wife and dogs. Sign up for her newsletter for a monthly dose of fun arts and culture finds with a spotlight on marginalized creators.