Archive - Chelo Kabob for the Soul

Mourning as Resistance in a World on Fire

Jun 20 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

An Architecture of Connection - PART 8: Inside the Architecture: From Fog to Form

Previously on The Architecture of Connection…

Jun 19 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

An Architecture of Connection - PART 7: Chasing the Mayor Through the Mountains

Previously: In a bold, half-baked move, I asked Iran’s most enigmatic mayor for permission to make a student film about him.

Jun 11 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

Start Here: What Chelo Kabob for the Soul Is

Hello dear reader and thank you for giving Chelo a try.

Jun 8 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

An Architecture of Connection - PART 6: No Longer Following the Story

Thank you for your patience these past few weeks. I had to step away unexpectedly due to a family illness. I’m back and grateful you’re still here.

Jun 4 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

May 2025

An Architecture of Connection - PART 5: When I Stopped Observing and Started Weaving

Previously: I caught a glimpse of Gholam Hossein Karbaschi—the mayor of Tehran during those days—through the airplane curtain.

May 7 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

An Architecture of Connection - Part 4: The Champagne Muse and the Mayor Behind the Curtain

Previously: Grief, sort of, caught up with me at the Iranian Interest Section in DC.

May 1

April 2025

An Architecture of Connection - Part 3: Grief, Mothers and Late Night Clues

Previously: My mother returned to Iran to be with my ailing father, while I was left searching for my passport—until a strange pull at 2 a.m.

Apr 23 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

An Architecture of Connection - Part 2: NASA and the Art of Confidence

I still marvel at how easily I landed that one-in-a-million entry-level job.

Apr 16 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

An Architecture of Connection - PART 1: The Signal and the Summons

A nonlinear memoir about grief, the former mayor of Tehran, and the moments that quietly rearrange everything

Apr 9 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

Coming up: "The Architecture of Connection"

Announcing my new 7-part series.

Apr 9 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

March 2025

Monsters Under the Stairs (Part 2)

Before jumping into Part 2, I want to thank those of you who read and shared Part 1 of “Monsters Under the Stairs.” Writing this story has been a…

Mar 15 •

Banafsheh Madaninejad

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts