Appearances

Appearances

FICTION There’s the family you grew up with: your mom, your dad, your siblings. And then, there’s the family you carry around in your head for the rest of your life. This show is about that second family, the one that lives within. From Mermaid Palace, Sharon Mashihi brings you Appearances, a one woman audio show that straddles the line between fiction and truth. Appearances brings to life an Iranian American family and community through the real and fantastical mental machinations of Melanie Barzadeh. Melanie is in her mid 30’s and desires nothing more than to become a mother. The difficulty of finding the right partner seems to be directly connected to the struggles witnessed in her home throughout her entire childhood. As Sharon Mashihi voice-acts all the characters in one family, the depth of the love, pain, and struggle is felt with honesty and humour at every turn.

Episodes

September 11, 2020 3 mins

An audio mindtrip about an Iranian American woman, the family she carries around in her head, and the family that she wants to have.

Mark as Played

Part A of the prologue is a note from Sharon about why this podcast is labeled "fiction". Part B is a history of the town of Great Neck, as told by Faribah, the neighbor across the street. As Faribah always likes to say, "In this neighborhood, the windows are very important. What can you see when you look out of them, and what can everybody else see when they look in?"

Mark as Played
September 29, 2020 37 mins

In this episode, we meet Melanie, her family—who appear as voices in her head—and her ill-fated lover as they discuss potentially having a baby, and her first pregnancy 9 years ago.

[This episode contains scenes that deal with difficult topics, including abortion, and may be distressing for some listeners.]

Mark as Played

Melanie is at her brother’s wedding and feeling out of place.  She is unsure about long term relationships, so she takes us inside the intimate details of her parents’ marriage to find out why. 

Mark as Played
October 6, 2020 25 mins

This episode belongs to Vida, Melanie’s mom.  We twist and turn through the caverns of her past and present to understand what it feels like, as Vida puts it, "to live with your heart outside your body."

Mark as Played
October 9, 2020 37 mins

Melanie asks: Is it still worth trying to make it work with men?

Mark as Played
October 13, 2020 31 mins

While Melanie is preparing physically and spiritually to get pregnant, she receives news that yet again makes her spiral into uncertainty.

Mark as Played
October 16, 2020 20 mins

Melanie begins the process of acquiring sperm and getting pregnant.

Mark as Played

It worked. Now Melanie has a secret. Only one person knows it. That one person... is Sharon Mashihi.

Mark as Played
October 23, 2020 33 mins

This is the episode where Melanie has to tell her mother. She is terrified.

Mark as Played
October 27, 2020 31 mins

The finale.

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    24/7 News: The Latest

    Today’s Latest News In 4 Minutes. Updated Hourly.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.