F122.
Poetry of Iran & Its Diaspora
Friday, March 25, 2022
9:00 am to 10:15 am
This reading features four of the most significant poets and translators of Iran or Iranian descent. They are representatives of an anthology published by Green Linden Press in September, 2021, Essential Voices: Poetry of Iran and Its Diaspora, which includes 130 poets and translators from ten countries. Collectively, the readers explore themes of identity, oppression, freedom, language, translation, and the potential for poetry to help us understand and navigate social and political complexity.
Participants
Christopher Nelson is the founder and editor of Green Linden Press. His most recent book is Blood Aria.
Kaveh Bassiri is the author of two chapbooks, 99 Names of Exile, winner of the Anzaldúa Poetry Prize, and Elementary English, winner of Rick Campbell Chapbook Prize. He is also the recipient of a 2019 translation fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Sholeh Wolpé is an Iranian-born poet and playwright. Her most recent books include Abacus of Loss: A Memoir in Verse, and The Conference of the Birds. She is presently the current writer in residence at University of California, Irvine. More information: www.sholehwolpe.com
Athena Farrokhzad is a Swedish poet, literary critic, playwright, and teacher of creative writing. Her debut collection Vitsvit, has been published in fifteen languages and was translated by Jennifer Hayashida under the title White Blight.
Armen Davoudian is the author of Swan Song, which won the 2020 Frost Place Chapbook Competition. He is a PhD candidate in English at Stanford.
