Strange Times, My Dear : The Pen Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature

by Mozaffari, Nahid

• ISBN13: 9781559708050
• ISBN10: 1559708050
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-17
• Publisher: Arcade Pub

Summary

Despite war, repression, and censorship, a renaissance has taken place in Iran over the past quarter-century, not only in literature but in music, art, and film. Since the 1979 revolution, however, the United States has been virtually cut off from that country. Now, for the first time in paperback, we have in translation selections from the work of over 40 writers from three generations, both men and women, which displays the progress and development of Iranian literature. For thousands of years, multiple ethnicities, languages, and religions have coexisted in Iran, and continue to do so despite traumatic events and transient ideologies. This collectionor to use the Persian term golchine, a bouquetprovides a much needed window onto a largely undiscovered branch of world literature.STRANGE TIMES, MY DEAR will bring literary enjoyment as well as a fuller understanding of Irans complex contemporary culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction: Nahid Mozaffari	xv
PROSE: PART ONE
MAHMUD DOWLATABADI
The Mirror	4	(7)
HUSHANG GOLSHIRI
The Victory Chronicle of the Magi	11	(27)
AHMAD MAHMUD
Excerpt from Scorched Earth	38	(23)
ESMAIL FASSIH
Excerpt from Sorraya in a Coma	61	(21)
SIMIN DANESHVAR
Ask the Migrating Birds	82	(7)
HADI KHORSANDI
The Eyes Won't Take It	89	(4)
NASSIM KHAKSAR
The Grocer of Kharzeville	93	(12)
IRAJ PEZESHKZAD
Delayed Consequences of the Revolution	105	(11)
TAGHI MODARRESSI
Excerpt from The Book of Absent People	116	(28)
PROSE: PART TWO
SHAHRNUSH PARSIPUR
Excerpt from Women Without Men	144	(13)
MONIRU RAVANIPUR
Satan's Stones	157	(12)
REZA FARROKHFAL
Ah, Istanbul	169	(20)
REZA DANESHVAR
Mahbubeh and the Demon Ahl	189	(27)
GOLI TARAGHI
In Another Place	216	(56)
BEHNAM DAYANI
Hitchcock and Agha Baji	272	(20)
FARKHONDEH AGHAI
A Little Secret	292	(21)
ASGHAR ABDOLLAHI
A Room Full of Dust	313	(12)
GHAZALEH ALIZADEH
Excerpt from The Trial	325	(9)
SEYYED EBRAHIM NABAVI
First Love	334	(8)
SHAHRIYAR MANDANIPUR
Shatter the Stone Tooth	342	(12)
GHAZI RABIHAVI
White Rock	354	(6)
FARIDEH KHERADMAND
Peace ofNight	360	(5)
POETRY
Introduction: Ahmad Karimi Hakkak	365	(7)
AHMAD SHAMLU
In This Blind Alley	372	(1)
Love Song	373	(1)
End of the Game	374	(1)
Morning	375	(3)
SIMIN BEHBAHANI
A Man with a Missing Leg	378	(2)
I Write, I Cross Out I	I379
If the Snake Is Domestic	380	(1)
And Behold	381	(1)
It's Time to Mow the Flowers	382	(2)
MEHDI AKHAVAN SALESS
I Love You, Ancient Homeland	384	(6)
ESMAIL KHOI
Lyrical	390	(1)
Outlandia	390	(3)
An Allusion	393	(1)
Bad Boy	393	(3)
NADER NADERPUR
A Spring Tale	396	(4)
M.R. SHAFI'I KADKANI
Poetry I	400	(1)
Poetry—II	400	(1)
Prayer of Sudden Dread	401	(4)
MANUCHEHR ATASHI
A Woman Out of Memory	405	(1)
Visitations	405	(3)
MOHAMMAD ALI SEPANLU
Miniature	408	(1)
The Terrace of Dead Fishermen	409	(2)
The Green Bull	411	(2)
YADOLLAH ROYAI
Martyr's Tombstone	413	(1)
Tomb of Manichaeus	413	(1)
Labial Verse 67	414	(1)
Labial Verse 181	414	(3)
REZA BARAHENI
In the New Place, or Exile, a Simple Matter I	417	(6)
MOHAMMAD MOKHTARI
From the Other Half	423	(4)
SHAMS LANGERUDI
Requiem I	427	(1)
Brands I	427	(4)
PARTOW NURIALA
I Am Human	431	(4)
MIRZA AGHA ASGARI
Amorous	435	(2)
MINA ASADI
Wednesday in March	437	(1)
Wakeful Reveries	437	(3)
ROYA HAKAKIAN
I Must Bury Him	440	(3)
ZIBA KARBASI
The Republic of Hate	443	(2)
MAJID NAFICY
The Little Messenger	445	(3)
ABBAS SAFFARI
Saturday Night Dinner	448	(1)
A Bird Is a Bird	449	(3)
GRANAZ MUSSAVI
The Ax	452	(1)
Afghan Woman	452	(1)
The Sale	453	(4)
ABBAS KIAROSTAMI
Selections from Walking with the Wind	457	(2)
PERMISSIONS	459	(6)
SUGGESTED READING	465