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One problem with the taxonomy argument you’re putting forward is that I don’t think it’s realistic to imagine there’s a…
I think a lot of progressive arguments right now amount to slippery slopes because we’re not there, I think you…
"But some people seem determined to be the dude in this comic." Just wanted to repeat that for truth. This…
If it's not fascism, it's certainly sparkling authoritarianism made to taste like fascism. But some people seem determined to be…
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Category Archives: International issues
The Viper Strikes, and Lives
I have been fascinated by metaphor since I was an undergraduate linguistics major, when one of my professors assigned parts of Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. In that book, Lakoff and Johnson argue that, as … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Writing
18 Comments
I Can’t Think of a Better Reason to Write
You never know how people are going to find your work, and you never know how it’s going to touch them or why. Earlier this month, a man contacted me asking for a copy of the uncorrected proof of my … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Writing
2 Comments
In Them Alone My Spirit Will Endure
Towards the end of his preface to Golestan, Sa’di—that’s a picture of me at his tomb in Shiraz–says: Long after we have crumbled into dust, and the grains of who we were are far-flung atoms, these words, well chosen and arranged, will live, … Continue reading
The Calligraphic Art of Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi – The Tehran Times
The Tehran Times has a beautiful gallery up of calligraphic art, which I know next to nothing about, except that I think it’s beautiful. Here are a couple: You should check out the rest for yourself.
Posted in Abortion & reproductive rights, Iran
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My Companion’s Scent Seeped into Me
This week’s “Sa’di Says” is a brief poem from one of the introductory sections of Golestan: I held in my bath a perfumed piece of clay that came to me from a beloved’s hand. I asked it, “Are you musk … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Writing
7 Comments
I Have a Tumblr…
It’s called Sa’di Says and I will posting to it excerpts from my translations of Sa’di, the 13th century Persian poet, which were originally published by Global Scholarly Publications in two separate volumes, Selections from Saadi’s Gulistan andSelections from Saadi’s Bustan. Both books have been out … Continue reading
Javad Zarif’s Video Message: “There Is a Way Forward”
I met Mr. Zarif some years ago, when he was Iran’s representative to the United Nations, though I am sure he would not remember me. He gave a presentation with a former and well-respected American diplomat, whose name now escapes … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
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Thank You, Veterans
I wrote this on November 11, and then before I could get a thumbs-up from certain people to post it, life intervened. So, it’s a little late, but still worth saying. As GB Stern said, silent gratitude isn’t much use … Continue reading
Posted in Afghanistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iran, Iraq, Korea
38 Comments
Conor Friedersdorf’s Argument Against Drones
Conor Friedersdorf’s entire argument against Drones is worth reading, but here’s a sample: In thought experiments, we may be able to separate the questions, “Should force be used?” and, “If so, what is the most ethical weapon available?” But the … Continue reading
Trying To Be an Ally: Thinking About Hejab, Muslim Invisibility, and the Casual Hatred that is Cultural Appropriation (1)
In 2008, when my family and I traveled to Iran for my brother-in-law’s wedding, the day after we left Tehran to visit my sister-in-law and her family in Isfahan, the Iranian morality police drove a paddy wagon into Tajrish, a … Continue reading
Posted in Feminism, sexism, etc, Gender and the Body, Iran
28 Comments
Are fascists only fascists, in your view, after they achieve total dictatorial power comparable to Kim Jong Un? Not necessarily…