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I’m not sure “most” is accurate, but even if it were… That’s not new. Again…. MLK was arrested 29 times,…
Watcher – I think he’s debating with me. And, while I think she obviously should not have been shot I…
It’s unlikely “she did hit him.” You shouldn’t state that as if it’s a known fact. I believe she did.…
But also: What does any of this matter? It’s not a capital crime. And even if it were, you don’t…
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Category Archives: International issues
Would You Give Your Life for Your Art?
People often tell me that my poems are brave, that reciting them publicly takes courage. I understand what they mean by that, and I thank them for the compliment they intend, but it also always makes me cringe. I think … Continue reading
Posted in Afghanistan, Writing
5 Comments
New Zealand House of Representatives Passes Marriage Equality And Sings
They’re singing a Maori love song called “Pokarekare ana,” which, Wikipedia tells me, is sometimes called New Zealand’s unofficial national anthem. During the debate, “Te Ururoa Flavell gave a wonderful speech with a Maori perspective, detailing the pre-colonial Maori history … Continue reading
Posted in In the news, International issues, Same-Sex Marriage
3 Comments
What I’ve Been Reading About Iran
Iran’s Web Censors vs. Google Reader: In the wake of Google’s announcement that it’s going to kill Reader, a fascinating article about the role Reader played in helping Iranians circumvent government censors. Pahlavi Iran and Zionism: An Intellectual Elite’s Short-Lived … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
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Norooz Pirooz! Eid Moborak! Happy Iranian New Year 2013
It is a tradition in Iran to use the works of the 14th century poet Hafez to tell fortunes. People open a copy of his divan, his collected works, and take the first line of poetry their eye falls on … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
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Is Hamas Considering Recognition Of Israel? – from Al-Monitor
From a very interesting article by Shlomi Eldar on Al-Monitor, which is a very useful source of information if you follow what’s going on in the Middle East: “Reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah is stuck, because right now the United … Continue reading
Posted in Palestine & Israel
4 Comments
Farid al-Din Attar: A Reading Journal 3
Do you believe in love at first sight? All-consuming, Romeo-and-Juliet, I-cannot-live-withou-you, I-know-just-by-looking-at-you-that-you-are-all-I-will-ever-need-and-so-I-will-give-up-everything-I-have-ever-held-dear-just-to-be-with-you, I-would-even-die-for-you love? I don’t. I never have. Even when I was young enough that the romantic ideal of such a love should have resonated in me, I actually … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Religion
3 Comments
Attar in Progress: An Officer Falls in Love with a Prince
I’ve been making steady progress working on Ilahi Nama, and I thought it might be interesting to post some of what I’ve done so far. The latest poem of which I have finished the first draft, for example–just about all … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Writing
5 Comments
“My Face Became Eyes; My Eyes, Hands” – Translation Strategy and Metaphor
I am on sabbatical this semester to work on a translation of Ilahi Nama, The Book of God, by Farid al-Din Attar. I’ve been working on this book in bits and pieces for the past couple of years, producing first … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Writing
4 Comments
Learning How to Talk to Iran Means Learning to Understand Iranian Culture
This is from a recent op-ed in the New York Times, “How to Talk to Iran,” by Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Mohammad Ali Shabani: For thousands of years, Persian culture has been distinguished by customs that revolve around honor and esteem. … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
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"This is another thing I think progressives generally discount: Cars are deadly weapons" Given that progressives have frequently been attacked…