Anthology of Seven Younger Iranian Poets Reviewed at Reading in Translation

For Reading in Translation (translations reviewed by translators), Fatemeh Madani Sarbarani reviews an anthology of seven younger Iranian poets. Edited and translated by Alireza Taheri Araghi, I Am a Face Sympathizing with Your Grief (co-im-press, 2015) "is not merely about Iran: it is about the Middle East, about the third world, about Muslims, Mexicans, African-Americans, or maybe all Americans in the near future." More:

Some of the poems in this anthology suffered censorship in Iran. For an artist, it’s difficult to predict what part of her/his work might be censored by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance prior to its submission. The reasons for censorship in art, literature, theater, cinema, and other forms of media, can be religious or political. For example, Allahverdi wasn’t able to get a publishing license for The Book of Blood for political and moral reasons, so it is available as an e-book for Iranian readers. Allahverdi’s long poems are full of surreal images and references to the social, economic, and psychological situations of Iran, connected to politics in a dark and sometimes humorous tone. In “Bleeding,” Allahverdi portrays depression and despair caused by repression:

bloods of madness bloods of philosophy bloods of depression bloods of unemployment bloods of indifference bloods of anemia (14)

Allahverdi’s “Shitkilling” is filled with profanity, forbidden concepts such as sex, drugs, voyeurism, and the female body (or objectification of it) ...

Read the excerpt from Allahverdi's poem, and Sarbarani's full review, here.