The Pearl of Dari
Poetry and Personhood Among Young Afghans in Iran
Indiana University Press · Print & ebook · November 16, 2015
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- Who it’s for
- An ethnographic portrait of young Afghan poets reshaping Persian love poetry in Iran.
- Genres
- How Cultures Work, Middle Eastern Poetry, Middle Eastern Politics
- Published
- Indiana University Press, November 16, 2015
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Start with this bookAbout this book
The Pearl of Dari takes us into the heart of Afghan refugee life in the Islamic Republic of Iran through a rich ethnographic portrait of the circle of poets and intellectuals who make up the "Pearl of Dari" cultural organization. Dari is the name by which the Persian language is known in Afghanistan. Afghan immigrants in Iran, refugees from the Soviet war in Afghanistan, are marginalized and restricted to menial jobs and lower-income neighborhoods.
Continue reading
Ambitious and creative refugee youth have taken to writing poetry to tell their story as a group and to improve their prospects for a better life. At the same time, they are altering the ancient tradition of Persian love poetry by promoting greater individualism in realms such as gender and marriage. Zuzanna Olszewska offers compelling insights into the social life of poetry in an urban, Middle Eastern setting largely unknown in the West.
Poets in Iran
An ethnographic portrait of young Afghan poets reshaping Persian love poetry in Iran.
Come here for
- A portrait of Afghan refugee poets and intellectuals in Iran
- Poetry as a way to tell a shared story and improve prospects
Expect
- Poetry’s social role in refugee life
- Changing ideas about gender and marriage
Where it sits
| How Cultures Work | 91% |
|---|---|
| Middle Eastern Poetry | 39% |
| Middle Eastern Politics | 36% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Central Asian History
- Middle Eastern Lit Crit
- How Cultures Work
- Authors
- Zuzanna Olszewska
- Publisher
- Indiana University Press
- Published
- November 16, 2015
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Central Asian History