Date & Time: 5/3/2008 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Department: Center for Persian Studies and Culture

Event Title:  Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture Hosts a Day-Long Workshop and Discussion to Inaugurate ASSOCIATION for IRANIAN-AMERICAN WRITERS (IAWA)

Place: University of California, Irvine, Humanities Instructional Building Room 100

Iranian-American writers represent one of the most recent arrivals in ethnic American literature. Drawing on a rich Persian heritage and a vibrant American literary scene, Iranian-American writers give voice to the complex histories that have shaped their community. A representative group of novelists, poets, fiction and nonfiction writers will come together for a day-long workshop and discussion about what it means to be a writer in the United States, and more specifically, in a place like California. The participants will be Majid Amini, Anita Amirrezvani, Jasmin Darznik, Parissa Ebrahimzadeh, Haleh Hatami, Zara Houshmand, Jahanshah Javid, Esther Kamkar, Porochista Khakpour, Sharon May, Majid Naficy, Gina Barkhordar Nahai, Sepideh Saremi, Ari Siletz, Sholeh Wolpé.

Hosted by the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and its Director, Dr. Nasrin Rahimieh, and co-convened with Dr. Persis Karim of San Jose State University, this workshop seeks to foster rich and timely dialogue and discussion among writers living in or with deep roots in California and whose work is shaping some of the important concerns of Iranian culture in North America.

There will be informal presentations and discussion about issues such as: Iranian Culture through Fiction; Pressing Issues and Themes for Iranian-American Writers; Politics of Writing/Politics and Writing; Writing and Representation: Identity and Politics of the Iranian Diaspora.

In addition to discussion and audience participation, writers will be available to meet each other, audience members, and to sign books and meet with the press.

For More Information contact:

• Nasrin Rahimieh, Professor UC Irvine, (949) 824-0406, nasrin.rahimieh@uci.edu

• Persis Karim, Professor, San Jose State University, (408) 924-4476, persis.karim@sjsu.edu

• Press Liaison: Homa Sarshar, homasarshar@msn.com
   

FREE and OPEN to the Public.