750 S. Spaulding Ave., Suite 112
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Essays, Manifestos, Statements, Speeches, Maxims, Epistles, Diaristic Jottings, Narratives, Natural histories, Poems, Plays, Performances, Ramblings, Revelations, and all such ephemera as may appear necessary to bring society into a slight tremolo of confusion and fright at least.

PIP Biographies

Forugh Farrokhzad

[Iran]

1935-1967

One of the major poets of Iran, Forugh Farrokhzad attended school in Tehran without finishing her diploma. At sixteen she was unhappily married, and was soon divorced, giving birth to a son, who remained the custody of her husband.

Writing poetry since the age of fourteen, Farrokhzad concentrated on her art, traveling to Italy, Germany, and England, which, in turn, highly influenced her work. She also turned to film-making, producing a documentary for UNESCO in 1965.

Her first collection of poetry, Asir (The Captive) appeared in 1952, and she used that title also for her second collection of 1955. This second collection made her the topic of great scandal through Iran, since as a woman she wrote freely about sensuality and love. Over the next several years she produced further volumes, Divar (The Wail) in 1956, 'Osyan (The Rebellion) in 1968; and Tavvalod-e degar (Another Birth) in 1964. The last volume has been translated into English.

In 1967 Farrokhzad was killed in an automobile accident.

BOOKS OF POETRY:

Asir (1952); Asir (1955); Divar (1956); 'Osyan (1958); Tavvalod-e degar (1964)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS:

Bride of Acacias: Selected Poems of Forugh Farrokhzad , trans. by Jascha Kessler with Amin Banani, with an Introduction by Amin Banani and Afterword by Farzaneh Milani (Delmar, New York: Caravan Books, 1982); Selections in Literature East & West, Volume 24 (1987).

[Reprinted from Douglas Messerli, ed., The PIP Anthology of World Poetry of the 20 th Century, Volume 2 ]
Copyright © 2001 by Douglas Messerli and Green Integer.