For more than a century Iran’s social, political, and cultural history has been defined by a struggle toward or away from modernity. In this book Talatoff makes a compelling argument that, despite revolutionary upheaval, the ideals of modernity remain remote due to the absence of a modern notion of sexuality. He illustrates his assertion through the life of Shahrzad, a celebrated stage and screen actress, dancer, journalist, and published poet who eventually became imprisoned and later homeless in the streets of Tehran. Tracing her career along with other pre-revolutionary women artists, Talatoff explores the relationship between gender, sexuality, media, and modernity in Iran.
Kamran Talattof is professor of Persian and Iranian studies at the University of Arizona. He is the author, coauthor, and coeditor of numerous books and articles. Among his publications are The Politics of Writing in Iran: A History of Modern Persian Literature and the coedited book The Poetry of Nizami Ganjavi: Knowledge, Love, and Rhetoric.
June 2011
