Shame, Stigma and Sin: From Tahirih, to Forugh, to Us

Sholeh Wolpé is an Iranian-bon poet, playwright and librettist. About her poems, the Poetry Foundation writes, “Wolpé’s concise, unflinching, and often wry free verse explores violence, culture, and gender.” Named a “2020-2021 Cultural Trailblazer” by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Wolpéis the recipient of the 2014 PEN/Heim, 2013 Midwest Book Award, 2010 Lois Roth Persian Translation prize as well as artist fellowships and residencies in the U.S., Mexico, Spain, Australia, and Switzerland.

In this webinar, Wolpéwill discuss aspects of the political and social consequences of Tahirih and Forugh’s physical, spiritual, and emotional expressions of intimacy and their far-reaching effect on the subsequent generations of female Iranian-born poets, including herself.