Fatemeh Keshavarz: The Gender of Persian Poetry

The 55th episode of Parse is an excerpt of a talk given by Fatemeh Keshavarz the potentially undesirable implications of the category “women poets.” in light of the ongoing and extensive current research on Iranian women poets. In this presentation, Kehsavarz discusses the poems of Parvin Etesami, Ahmad Shamlou, Forough Farrokhzad and Simin Behbahani in order to explore the pros and cons of gendering their work. 

Fatemeh Keshavarz-Karamustafa, born and raised in the city of Shiraz, completed her studies in Shiraz University, and University of London. She taught at Washington University in St. Louis for over twenty years where she chaired the Dept. of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from 2004 to 2011. In 2012, Keshavarz joined the University of Maryland as the Roshan Institute Chair in Persian Language and Literature, and Director of the Roshan Institute Center for Persian Studies. 

To watch the full talk, click here: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ8-lT3xE2M&t=1380s⁠