The Pearl of Dari takes us into the heart of Afghan refugee life in the Islamic Republic of Iran through a rich ethnographic portrait of the circle of poets and intellectuals who make up the Pearl of Dari cultural organization. Dari is the name by which the Persian language is known in Afghanistan. Afghan immigrants in Iran, refugees from the Soviet war in Afghanistan, are marginalized and restricted to menial jobs and lower-income neighborhoods. Ambitious and creative refugee youth have taken to writing poetry to tell their story as a group and to improve their prospects for a better life. At the same time, they are altering the ancient tradition of Persian love poetry by promoting greater individualism in realms such as gender and marriage. Zuzanna Olszewska offers compelling insights into the social life of poetry in an urban, Middle Eastern setting largely unknown in the West.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Indiana University Press
ISBN-13
9780253017604
eBay Product ID (ePID)
221050412
Product Key Features
Author
Zuzanna Olszewska
Publication Name
The Pearl of Dari: Poetry and Personhood Among Young Afghans in Iran
Format
Paperback
Language
English
Subject
Anthropology, History
Publication Year
2015
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
280 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
229mm
Item Width
152mm
Item Weight
372g
Additional Product Features
Title_Author
Zuzanna Olszewska
Series Title
Public Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa