Welcome to Litsy!

"Forgive her.
Sometimes she forgets
she is painfully the same
as stagnant water,
hollow ditches,
foolishly imagines
she has a right to exist.
...
Forgive
this woman who's crumbling inside,
but whose eyelids tingle still with dreams of light,
whose useless hair still quivers hopelessly,
infiltrated by love's breath."

- Forgive Her

I loved this book, but it is a bleak view of a life lived under the oppression of family, marriage and society. Farrokhzad doesn't flinch from her despair, and it feels sad to see her image reflected in the distorting mirror of her depression.
There is beautiful imagery in Wolpรฉ's translation of Farrokhzad's poems, and useful contextual information about Forugh's life and contemporary Iranian history and society. ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

"Perhaps life is a choked moment where my gaze
annihilates itself inside the pupil of your eyes"
- Reborn

Scott Walker's four eponymous albums seemed the perfect soundtrack to Farrokhzad's poems: both contain intensely emotional stories of fractured love, intense longing & alienation, shifting into social and political commentary. Then, the magical synchronicity of reading these words by the poet whilst listening to this album by the musician ?

โ€œWhat matters, is to cultivate and nourish one's own positive characteristics until one reaches a level worthy of being a human.โ€

I did not know about the Iranian poet, Forough Farrokhzad until @GatheringBooks posted a read along chat for this book. She was a modernist, living in a country where women were subjugated by men. She chose to rebel and live the life that she imagined for herself. Her feminist poetry is bold and at times erotic. Unfortunately, she died in a car accident at 32. The poems were translated from Farsi, and the translator‘s notes are most helpful.

#WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong Chat for our February title | Discussion Q2. This is the final Q. I first learned about Farrokhzad through her translator, Iranian American Poet Sholeh Wolpe who was one of the speakers for the Singapore Writers Festival back in 2017, I think. I was entranced by her and equally moved by her reading aloud from Farrokhzad‘s poems that she translated as seen in the images above which I have taken.

#WomenReadWomen2019 February ReadAlong Chat is here!!! Since I am traveling the entire day (off to Sydney!), I thought I better post this before my morning flight and I become incommunicado. Tagging those who have expressed interest to join us. If you are not tagged, but would like to weigh in anyway, would be happy to hear your thoughts. Would be responding quite late though as travel time is eight hours!! Posting last discussion Q in a bit.

The Bird Shall One Day Die
By Forugh Farrokhzad

โ€œI go to the balcony,
caress the taut skin of night.โ€

Just two lines, but their magic transports me to a world of dreams.

#poemsbeforephones #womenreadwomen2019

Reborn
By Forugh Farrokhzad

โ€œIn a room the size of loneliness,
My heart‘s the size of love.
It contemplates its simple pretexts for happiness:
the beauty of the flowers‘ wilting in a vase,
the sapling you planted in our garden,
and the canaries‘ song-the size of a window.โ€

#poemsbeforephones
#womenreadwomen2019

Repost for @GatheringBooks :
Just a quick check in that our #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong Chat is scheduled at the end of the month. Have you found a copy of the book yet? Do let me know if you want to be tagged for this, or if you are not able to join us for the chat. ๐Ÿงš๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ’• I finished reading the book and excited to discuss this with you all!

Just a quick check in that our #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong Chat is scheduled at the end of the month. Have you found a copy of the book yet? Do let me know if you want to be tagged for this, or if you are not able to join us for the chat. ๐Ÿงš๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ’• I finished reading the book and excited to discuss this with you all!

The Bird, Was Just A Bird
By Forugh Farrokhzad

โ€œThe bird chirped: what sunshine!
Ah, what aroma! Spring has come
And I must seek my mate...

The bird unfolded off the ledge
into the air like a flown message.โ€

#poemsbeforephones
#womenreadwomen2019

The Sun Rises
By Furugh Farrukhzad

โ€œLook how night along our path
melts like wax in drops, in drops,
my dark eyes drink sleep‘s wine
from your cup of lullabies.
Upon the cradles of my poetry
You waft your breath and look,
the sunrise floods us with light.โ€

#poemsbeforephones #womenreadwomen2019

Those Days
By Forugh Farrrokhzad

โ€œThose days are gone,
those silent snowy days when from inside
a warm room I kept watch over snow
-my unsullied snow-
descending like old lint upon an old wooden ladder,
the clothesline‘s slack rope,and the old pine‘s fur;
and I thought of tomorrow-
tomorrow...that slippery mass of white.โ€

New book. #poemsbeforephones #womenreadwomen2019

Repost for @GatheringBooks :
For those who are joining us for the #WomenReadWomen2019 Read Along Chat, here is our schedule for February and March. Do let me know if you want to join our discussion and you wish me to tag you. I already finished Farrokhzad‘s โ€œSinโ€ (from Iran) and can‘t wait to discuss it with fellow readers of women authors. Book for March is from the Philippines. We are committed to reading women from around the world. ๐Ÿงš๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ’•

Visit @GatheringBooks if you are interested in #womenreadwomen2019 .

For those who are joining us for the #WomenReadWomen2019 Read Along Chat, here is our schedule for February and March. Do let me know if you want to join our discussion and you wish me to tag you. I already finished Farrokhzad‘s โ€œSinโ€ (from Iran) and can‘t wait to discuss it with fellow readers of women authors. Book for March is from the Philippines. We are committed to reading women from around the world. ๐Ÿงš๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ’•

Repost for @GatheringBooks :
Our #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong book in Feb is Farrokhzad‘s โ€œSin.โ€ I learned about this Iranian poet through her translator, Iranian-American Sholeh Wolpe, a veritable enchantress, who graced the Singapore Writers Festival 2 years ago. I am intrigued by Farrokhzad who apparently pushed the boundaries of acceptability through her verse in 1950/1960 Iran. ReadAlong chat is scheduled on 28 Feb 2019. Join us! ๐Ÿงš๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ’•

Sinful Poetry paired with Thai coconut ice cream with palm seed and green apple jelly topping with a smattering of coconut flakes. Sinfully refreshing indeed. Made possible only in tropical countries. #WomenReadWomen2019.

I have my munchies, my drink, and my books. Gearing up for what‘s left of my Sunday to do some #24in48 #readathon. Both books perfect for our #WomenReadWomen2019 theme.

Our #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong book in February is Farrokhzad‘s โ€œSin.โ€ I learned about this Iranian poet through her translator, Iranian-American Sholeh Wolpe, a veritable enchantress, who graced the Singapore Writers Festival two years ago. I am intrigued by Forugh Farrokhzad who apparently pushed the boundaries of acceptability through her verse in 1950/1960 Iran. ReadAlong chat is scheduled on 28 February 2019. Do join us! ๐Ÿงš๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ’•

#ReadingResolutions Day 7: My #WomanCrushWed is Iranian-American poet and novelist Sholeh Wolpe who translated so many amazing Iranian poets in English. To say that she was riveting and absolutely breathtaking during the #SingaporeWritersFestival last year would be an understatement.

Finally picked up a copy of some of Forugh Farrokhzad's poetry from the library. I've read ABOUT her in Azar Nafisi's and Dina Nayeri's books. #Iran #Iranianwriters #Iranianfeminists #feministpoetry #poetry #azarnafisi #dinanayeri #forughfarrokhzad

Feb. 14 - "Reborn" (translated) #LitsyPoetry365