Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian American Writers

by Anita Amirrezvani (Editor), Persis Karim (Editor)

Overview

This groundbreaking anthology brings together twenty-seven authors from a wide range of experiences that offer new perspectives on the Iranian American story. The authors in Tremors represent the maturing voice of Iranian American fiction from the vantage point of those who were born and raised in Iran, as well as those writers who reflect a more distant, but still important, connection to their Iranian heritage. Altogether, these narratives capture the diversity of the Iranian diaspora and complicate the often-narrow view of Iranian culture represented in the media. The stories and novel excerpts explore the deeply human experiences of one of the newest immigrant groups to the United States in its attempts to adjust and assimilate in the face of major historical upheavals such as the 1979 Iranian revolution, the hostage crisis, and the attacks of September 11, 2001. The stories set in Iran testify to the resilience, dignity, and humor of a people rich in history and culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610755191
Publisher:	University of Arkansas Press
Publication date:	02/01/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	360
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Anita Amirrezvani is the author of the novels The Blood of Flowers and Equal of the Sun.

Table of Contents

Contents Introduction I. American HomeLand Other Mothers, Other Sons / Mehdi Tavana Okasi Murder in Holmby Hills (excerpted from 'The Pearl Canon') / Gina Nahai String / Dena Afrasiabi Tremors (excerpted from 'Tremors') / Erika Abrahamian Fixer Karim / Salar Abdoh The Calling / Nahid Rachlin Family Trouble / Taha Ebrahimi Sabzeh (excerpted from 'So Lifts the Eyelid of Life') / Omid Fallahazad Something to Pray For / Persis Karim The Sweet Dry Fruit of the Lotus Tree / J. Kevin Shushtari In the House of Desire, Honey, Marble, and Dreams / Porochista Khakpour The Story of Mehri and the Old Women Who Were Once Young / Laleh Khadivi II. Iran, Land of Resilience The Ascension (Me’raj) / Ari Siletz Excerpt from 'Sky of Red Poppies' / Zohreh Ghahremani White Torture / Farnoosh Moshiri Excerpt from 'Unveiled' / Jasmin Darznik Excerpt from 'Balcony of Desire' / Maryam Mortaz Axing the Horses / Sholeh Wolpé Tehran Party (excerpted from 'Together Tea') / Marjan Kamali A New Assignment (excerpted from 'Equal of the Sun') / Anita Amirrezvani Keeping God (excerpted from an untitled novel) / Shideh Etaat Excerpt from 'Zahra’s Paradise' / Amir and Khalil III. OtherLand The Wizard of Khao-I-Dang / Sharon May Excerpt from 'Say I Am You' / Nassim Assefi The Sleeping / Leila Mansouri The Gingko Trees / Amy Motlagh Everything Gets Mixed Together at the Pueblo / Elizabeth Eslami Acknowledgments List of Contributors

Editorial Reviews

Amirrezvani and Karim present a diverse view of the Iranian-American experience through the stories of 27 authors from a variety of backgrounds in this new anthology. Stories set in Iran reflect the nation's struggles with revolution, protests, and human rights issues, while tales of Iranian immigrants in America depict the challenges of assimilation and generational clashes between traditional and modern values. In Mehdi Tavana Okasi's "Other Mothers, Other Sons," a newly immigrated Iranian woman clings to another Iranian family in the neighborhood despite her concerns about their intentions "as if nostalgia for their shared homeland would curb the vices of human nature." A husband in Porochista Khakpour's "In the House of Desire, Honey, Marble, and Dreams" forbids his wife from leaving the house in Western clothes, leaving their young daughters confused about their new role as Americans. Back in Iran, Farnoosh Moshiri's "White Torture" portrays a woman whose child was taken away in the 1979 revolution. During recent riots over corruption, she writes incendiary slogans on paper money, landing her in a brutal Iranian prison-this is now in Iran? Might specify. Despite their unique circumstances, the characters of each story demonstrate great resilience and pride in the face of their political and cultural challenges.
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Publishers Weekly

"A diverse view of the Iranian-American experience...the characters in each story demonstrate great resilience and pride in the face of their political and cultural challenges." —Publishers Weekly, 2/18/13


"This marvelous anthology celebrates something far beyond arrival for Iranian-American writing, introducing a chorus of voices with an exceptionally broad range of experience and stylistic mastery. Tremors shakes up any easy assumptions that the reader may hold about Iran, and claims a new territory in the global landscape of literature." —Zara Houshmand, author of A Mirror Garden


"A stunning and important collection of modern Iranian-American fiction, Tremors is a must read for anyone who seeks to see beyond the headlines. And dare I say, that should be everyone." —Melody Moezzi, award-winning author and activist


“This anthology gives us access to a world that has been largely invisible to Americans, but, more than that, it opens up to us an extraordinary range of voices and talents and makes it clear that as Iranian and American culture come to terms with, and begin to understand, one another, an exciting, high-quality literature is being born.”
—Harvard Review

From the Publisher