Let Me Tell You Where I've Been
A Review of an Anthology Written by Women of the Iranian Diaspora
Aug 19, 2007
In Post 9/11 times, the international relationship between the United States and Iran is apprehensive. Many misconceptions about the culture, its people, and the politics run high through American media intervention. With the current state of affairs, it is easy to become misinformed, misled, or simply no longer care about other cultures. In politics, the abuse of language is the rhetoric politicians use to advance their agendas leaving behind the people-the rich cultures. In Iran’s case, history has been forgotten and transformed into what a politician said in a speech one night with dire ramifications. Now, future generations are trying to reclaim their roots, discover their past, and build a more peaceful future.
One channel which always surpasses unnecessary propaganda, misinformation, and brings about coherency and even beauty is literature. Persis Karim, an associate professor at San Jose State University was troubled by the political turbulence. In particular, the “axis of evil” began a flurry of creative thought. In her latest anthology, Let Me Tell You Where I’ve Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora is a collection of passionate pieces portraying the many facets of Persian culture. Women writers gathered and wanted to write their lives, not only as the West had perceived them.
In her anthology, Karim chose over fifty authors, some better known than others. Over two-thirds of the selections were previously unpublished. There are over one-hundred pieces, each remarkable in their own right. They run the gamut from poetry, short stories, and nonfiction. The powerful words strike a chord with all readers. The authors write on topics familiar to all human beings. Some authors include Firoozeh Dumas, Azadeh Moaveni, Sanaz Nikaein and Farnaz Fatemi to name a few. Their words are articulate and intelligent; exuberantly kind, sensitive, and expressive.
The book is subdivided into six sections: Home Stories, For Tradition, Woman’s Duty, Axis of Evil, Beyond, and Tales Left Untold. Within each section, the authors have contributed poems, short stories, and nonfiction to delineate the cross between cultural and sexual identities, love, sexuality, traditions, failing of societal impositions, politics, gender disparities, and painful reticence.
This is an anthology about humanity. Karim has created an amazing collection which embraces language, culture, and spirit. All the authors exemplify the multifaceted nature and contradictions in Persian culture. Each page offers a new gift, each written with a learned hand, and to be savored. The fragrance, contradictions and complexities of Let Me Tell You Where I’ve Been last long after the last page.
Persis Karim is an associate professor of English and creative writing at San Jose State University. She edited A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans.
