Jasmine and Stars : Reading More Than Lolita in Tehran

In a direct, frank, and intimate exploration of Iranian literature and society, scholar, teacher, and poet Fatemeh Keshavarz challenges popular perceptions of Iran as a society bereft of vitality and joy.

Her fresh perspective on present day Iran provides a rare insight into this rich culture alive with artistic expression but virtually unknown to most Americans.

She warns against the rise of what she calls the aNew Orientalist narrative, a which thrives on stereotype and prejudice and is often tied to current geopolitical conflict rather than an understanding of Iran.

She offers a lively critique of the recent best-seller Reading Lolita in Tehran, which she says epitomizes this New Orientalist attitude.

Blending in firsthand glimpses of her own life Keshavarz paints a portrait of Iran depicting both cultural depth and intellectual complexity