Simorgh

Bol

Simorgh: Portraits on My Mind is one of Abbas Milani's most self-reflective and engaging books, namedafter the fabulous bird in Iranian mythology and poetry that personifiesthe quest for knowledge, solace, and self-discovery.The rise of the Islamic regime in Iran following the revolution of 1979marked an era of cataclysmic change, accompanied by myriadconspiracy theories about its origins. The portraits presented in Simorgh,each a cross between a brief essay and a short story, explore thelives and loves, youthful illusions and utopian dreams, the harrowingexperiences of prison and exile, and the diasporic accomplishmentsand exilic traumas of individuals who either actively or inadvertentlypaved the way for the revolution - or whose lives were crushed by thenightmarish reality of contemporary Iran.The subjects of these portraits, all contemporaries of Milani, includesome of Iran's most renowned writers, politicians, scholars, and activists,alongside friends and family members who act as a poignant chorus tothe unfolding saga. Abbas Milani, who lived and worked in Iran until 1987and was deeply embedded in the crosscurrents of these lives, o ers anintimate perspective on their stories. Together, these portraits weave acohesive narrative, creating a cumulative e ect that is both profoundand compelling.Abbas Milani has served as the founding director ofthe Iranian Studies Program at Stanford University since2005. His extensive body of work includes The PersianSphinx: Amir-Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of theRevolution and The Shah. He is currently working on abook about Reza Shah. Simorgh, originally written andpublished in two volumes in Persian has been masterfullytranslated into English by Mahasti Afshar.Engaging and insightful, Simorgh is Milani at his best and will enthrall boththose new to his work and those already familiar with it.

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Pages: 488, Hardcover, Mage Publishers