Veils and Words: The Emerging Voices of Iranian Women Writers (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East)

'There are no walls around the house here.' I wrote in my diary, in an entry dated December 24, 1967. This was a few days after my arrival in America. It took me years to realize that in America other kinds of walls, mainly invisible, existed. I had to learn about their presence, respect their sovereignty, abide by their rules. I could not neglect them, trespass them. I could not disregard them. This meant not only learning the English language but also mastering the metalanguage, the verbal and nonverbal codes of interactions, the different systems and styles of communication. Library Journal Traditionally, Iranian women have been veiled from public view and constrained from public expression. Milani illustrates that in Iran the 19th-century movement to unveil was closely linked to women's emergence as literary figures. This, the first work devoted to the rich literature of the female writers of Iran, is itself an example of great literature from an Iranian female writer. With poetic insight, Milani dis cusses the themes of disclosure and secrecy that have delineated the Iranian woman's universe and characterized her expression. Highly recommended for all literature, anthropology, and women's studies collections.-- Paula I. Nielson, Loyola Marymount Univ. Lib., Los Angeles Frontmatter A Note on Transliteration (page viii) Preface (page xi) Acknowledgments (page xvii) 1. A Walled Society (page 1) PART ONE Tradition: Wearing the Veil 2. The Concept of Veiling (page 19) 3. The Perils of Writing (page 46) PART TWO From Tahereh to Tahereh: The Poets 4. Becoming a Presence: Tahereh Qorratol'Ayn (page 77) 5. Revealing and Concealing: Parvin E'tessami (page 100) 6. Unveiling the Other: Forugh Farrokhzad (page 127) 7. Negotiating Boundaries: Tahereh Saffarzadeh (page 153) PART THREE Shaherzad's Daughters: The Storytellers 8. Overcoming the Blank Page (page 177) 9. Disclosing the Self: Autobiography (page 201) PART FOUR Voices Through the Veil 10. The Birth of Neotraditional Feminism (page 231) Notes (page 241) Works Cited (page 271) Index (page 285) "From Library Journal : Traditionally, Iranian women have been veiled from public view and constrained from public expression. Milani illustrates that in Iran the 19th-century movement to unveil was closely linked to women's emergence as literary figures. This, the first work devoted to the rich literature of the female writers of Iran, is itself an example of great literature from an Iranian female writer. With poetic insight, Milani dis cusses the themes of disclosure and secrecy that have delineated the Iranian woman's universe and characterized her expression. Highly recommended for all literature, anthropology, and women's studies collections."--Amazon.ca Tradition: Wearing The Veil. The Concept Of Veiling. -the Perils Of Writing. -from Tahereh To Tahereh: The Poets. -shaherzad's Daughters: The Storytellers. -voices Through The Veil. The Birth Of Neotraditional Feminism. Farzaneh Milani. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 271-283) And Index.