Another Birth

"Farzaneh Milani sensitively investigates the complex social, psychological, and artistic nature of one of Iran’s monumental figures of contemporary literature. Another Birth offers a mesmerizing and profound new insight into the tragically short life of a poet whose imagination seemed to transcend the boundaries of her culture and her time and whose voice remains remarkably relevant and universal across generations and borders." -- Shirin Neshat, visual artist and filmmaker
"This outstanding biography opens onto new worlds through the short but vivid life of Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad. Farzaneh Milani makes a strong case that in part through Farrokhzad’s life and work, woman have been central to all change in modern Iran. This is a compelling story, beautifully told." -- Mary V. Dearborn, author of Carson McCullers: A Life
"Iconoclast, firebrand, lover—the Forugh Farrokhzad who emerges in these scintillating pages is a poet of unconstrained thought, impassioned words, and daring deeds. Farzaneh Milani’s eloquent study is grounded in assiduous research, yet courageous and imaginative. It makes for a gripping and engrossing read." -- Jahan Ramazani, University of Virginia
"Not simply a superb biographical study, Another Birth is a literary work in its own right, deftly structured, beautifully written, and carefully translated by Mariam Rahmani. With a balanced eye, astute scholarship, and deep compassion, Farzaneh Milani has brought this brilliant artist to life, free of the sensationalism and political bias with which her story is often told." -- Elizabeth T. Gray, Jr., translator of Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season: Selected Poems
"For a society that reveres poets the way other cultures celebrate saints or rock stars, it’s now impossible to talk about the greats of Persian poetry—Ferdowsi, Attar, Rumi, Hafez, and Sadi—without adding Farrokhzad to the list. Another Birth: The Life and Legacy of Forugh Farrokhzad, smartly edited and translated by Mariam Rahmani, makes clear the reason why: Farough Farrokhzad’s poetry and life raise an enduring cry for liberation and change." -- Douglas Unger, author of Leaving the Land and Dream City
"This first English-language biography of Forugh Farrokhzad, an Iranian poet who defied societal and gender norms and forged new models for women’s poetic expression, is based on the original Persian by Farzaneh Milani, a pioneering scholar who introduced Farrokhzad into the pantheon of modern Persian poetry. Superbly cast into English by Mariam Rahmani, a gifted translator, novelist, and scholar, this extraordinary biography draws on letters, interviews, and Farrokhzad’s poetry to tap into her tumultuous life and inimitable creativity." -- Nasrin Rahimieh, Howard Baskerville Professor of Humanities in the Department of Comparative Literature at UC Irvine
"A riveting portrait of a woman who dared to speak openly of female desire, sexuality, and subjugation decades before the Islamic Republic—a book as urgent and electrifying as Farrokhzad herself." -- Ali Behdad, John Charles Hillis Chair in Literature and Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA