Alwan for the Arts Presents

Poetry and Music from the Axis of Evil

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 7:00 PM $10 suggested sliding-scale, no one turned away

This is the season of despair, this the season of longing. This is the season of the cage and the season of the noose. But this too the season of passion, the season of compassion, the season of resistance. In an age of war, let poetry and music give voice to hope, peace, justice and love. Come out and listen to musicians and singers, and to performers reciting iconic, classical, contemporary, and radical poetry from the Axis (and near-Axis) of Evil in the original Arabic, Persian, Korean, and Urdu along with English translations.

PERFORMERS

Poetry: Dalia Basiouny is an Egyptian Theatre director and academic who is writing a Ph.D. on Arab American Women theatre at CUNY Grad Center.

Hossam Fahr is an Egyptian writer and interpreter. He has published three collections of short stories and a novel in Egypt. His fifth book is due to come out in Cairo this month. He lives in New York with his family.

Ali Mir is the co-author of “Anthems of Resistance,” a book about the Urdu poetry of the Progressive Writers’ Movement.

Iraj Anvar, is the translator and editor of the ground-breaking book of the poetry of Jalal al Din Rumi, “Divani-i Shams-i Tabriz: Forty Eight Ghazals of Rumi.” A leading member of the theater community in Iran until his departure in 1978, Dr. Anvar has taught for many years at NYU and has led the New York Ava Ensemble, dedicated to performing classical Persian poetry.

Sok-Min Seo is a Korean-American who lives and works in New York City.

Music: Tareq Abboushi (Buzuq) Taoufiq Ben Amor (Vocals, Oud, Daf) Hedayat Shafei (Tar)

Sponsored by Action Wednesdays Against the War. The Action Wednesdays Against War collective has, over the past year, organized events and actions related to the immigrant rights struggle in the U.S., the war in Iraq and the threats of war against Iran, domestic detentions, deportations, and torture, and the current U.S.-supported Israeli siege in Palestine and Lebanon. To contact us email: actionwednesday@gmail.com

Last updated: 2007-09-20 08:03:08