Iran Awakening – BookTalk at BSC – March 7

BookTalk at BSC 2010 continues with discussion of Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi on Sunday, March 7, from 1 to 3 p.m.,  at the BSC Library.  Dr. Daphne Ghorbani, Assistant Professor and Secondary Education Program Coordinator at the University of Mary, will lead the discussion.

About the Book and the Author

Iran Awakening: One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country is both a memoir and an insider’s account of the history of post-revolutionary Iran.  The book was written by Shirin Ebadi, the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.  Ebadi earned a law degree at the University of Tehran and became Iran’s first female judge.  After the Islamic Revolution, she lost her judgeship.  Islamic clerics called women “too emotional” to hold a high ranking position in the judicial system.  Rather than leave the country like so many of her contemporaries and colleagues, Ebadi chose to stay and work from within as a human rights lawyer battling for justice in Iran’s revolutionary court.  She won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in this arena.  Time Magazine named Ebadi one of 2004’s top 100 most influential people.

Iran Awakening can be purchased from local booksellers or checked out from local libraries.  BookTalk at BSC discussions are free and open to all.  Refreshments will be served.

BookTalk at BSC is supported by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.

BookTalk at BSC – The Bathhouse

BookTalk at BSC 2010 continues with discussion of The Bathhouse by Farnoosh Moshiri on Sunday, February 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the BSC Library.  Suzanne Kramer-Brenna, BSC English adjunct instructor and NDCAWS staff member, will lead the discussion.

About the Book

The Bathhouse won the Black Heron Press Award for Social Fiction and is based on interviews with Iranian women who were imprisoned in the early days of the Islamic revolution.  The story’s central character is a 17-year-old girl, arrested and imprisoned because of her brother’s involvement with leftist politics.  In a starred review, Booklist said, “Written with the simple authority of an oral deposition, packing the punch of All Quiet on the Western Front, this is a gripping, harrowing story of personal courage and endurance.”

The Bathhouse can be purchased from local booksellers or checked out from local libraries.  BookTalk at BSC discussions are free and open to all.   BookTalk at BSC is supported by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.

“Strange Times, My Dear” – BookTalk at BSC 2010

BookTalk at BSC 2010 will focus on Iran.  With Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi as the Campus Read selection, Roxana Saberi visiting campus on April 20, 2010, and Iran being so much in the news, it seems appropriate to learn more about this country.

“Strange Times, My Dear”

The theme, “Strange Times, My Dear,” is inspired by Ahmad Shamlu’s poem, “In This Blind Alley,” which was written in response to the Islamic revolution.  Each stanza ends with the line, “Strange times, my dear.”

The Books & the Discussions

BookTalk discussions will be held at the BSC Library from 1 to 3 p.m. and are free and open to all.  The books can be borrowed from libraries or purchased from local booksellers.

Caspian Rain: a Novel by Gina B. Nahai                                                       

Sunday, January 10, 2010 — Discussion leader: Arlene Gray

Caspian Rain received rave reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.  Publishers Weekly said, “… Nahai explores the struggles of an Iranian family in the tenuous decade before the Islamic revolution … a poignant tale of a ‘damaged family.'”

The Bathhouse by Farnoosh Moshiri                                                               

Sunday, February 7, 2010 — Discussion leader: Suzanne Kramer-Brenna

The Bathhouse won the Black Heron Press Award for Social Fiction and is based on interviews with Iranian women who were imprisoned in the early days of the Islamic revolution.  The story’s central character is a 17-year-old girl, arrested and imprisoned because of her brother’s involvement with leftist politics.  In a starred review, Booklist said, “Written with the simple authority of an oral deposition, packing the punch of All Quiet on the Western Front, this is a gripping, harrowing story of personal courage and endurance.”

Iran Awakening: One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country by Shirin Ebadi       

Sunday, March 7, 2010 — Discussion leader: Dr. Daphne Ghorbani

This book is a memoir by Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.  Ebadi was a judge in Iran until the Islamic Revolution forced her demotion.  Unlike many of her contemporaries, Ebadi chose to stay in Iran and work from within for human rights in fundamentalist Iran.   

BookTalk is funded by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.

It’s Going to Be a Great Year!

The BSC Library is a happening place!  Stay tuned for more details about:

• Upcoming changes to the look of the ODIN catalog and our databases page
• Serving as the campus open lab on Sundays
• 2009 Campus Read of Persepolis and BookTalk at BSC 2010
• Enhancements to the Gannon Gallery
• Official unveiling of our TR Kiosk on October 11