Poets of Existence In Celebration of International Women’s Day

The Oakland Asian Cultural Center presents

Poets of Existence

In Celebration of International Women’s Day

Deema K. Shehabi, Persis Karim and Shadab Zeest Hashmi

Coming from a multitude of experiences, these poets enrich our existence with the beauty of their words. Please join us for an evening of poetry and music.

Deema K. Shehabi is the author of Thirteen Departures from the Moon and co-editor with Beau Beausoleil of Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here for which she won NCBR's Book Recognition Award. She's also co-author with Marilyn Hacker of the renga sequence Diaspo/Renga.

Persis Karim is the Neda Nobari Chair of the newly-established Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies and a professor in the Comparative and World Literature department at San Francisco State University. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications including Callaloo, The New York Times, Culture Strike, Reed Magazine, and Caesura.

Shadab Zeest Hashmi is a poet and essayist. She is the winner of the San Diego Book Award and the Nazim Hikmet Prize. Her books include Ghazal Cosmopolitan, Kohl and Chalk and Baker of Tarifa.

Accompanied by Musical Guests

Faraz Minooei is a composer and santur player. As a full-time musician, he is a performer, composer, ethno-musicologist and teacher. Recipient of numerous scholarships and grants, he earned his Masters of Fine Arts degree in music with emphasis in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology from the University of California in Irvine.

Hossein Massoudi is a vocalist. Steeped in the folkloric Kurdish vocal tradition of his native Iran, he integrates his love of Persian classical music with his Kurdish roots, resulting in a musicality which is rarely heard.

Free and Open to the Public

Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 Ninth Street Ste 290 Oakland, CA 94607
510 - 637 -0455
http://www.oacc.cc

OACC is supported by the Akonadi Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, City of Oakland, Hewlett Foundation, Asian Pacific Fund, City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program, Comerica Bank, Five Arts Fund, and individual