Monday, May 18, 2009

Summer Planning!

Today is one of those rare days that the air conditioning system in the Fine Arts Library is working in a desirable temperature, consistent with my mood. I am here trying to figure out what books I need to keep for the summer. I finished the semester by handing in all my papers last week and now I am planning for the summer. My mind tries very hard to block the depressing thought that I perhaps won’t see my family this summer; as far as my eyes are concerned my mind is not successful at all.

I will continue writing for Peyk newsletter. My latest column was on early photography in Iran inspired by a class I took this semester on Early Photography. The piece is a public introduction to amazing photographs of an often-unnoticed photographer, Antoin Sevruguin. You can check the PDF version of the piece on Peyk 121 English section.

Have you seen any interesting films recently? I hope to have a more active film life in the summer. No certain plans yet, but two movies per week is a start.

I will take two summer sessions of French; the registration will open again on May 26th. I have to be careful with the deadline; I’ve already missed an early registration. This is basically the only thing I am sure I will do.

The rest of my plans like many other times are more of a ‘Wish List’ rather than an organized schedule that one can follow and put check marks next to the tasks that are done. I am going to keep the wish list unpublished for the time being.


Just to make this post a bit interesting: I finally had the chance to visit Driscoll Villa at Laguna Gloria (AMOA). I had two failed attempts before, I got there every time when they were closing the villa. But this Sunday it was like magic. I made friends with the nicest lady one can imagine and she let me in for 10min. I will visit the villa again. She promised to tell me many interesting stories about Clara Driscoll.


Beverly Penn, Genius Loci: Villa (detail), 2007
Bronze, 72 x 72 X 12 inches




Friday, May 01, 2009

That familiar line between your eyebrows!


Sunlight danced on your ebony hair,
Hiding the familiar line between your eyebrows

I missed you to the light,
Frightened by the sight,
I heard him calling your name.

He called,
You turned,
And from the distance between you and him
A scent swung about my dream,
And I knew at once; this is you!

Did I miss another May Day with you?
Did you fill the trunk of the car with carnation flowers today?

The sun gets brighter, I ask you to take me with you,
But the shinny glass that separated us for many painful years is thick,
You don’t hear me,

The light is gone,
You are gone,
I am here with a trunk full of carnation flowers!




* To my parents: Happy Anniversary!
* To you all, Happy May Day! Happy International Workers Day!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Fabricated Happiness

A good day with a tiring end, like many other days! There was a time when I underestimated the concept of Happy Ending; but no more. I need happy endings even the fake and fabricated ones!

Not in a good shape art-wise; I've missed some exciting exhibitions. But from an academic angle I am happy with the way my papers are progressing. Two presentations are over; the third one is due next week. Then I have to finish my papers before May 15th. So far this semester was a busy and good one. I am thinking of taking a French course during the summer, but haven't done anything about it yet.

Just came across this video on YouTube; it sort of rhymes with my mood at the moment. For the first time perhaps in many years I am not happy with an ambiguous ending; I want a happy one!




Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Post-it Note

In a post-it format: thins on my mind these days:
  • Iran's coming presidential election.
  • Schoolwork and my three papers: ‘The idea of Round City: Firouzabad & Baghdad’, ‘Léger in 1950s and the notion of New Reality’ and ‘Portraits & Mud-bricks: Antoin Sevruguin photography’. Don't know if I make it to the end of May.
  • Mehregan, ah, Mehregan! And another damned summer far away from home, mom, dad and Mehregan.
  • My film life and Tameshk Film Club.
  • A Personal note: me and string !

The circular plan, Firouzabad, (image source)



Saturday, April 04, 2009

The Short Walk!

The walk was short for a journey across the Atlantic!

Those we passed by,
Those who passed us by,
Blooming fields,
People,
Your agony
And me!

For so long I have wondered what was the name of that scentless flower?
The one I imagined, wrote, erased, re-imagined and rewrote
For so long!

The flower, that was once there,
The one I thought was a sign,
Now a scentless, nameless image!

The walk was short for this journey!