——————–
Yes, this is exactly what you think it is—the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam penned from the point of view of a kitten. It was written and illustrated by America’s foremost Kitten humourist of the time, Oliver Herford, whom you may recognize from his other titles such as A Kitten’s Garden of Verses and More Animals.
Quatrain from Khayyam’s Rubaiyat:
And fear not lest Existence closing your
Account, and mine, should know the like no more;
The Eternal Saki from that Bowl has pour’d
Millions of Bubbles like us, and will pour.
Quatrain from Herford’s Rubaiyat:
And fear not lest Existence shut the Door
On You and Me, to open it no more.
The Cream of Life from out your Bowl shall pour
Nine times—ere it lie broken on the floor.
——————–
Download e-book from Project Gutenberg
——————
Read more about this and other politically motivated childen’s books in Niloofar Mahdian’s (of the Children’s Book Council of Iran) presentation of her paper Children’s Literature in a Revolutionary Era.
Softcore by Tirdad Zolghadr
The first novel from curator/writer Tirdad Zolghadr published by Telegram Books, London.
——–
“San, a self-proclaimed beatnik and Yale art graduate, is back in his native Tehran. With the financial support of his best friend Stella, he’s reopening Aunt Zsa Zsa’s infamous cocktail bar, The Promessa.
Arrested while photographing a kitsch flower display in front of the Revolutionary Courthouse, San is forced to sign up as a secret agent. He straddles the worlds of art and espionage with panache in this frenetic tour of modern Tehran, where conspiracy theories flourish and fashion rubs shoulders with the shrinking world of politics.”
Tirgan Festival July 17 - 20, 2008 — Harbourfront Centre
Three day Persian cultural festival featuring the likes of Mohammad Reza Lotfi (above video) from music, Dariush Mehruji, Abbas Kiarostami and Rakhshan Bani-Etemad from cinema, Morteza Momayez and Farshid Meshghali from design, Aydin Aghdashloo from the arts and many many more. Most events are free!
