Reviews for Where You Stand Is Where You Sit: An Academic Administrator's Handbook

The average rating for Where You Stand Is Where You Sit: An Academic Administrator's Handbook based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-10-30 00:00:00 Sheryl Mazzocchi This collection of 87 poems and stories by 50 different women presents a more unified picture of Iranian women living outside of Iran than one might think. I would suggest jumping right into the selections themselves and saving the scholarly Foreword and Introduction until afterwards. The poems and stories are interspersed thematically. They show a wide range of experiences, from newly arriving in the U.S. or Europe, to returning to Iran after many years living abroad, to going to Iranian parents’ homeland for the first time. One particularly moving story is by a woman who came to the States as a young child, had a wonderful experience for years with her classmates and their parents, but then saw a 180-degree change in the American attitude towards her and her family after 9-11. The poems are pleasantly accessible. In one, a girl watches as her homesick parents show slides of their happy youth in Iran. In another, a girl who grew up in America while Iran was at war with Iraq finds herself in Iran for the first time and begins, “I am Iranian/until I open my mouth. Then/I am American.” It is fortunate that Persis Karim has preserved (and written some of) these works. In an online Doreh-e-Ketab book discussion, she pointed out that they were written 13 or more years ago. Only a few of the women have become recognized authors today. Many are no longer writing. This is a shame, but at least these works of theirs are still available to touch us.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-05-29 00:00:00 Randy Schaefer In Post 9/11 times, the international relationship between the United States and Iran is apprehensive. Many misconceptions about the culture, its people, and the politics run high through American media intervention. With the current state of affairs, it is easy to become misinformed, misled, or simply no longer care about other cultures. In politics, the abuse of language is the rhetoric politicians use to advance their agendas leaving behind the people-the rich cultures. In Iran’s case, history has been forgotten and transformed into what a politician said in a speech one night with dire ramifications. Now, future generations are trying to reclaim their roots, discover their past, and build a more peaceful future.One channel which always surpasses unnecessary propaganda, misinformation, and brings about coherency and even beauty is literature. Persis Karim, an associate professor at San Jose State University was troubled by the political turbulence. In particular, the “axis of evil” began a flurry of creative thought. In her latest anthology, Let Me Tell You Where I’ve Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora is a collection of passionate pieces portraying the many facets of Persian culture. Women writers gathered and wanted to write their lives, not only as the West had perceived them. In her anthology, Karim chose over fifty authors, some better known than others. Over two-thirds of the selections were previously unpublished. There are over one-hundred pieces, each remarkable in their own right. They run the gamut from poetry, short stories, and nonfiction. The powerful words strike a chord with all readers. The authors write on topics familiar to all human beings. Some authors include Firoozeh Dumas, Azadeh Moaveni, Sanaz Nikaein and Farnaz Fatemi to name a few. Their words are articulate and intelligent; exuberantly kind, sensitive, and expressive. The book is subdivided into six sections: Home Stories, For Tradition, Woman’s Duty, Axis of Evil, Beyond, and Tales Left Untold. Within each section, the authors have contributed poems, short stories, and nonfiction to delineate the cross between cultural and sexual identities, love, sexuality, traditions, failing of societal impositions, politics, gender disparities, and painful reticence. This is an anthology about humanity. Karim has created an amazing collection which embraces language, culture, and spirit. All the authors exemplify the multifaceted nature and contradictions in Persian culture. Each page offers a new gift, each written with a learned hand, and to be savored. The fragrance, contradictions and complexities of Let Me Tell You Where I’ve Been linger long after the last page. Persis Karim is an associate professor of English and creative writing at San Jose State University. She edited A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans.