Charles Bernstein

Behnaz Amani in peril in Iran

a letter is solidarity

Several months ago a group of American poets  signed a letter in solidarity with jailed Iranian poets. In the meantime, the Iranian Writers Action Committee, a new organization, has been set up by Iranians outside the country. They have compiled an extensive list of writers who are in danger. You will find Behnaz Amani on this list. Our initial letter was not designed to get media attention in the U.S.

Charles Bernstein and Richard Tuttle's 'Echologs'

Charles Bernstein and Richard Tuttle, Echologs

After the poetry match in Virgil’s Eclogues, III

with an appendix comparing earlier translations.

Damoetas
To all’s high, guys! everything that echoes!,
what gives ground and by Jove’ll cure our songs.

Menalcas
But it’s me that beauty loves!; all her charms
surround, crowns of sweetest ruddy roses

Eco in Italia (Italian Echo)

Milan, photo by Susan Bee

A chronicle of the launch of Eco/Echo, from New York to Milan to Rome to Naples to Catania.




Eco/Echo
, ed. Carla Buranello with Italian translations by Buranello, Gherardo Bortolotti, Luigi Ballerini, Marco Giovenale, and Milli Graffi (Milan: Il Verri, 2022). 

Poets' Letter in Solidarity with Jailed Iranian Poets

As American poets who have committed our lives to free expression, we are devastated by the attacks on our fellow poets and writers in Iran. While the horrific news of the attacks of women and girls, and indeed on men and  boys, has been publicized, the attacks on these Iranian poets and writers has not been fully reported. We are grateful to poet and activist Sepideh Jodeyri for sending us this long list, compiled by an Iranian poet. Chillingly long. We call out to these poets and writers: we see you, we care, we stand with you, we want to read your future works. Poetry matters — in the U.S. and in Iran. The imprisonment of these Iranian literary artists is an attack on all of us.
 

Atefeh Chaharmahalian (poet, a member of the board of committee of Iran’s Writers Association, and social activist) / arrested by security forces in Tehran on October 3, 2022 and is being held in Ward 209 of the notorious Evin Prison. She has been denied the right to have a lawyer and her bail request has been rejected. She has been reported to be under pressure for forced confessions, causing considerable worries about her well-being.

Wake Forest University Reading, Oct. 25, 2022

audio and video

Reading at Wake Forest, introduced by Amy Catanzano
55 minutes 35 seconds on PennSound

mp3 audio

mov video
(with thanks to Julian Semilian)