Calendar of Events

Room B314, Lucy Stone Hall

Dr. Paul Sprachman, of AMESALL, will discuss his just published book, Licensed Fool: The Damnable, Foul-Mouthed Obeyd-e Zakani.

Licensed Fool: The Damnable, Foul-Mouthed Obeyd-e Zakani challenges a widely held view of the satirist Obeyd-e Zakani (ca. 1300-72): namely, that his obscenities, however disgusting, mask a socially redeeming criticism of Persian culture in the wake of the Mongol invasions of the late 12th and 13th centuries. It argues that Obeyd's works, rather than being redemptive, are acts of verbal playfulness that challenge standards of literary decorum. It also shows how Obeyd's vulgarity and irreverence live on in the works of modern Persian writers like Sadeq Hedayat (1903-51). Striking a comparative note, Licensed Fool demonstrates how Obeyd has more in common with Vladimir Nabokov (in "Lolita") and Salman Rushdie (in "The Satanic Verses") than he does with writers of Persian.

ALL ARE WELCOME!

PIZZA WILL BE SERVED!