Farzaneh Milani
Encyclopedia
Farzaneh Milani is an Iranian-American
scholar and author. She teaches Persian literature and Women’s Studies at the University of Virginia
. Milani is Chair of the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures. She is also a poet, award-winning translator, and a recipient of the Carnegie Fellowship and the National Endowment for the Humanities
. Milani’s 1992 book Veils and Words: the Emerging Voices of Iranian Women Writers (Syracuse, 1992), is now in its sixteenth printing. Her latest book is Words, not Swords: Iranian Women Writers and the Freedom of Movement (Syracuse, March 2011).
, Milani had an international educating, attending French schools in the lower grades before relocating to the United States. There, she attended the California State University
at Hayward, graduating with a BA in French Literature
in 1970, and the University of California
in Los Angeles, obtaining a PhD in Comparative Literature
in 1979. In 1986, after a four year stint at her alma mater as an instructor of Persian Language and Literature, she took a position at the University of Virginia
.
At the University of Virginia, she has been the recipient of several awards, including the All University Teaching Award in 1998, a nomination for Virginia Faculty of the Year in 1999, and a University Seminar’s Teaching Award in 2001. She received a Storr’s Fellowship in 2001, a National Endowment for the Humanities grant in 2002-2003, and was a Carnegie Fellow from 2006-2007. Her translation (with Kaveh Safa) of A Cup of Sin: Selected Poems of Simin Behbahani won the Lois Roth Literary Award in Translation.
Milani is the author of over 100 articles, op-eds, prologues, epilogues, forewords and afterwords in both Persian and English. She has guest edited two issues of Nimeye-Digar, a Persian-language feminist journal, IranNameh, and Iranian Studies: A Journal of the International Society for Iranian Studies. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Readers Digest, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, and N.P.R.’s All Things Considered. She has presented more than 150 lectures in the United States and around the world.
From 1994 to 1996, Milani served as President of the Association of Middle Eastern Women Studies in America. In addition, she has served as Executive Officer of the American Association of Persian Teachers (1990-1993), on the Board of Executive Directors of Middle East Studies Association of North America (1991-1994), on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Quarterly Review (2002-2005), on the Advisory Editorial Board for The Encyclopedia of Women in Islamic Cultures (Brill Academic Publishers), and on Governor Warner’s Council on the Status of Women in Virginia (2002-2005).
Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
scholar and author. She teaches Persian literature and Women’s Studies at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. Milani is Chair of the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures. She is also a poet, award-winning translator, and a recipient of the Carnegie Fellowship and the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
. Milani’s 1992 book Veils and Words: the Emerging Voices of Iranian Women Writers (Syracuse, 1992), is now in its sixteenth printing. Her latest book is Words, not Swords: Iranian Women Writers and the Freedom of Movement (Syracuse, March 2011).
Biography
A native of TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Milani had an international educating, attending French schools in the lower grades before relocating to the United States. There, she attended the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
at Hayward, graduating with a BA in French Literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
in 1970, and the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in Los Angeles, obtaining a PhD in Comparative Literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
in 1979. In 1986, after a four year stint at her alma mater as an instructor of Persian Language and Literature, she took a position at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
At the University of Virginia, she has been the recipient of several awards, including the All University Teaching Award in 1998, a nomination for Virginia Faculty of the Year in 1999, and a University Seminar’s Teaching Award in 2001. She received a Storr’s Fellowship in 2001, a National Endowment for the Humanities grant in 2002-2003, and was a Carnegie Fellow from 2006-2007. Her translation (with Kaveh Safa) of A Cup of Sin: Selected Poems of Simin Behbahani won the Lois Roth Literary Award in Translation.
Milani is the author of over 100 articles, op-eds, prologues, epilogues, forewords and afterwords in both Persian and English. She has guest edited two issues of Nimeye-Digar, a Persian-language feminist journal, IranNameh, and Iranian Studies: A Journal of the International Society for Iranian Studies. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Readers Digest, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, and N.P.R.’s All Things Considered. She has presented more than 150 lectures in the United States and around the world.
From 1994 to 1996, Milani served as President of the Association of Middle Eastern Women Studies in America. In addition, she has served as Executive Officer of the American Association of Persian Teachers (1990-1993), on the Board of Executive Directors of Middle East Studies Association of North America (1991-1994), on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Quarterly Review (2002-2005), on the Advisory Editorial Board for The Encyclopedia of Women in Islamic Cultures (Brill Academic Publishers), and on Governor Warner’s Council on the Status of Women in Virginia (2002-2005).
Books
- 1992: Veils and Words: The Emerging Voices of Iranian Women Writers
- 1999: A Cup of Sin: Selected Poems of Simin Behbahani (translation, with Kaveh Safa)
- 2011: Words not Swords: Iranian Women and the Freedom of Movement
- Selected poems published in "Nimeye Digar", "Par", "Barrayand", "Daneshju", "Omid", and "Avaye Portland"