Featured Writer
Farnaz Fatemi
Farnaz Fatemi is an Iranian American poet, editor and writing teacher in Santa Cruz, CA. Her debut book, Sister Tongue زبان خواهر , was published in Sept 2022. It won the 2021 Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize, selected by Tracy K. Smith) from Kent State University Press and received a Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly. She is a member and cofounder of The Hive Poetry Collective, which presents a weekly radio show and podcast in Santa Cruz County and hosts readings and poetry-related events. Some of her poems and lyric essays appear in Poets.org (Poem-a-Day), Tab Journal, Pedestal Magazine, Nowruz Journal, Grist Journal, Catamaran Literary Reader, Crab Orchard Review, SWWIM Daily, Tahoma Literary Review,Tupelo Quarterly, phren-z.org, and several anthologies (including, most recently, Essential Voices: Poetry of Iran and its Diaspora, My Shadow Is My Skin: Voices of the Iranian Diaspora and The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 3: Halal If You Hear Me).
Khanevadeh
By Farnaz Fatemi
Fig.
These figures—
They’d want figs.
You said they were Persian?
It figures they’d ask. Yes. They’re fig eaters.
These figures disappeared behind our tree, and I could see them picking figs.
They’re delicious! I understand. I said: we like to eat most of these figs and haven’t
really had trouble doing so.
My uncle gave them some figs, which also figures. He’s neighborly. I tell everyone
about my cuttings. My aunt says, I learned to do figures on our figs, in Tehran,
calculus of my childhood.
My cousin remembers a photo, taken in Iran of her dead father (one reason we are
gathered today, by Zoom). He’s pleased.
Three green figs dangle from his hand, calling to mind a Baroque portrait.
I think, it figures: I’ve inherited this joy.
My disposition is lifetimes old.
I love figs.
I grieve
him.
(originally published in Nowruz Journal)
Events Continued
Writers of Color Santa Cruz, Music and Poetry at the MAH Santa Cruz
October 5
Join us for an evening of poetry and music featuring Farnaz Fatemi, the Santa Cruz
County Poet Laureate and the corridos of Bob Gómez, the Watsonville Poet Laureate.
Bringing their stories forward will be the Writers of Color-Santa Cruz County members:
Madeline Aliah, Victoria Bañales, Elbina Batala Rafizadeh, Nikia Chaney, Shirley Flores-
Muñoz, Chloe Gentile-Montgomery, Geneffa Jahan, Delia Lee, Adela Najarro, Ekua
Omosupe, Claudia Ramírez-Flores and Joseph Jason Santiago LaCour.
En español:
Únase a nosotros para una noche de poesía y música con Farnaz Fatemi la poeta
laureado del Condado de Santa Cruz y los corridos de Bob Gómez, el poeta laureado
de Watsonville. Adelantando sus poesías e historias estarán los miembros de
Writers of Color-Santa Cruz County: Madeline Aliah, Victoria Bañales, Elbina Batala
Rafizadeh, Nikia Chaney, Shirley Flores-Muñoz, Chloe Gentile-Montgomery, Geneffa
Jahan, Delia Lee, Adela Najarro, Ekua Omosupe, Claudia Ramírez-Flores y Joseph Jason
Santiago LaCour.
To register, click here.
Please note, Tickets are free. You don't have to donate. The 'Pay' or donate buttons will change to 'Register' when you add the number of tickets you need. Then you can continue without paying.