Date: November 18th, 2009

Time: 6 – 7:30 pm.

Where: The Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery, New York, NY 10012 in Manhattan. Nearest subway is the 2nd Avenue F train.)

This month’s Shab-e She’r series will feature Hossein Kamaly. He is the Assistant Professor in the Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures Department and specializes in Middle Eastern history and Islamic Studies. After years of working as an electrical engineer, computer programmer, mathematical analyst, and simultaneous interpreter, he obtained a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University in 2004. His research interests focus on intellectual history, and the broad field of Perso-Islamic studies. He is committed to close reading of classical texts, and teaches courses in which important themes are traced across texts and societies.  Hossein will also speak about music and rhythm found in Persian poetry.

An open mic will follow the reading, inviting everyone to read either his or her own poetry or works by other poets, in Persian or English, bearing some connection to Iran or Iranian/Persian culture.

This event will be streamed @

The Persian Arts Festival (PAF) has successfully revived Shab-e She’r, A Night of (Persian) Poetry, at the Bowery Poetry Club (BPC) but with a modern, new generational spin. The program has made its comeback and expanded what tends to be a very classical Persian tradition to feature modern works of literature, ranging from fictional novels to memoirs. Entering into its third season, PAF and BPC continue to host readings of well-established and emerging authors who are of Persian descent or specialize in Persian literature. Readers have included Nahid Rachlin, Manijeh Nasrabadi and Joe Martin to name a few.

Upcoming Shab-e She’r events!

Wed. Dec.  9, 6 – 7:30pm – Special Iranian American Women Writers Featuring Soraya Shalforoosh and Farnoosh Fathi

Wed. Jan.  20, 6 – 7:30pm, Dalia Sofer

Wed. Feb. 17, 6 – 7:30pm, Sholeh Wolpe