Dear Regime

In his provocative, brave, and sometimes brutal first book of poems, Roger Sedarat directly addresses the possibility of political change in a nation that some in America consider part of 'the axis of evil.' Iranianon his father's side, Sedarat explores the effects of the Islamic Revolution of 1979-including censorship, execution, and pending war-on the country as well as on his understanding of his own origins. Written in a style that is as sure-footed as it is experimental, Dear Regime: Letters to the Islamic Republic confronts the past and current injustices of the Iranian government while retaining a sense of respect and admiration for the country itself. Woven into this collection are the author's vividdescriptions of the landscape as well as the people of Iran. Throughout, Sedarat exhibits a keen appreciation for the literary tradition of Iran, and inmaking it new, attempts to preserve the culture of a country he still claims as his own.ThighWith honesty of homemade butter,paddle-churned cream (eshta in Arabic,ecstasy foaming to the brim), a womanriver-bathes, sheet of oil-black hair breakingin rapids, cut lemon scintillatingolive skin free of tree-stumped chador, skirtswithin skirts, peal of her bell-body rungmuffled in Iran heat-a splash of white.The rhythm of pumice scraping her feet,sandbar against warm current, frothy capea bee-bubbled hive, honeyed trace curlingto her bare knees, thick transparent lather.At a Tehran bazaar endless gold-storescould never return me anywhere pure.