Biography
Majid Naficy was born in Iran - Esfahan in 1952. He published poetry, criticism and an award-winning children’s book in Iran. During the 1970’s Dr. Naficy was politically active against the Shah’s regime. After the 1979 Revolution, as the new regime began to suppress the opposition, his first wife, Ezzat Tabaian and his brother Sa’id were amongst the many to be executed. He fled Iran in 1983, eventually settling in Los Angeles with his son Azad. He has since published six volumes of poetry in both English and Farsi, as well as numerous books of criticism. His most recent volume of poetry in English, Father and Son, was published in 2003 by Red Hen Press and his poem “I Don’t Want You Petroleum” appears in Sam Hamill’s Poets Against the War (Thunder’s Mouth Press / Nation Books, April 2003). He holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of California in Los Angeles. His doctoral dissertation, Modernism and Idealogy in Persian Literature: A Return to Nature in the Poetry of Nima Yushij (University Press of America) was published in 1997. Dr. Naficy is also the co-editor of Daftarhaye Kanoon, a periodical in Farsi published by the Iranian Writer’s Association in Exile.
Here is a sample from the extensive collection of poems about the homeless of Venice.
Read full biography ↓
III. The Hungry in Venice Beach
They're standing in the line
The hungry in the morning
In front of Jesus Christ
And his truckload of bread.
"The addicts receive nothing!
The addicts receive nothing!"
The crowd yawns
And the sea gulls
Make a cross over them.
..............................August 7, 1986
Muddy Shoes, the first collection of Majid's poetry in English, was published by Beyond Baroque in 1999.
His other books in English are Father and Son a collection of poems published by Red Hen Press in 2003, and his doctoral dissertation, Modernism and Ideology in Persian Literature, published by University Press of America in 1997.
"Poet of the Revolution" by Louise Steinman, in LA Weekly
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.