Book & Persian Literature

[Rasputin]

امروزه شايد دسترسی به اطلاعات مربوط به بسياری از عوامل و دست اندرکاران سينمای ايران از طريق رجوع به اينترنت و سايت های سينمائی رسمی و غير رسمی کار ساده و بی دردسری باشد. اما معتبر هم هست؟
اگر نام يکی از عوامل سينمايی ايران را مثلا در جستجوگر گوگل جستجو کنيد، به منابع متنوع و بی شماری در باره زندگی و فعاليت های آن فرد می رسيد. هرچند ميزان صحت و سقم اطلاعاتی که بدست می آوريد بستگی به درجه اهميت واعتبار آن منبع الکترونيکی دارد.

اما اگر مقدمه کتاب دانشنامه سينمای ايران اثر تحقيقی عباس بهارلو، مورخ و محقق پر کار و دقيق سينمای ايران را بخوانيد، متوجه خواهيد شد که بخش مهمی از اطلاعات موجود بر روی سايت ها در واقع نسخه برداری عجولانه و ناشيانه از اطلاعاتی است که بهارلو با زحمت و تحمل مشقت بسيار فراهم کرده است.

بنابراين، برای پژوهشگران سينمايی و دانشجويان سينما، عاقلانه تر اين است که به جای مراجعه به سايت هايی که اطلاعات ناقص و تحريف شده ای ارائه می کنند به منابع ارژينال و معتبری چون دانشنامه سينمای ايران مراجعه کنند که فهرست نسبتا کاملی از کليه کسانی است که در مشاغل و حرفه های مختلف در سينمای ايران حضور داشته و فعاليت کرده اند.

چنانکه بهارلو در مقدمه کتاب آورده است، فکر تهيه اين کتاب پس از انتشار جلد نخست فيلمشناخت ايران در سال 1373 پيدا شد. اينکه با تهيه مشخصات اوليه دست اندرکاران سينما و تنظيم فيلم شناسی آنها، دانشنامه و فرهنگی از اهالی سينما تهيه کند. بنابراين او پس از انجام تحقيقات بسيار در اين زمينه و فيش برداری های متعدد، مشخصات افراد شامل نام، سال و محل تولد، نام اصلی يا مستعار، ميزان تحصيلات، گزيده فعاليت های غير سينمايی، حرفه اصلی و نخستين فيلم هر شخص در شروع فعاليت او را جمع آوری و ثبت کرد.

دانشنامه در واقع فرهنگ دست اندرکاران حرفه ای سينمای ايران است که از آغاز پيدايش سينما در ايران تا سال انتشار کتاب (1383) را در بر می گيرد و شامل تمام کسانی می شود که در تهيه و توليد فيلم های سينمايی و سريال ها و برنامه های تلويزيونی در ايران نقش داشته اند.

در اين کتاب که به صورت الفبائی تنظيم شده است، بهارلو تا آنجا که برايش امکان پذير بوده و منابع موجود اجازه می داده، توانسته است افراد فعال در سينمای ايران را در شاخه های مختلفی چون فيلمبرداری، کارگردانی، صدابرداری، دکور، گريم، طراحی صحنه، فيلمنامه، تهيه کنندگی و تدارکات توليد، شناسايی کرده و اطلاعات مربوط به سوابق حرفه ای آنها را گرد آوری و منتشر نمايد.

هرساله کتاب هائی با چنين ويژگی هائی در اروپا و آمريکا به چاپ می رسد که از معروفترين آنها می توان به فرهنگ سينمائی هاليول، فرهنگ لتونارد مالتين و دائره المعارف فيلم افريم کتز اشاره کرد.

حسن اين فرهنگ ها در اين است که اطلاعات مربوط به شناسنامه فيلم ها و بيوگرافی و فيلموگرافی افراد را به راحتی می توان از آنها استخراج کرد. ويژگی ديگر آنها اين است که هر ساله تجديد چاپ می شوند. زيرا با ورود افراد جديد و نيروهای جوان به حوزه سينما، بايد اطلاعات مربوط به آنها به کتاب اضافه شود يا اطلاعات مربوط به افراد قبلی در برخی موارد تصحيح گردد چرا که محقق و گردآورنده در جريان پژوهش های مستمر خود هر بار به اطلاعات تازه تری در باره آن فرد دست می يابد و لازم است که اطلاعات قبلی خود را تصحيح و يا تکميل کند.

اما اينکه آيا چنين اتفاقی در مورد کتاب هايی از نوع دانشنامه سينمای ايران در ايران، روی خواهد داد، جای ترديد است. چرا که تيراژ اندک اين کتاب و کتاب های مشابه، نشانگر اين واقعيت تلخ در سينمای ايران است که شايد سالها طول بکشد که چنين کتابی به چاپ دوم برسد و امکان تصحيح يا اضافه شدن را پيدا کند.

اينکه در تهيه و تدوين چنين کتاب هايی عليرغم تمام دقت و توجهی که نويسنده نشان می دهد، ممکن است اشتباهاتی روی دهد يا نواقصی وجود داشته باشد، امری طبيعی و گريزناپذير است. چنانکه در اين کتاب نيز اشتباهاتی صورت گرفته است ازجمله نامی از صادق مقدسی (صادق صادق پور) بازيگر و دستيار فيلمبردار فيلم پسر ايران از مادرش بی خبر است ساخته فريدون رهنما ذکر نشده است.

همچنين، بهارلو در بيوگرافی ابراهيم گلستان او را فارغ التحصيل رشته ادبيات از دانشگاه تهران معرفی کرده است در حالی که گلستان در گفتگويش با نگارنده ( نوشتن با دوربين)، چنين چيزی را رد کرده و رشته تحصيلی اش را حقوق اعلام می کند. به علاوه ابراهيم گلستان هيچگاه برای شبکه تلويزيونی بی بی سی فيلم نساخته است.

ضمنا گلستان جوايز بسياری از جمله جايزه شير سن مارکو را برای فيلم تپه های مارليک از جشنواره ونيز به دست آورد اما در بخش جوايز تنها به جايزه فيلم يک آتش اشاره شده است. همينطور گلستان تهيه کننده فيلم مستند شاخص و برجسته سينمای ايران يعنی خانه سياه است نيز بوده که در فيلموگرافی او نيامده است.

در فيلموگرافی سليمان ميناسيان فيلمبردار قديمی سينمای ايران نيز نامی از فيلم مستند قره کليسا ساخته آربی اوانسيان برده نشده است. در سوابق فرخ غفاری نيز به پيشينه منتقد بودن او اشاره ای نشده است. همينطور در سوابق فريدون رهنما ذکری از همکاری او با استوديو گلستان نيامده است.

با اين حال شکی نيست که تاليف و تدوين چنين کتاب های مرجعی بسيار دشوار است و وجود چند خطا و کاستی کوچک ارزش و اهميت آن را زير سوال نمی برد. دانشنامه سينمای ايران قطعا منبع معتبر و ارزنده ای در ادبيات سينمايی ايران است و می تواند مورد استناد و ماخذ مورخان و پژوهش گران تاريخ سينمای ايران قرار گيرد. اين کتاب به سهم خود خلا موجود در اين زمينه را تا حد زيادی پر می کند

[ares]

RedWine Jun, In ketab دانشنامه سينمای ايران ra az koja mitonam bekharam?

[Rasputin]

RedWine Jun, In ketab دانشنامه سينمای ايران ra az koja mitonam bekharam?

Koja zendegi mikoni ? U.S.A or Europe ?

[ares]

USA zendagi mikonam.

[Rasputin]

USA zendagi mikonam.

Mitouni in ketab ro az persian book store in L.A bekhari ! unja hast,hamin alan porsidam.

[Rasputin]

The Strangling of Persia
A Story of European Diplomacy and Oriental Intrigue

In 1911, an ambitious American was invited by a budding Iranian democracy to bring financial stability to the country. He went with the blessing of the British and Russian governments, both of which enjoyed a wide sphere of influence in the region. However, no one expected him to succeed so quickly in making Iran into a credible democracy and he was ousted by the actions of the Russian and British governments. After he was forced to return to the US, Shuster wrote a book revealing the true motives of the superpowers of the time and how the region's course of history was forever altered. Strangling of Persia offers keen insights into the timeless methods used by powerful nations to achieve their own ends. More than 85 years after its' first publication, it remains a powerful indictment of a short-sighted policy that crushed a fragile but promising democracy.

Note: This book was orginally published in 1912 by The Century Company.


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Middle East Journal: "A new edition of the 1912 work by the American appointed in 1911 by the newly (and briefly) constitutional government of Persia to help organize its finances. "Ejected" only a year later as a result of "British and Russian diplomatic intrigue," Shuster wrote a lively firsthand account of his experiences that reveals much about how Great Power interference shaped Iran's history, with considerable reference to recent and current events."

The New York Times: "Outside Iran, hardly anyone recalls W. Morgan Shuster, or the 1907 Anglo-Russian agreement. Yet what happened then helps explain how Russia was shut out of the Persian Gulf and why Iranians behave as they do today. Before that pact, Iranians looked upon Russia as a traditional enemy and Britain as a well-meaning friend. Britain had aimed to keep all rivals, especially Russia, away from approaches to India, notably the Persian Gulf. The gulf was virtually a British lake, charted, mapped and cleared of pirated by the British Navy... Hardly had he arrived when Shuster became embroiled in a dispute with Russia over customs policy. He asked for, and was given, plenary powers, by Iran's national assembly. Czarist armies were soon marching on Tehran, demanding Shuster's removal. An embarrassed Britain, citing the 1907 pact, came to Russia's support. Shuster departed but then wrote a forceful book, The Strangling of Persia."

[Rasputin]

From Ancient Persia to Contemporary Iran
Author: Reza Ladjevardian

Persia's Cultural Golden Age

820-1220 -- Arab rule over Persia began to diminish as various local Persian monarchs rose to power: the Tahirids (821-873), Saffarids (867-903), Samanids (873-999), Ziyarids (928-1077) and Buyids (945-1055). They were followed by Turkic dynasties with Persian culture: the Ghaznavids (962-1186), Seljuqs (1038-1153) and Khwarazmis (1153-1220). The modern Persian language was born and it soon blossomed into one of the most poetic languages of the world. The Samanids were the first to adopt Persian as the official language of their court. Once again, Persia became a world center for art, literature and science. Key figures in nearly all fields of endeavor in the Islamic world, Persians played a major role in the advancement of Islamic civilization.

840 -- Sibovayh, a Persian scholar, laid the foundation for the codification of Arabic grammar and wrote the first Arabic dictionary.

850 -- Khwarazmi, a remarkable mathematician and astronomer, wrote precise astronomical tables and the first work of algebra, The Book of Integration & Equation. The word "algebra" is derived from this book's title and the word "algorithm" from his own name. He helped establish the concept of zero and perfect the decimal system. The culmination of his work, along with that of other Islamic scholars, produced the Arabic numerals - a modified version of which replaced the Roman numerals in the West and which is still in use to this day.

879 -- Yaqub Leys was the first Persian ruler to openly revolt against the Arabs. He brought much of Persia under his control and promoted the Persian language.

865-925 -- Razi, one of the most accomplished physicians, chemists and philosophers of his era, invented the medical usage of alcohol and wrote a number of books on a variety of topics, especially medicine. One of his more famous treatises, On Small Pox and Measles, was translated into many European languages.

940 -- Rudaki crystallized the new Persian language and its lyrical poetry. He was the first major poet of the Persian language. His contribution was especially important since poetry was to become one of the main pillars of Persian culture and identity.

940-1020 -- Ferdowsi, Iran's national poet and possibly its greatest hero, completed the national Iranian epic, Shahnameh, The Book of Kings, in 1010. It took him 30 years and consisted of some 50,000 couplets. He was a genuine defender of Persian national identity and, while a devout Muslim, deeply resented the Arab influence. He wrote his entire epic story with minimal usage of Arabic-derived words. Shahnameh consists of mythical stories of pre-Islamic Persia. The book's chief epic hero is a noble knight named Rostam, who embodies values such as integrity, strength and chivalry.

980-1037 -- Ibn Sina (Avicenna), one of the most significant scientists and philosophers of the Islamic civilization, wrote over 200 books, including The Cannon of Medicine, an encyclopedia summarizing all the then known medical knowledge from across the world. This book was translated into Latin and remained the most influential book of medicine in the world until the 17th century. He was also a renowned philosopher who emphasized the use of logic and reason as means of discovering the truth.

945-1055 -- The Buyids, from north-central Iran, defeated the Arab armies and captured Baghdad. Although they allowed the Caliph to retain his title, they reduced the role of the Caliph to that of a religious figurehead. The Buyids held the actual political power in the eastern Islamic world for a century.

1092 · Nizam al-Mulk was the renowned prime minister of Malik Shah of the Seljuq dynasty. Under his guidance, Malik Shah controlled virtually the entire eastern segment of the Islamic world, from Syria to Afghanistan. Nizam al-Mulk wrote the Siyasatnameh, The Book of Government and Politics. He argued for the regulation of court procedures, a systematic decision-making process and the restriction of arbitrary rule. He also established the Nizamieh schools in the major cities under Seljuq rule. They became the leading institutions of higher learning in the Islamic world. He was the benefactor of both Ghazali and Khayyam.

1058-1111 -- Ghazali was recognized as the most prominent Muslim jurist and theologian of his time. He argued against a merely rational and logical interpretation of existence, in favor of a more mystic and spiritual understanding. He represented the view opposite to Ibn Sina's rationalism and significantly undermined the influence of Ibn Sina on later Islamic thought. He was an important intellectual pillar of Sufism. Sufis strive for a deeper understanding of life and a closer communion with God through meditation, inner self-examination and the rejection of worldly possessions.

1048-1122 -- Omar Khayyam, a great mathematician, poet and astronomer, performed the mathematical calculations to reform the Persian calendar, one of the most accurate calenders in the world and still in use to this day. He helped build an important observatory in Isfahan and wrote his collection of quatrains, Rubaiyat. Dealing with the great enigmas of human existence, his poems celebrate the divine gifts of love and life. The Rubaiyat was translated by FitzGerald in the 19th century, helping Khayyam to become the most famous oriental poet in Europe. His work has since been translated into many other languages and millions of copies have been sold.

1206 -- Gangis Khan united the Mongol clans and began his attempt at world conquest.

[Rasputin]

No country ever fully yields to a camera: For the photographer, there always will be more roads to travel, more to see and record. Honoring a country's beauty is a different story, however, and a first-time visitor actually has an advantage, bringing to the task a fresh and wondering eye. As a construction manager, I have lived in many places around the world, but none has stirred me so deeply as Iran. It is a world of stark contrasts and ravishing vistas: snow-capped mountains plunging to lush lowlands; deserts and steppes sprawling under a crystalline sky; rivers roaring through gorges; flat-roofed mud villages sustained by mere trickles of water; stone huts clinging to mountainsides; nomads and their flocks moving according to the rhythm of the seasons. With its immense spaces and spectacular terrain, Iran feels ageless, infused with a glorious rich history in the form of palaces and mausoleums built for ancient rulers, caravansaries from the days of the Silk Road, dazzling mosques, and much more. It isn't necessary to travel far in order to experience Iran's range of beauty. This book is structured as a compass of my explorations. As a symbolic center and starting point, I have chosen Mount Damavand, the highest peak in the Middle East and a magnificent landmark in Iran. From there, my photographic journeys extend north to the Caspian Sea, east as far as Gonbad-e Kavus, west toward Zanjan, and south to Isfahan. All lie no more than a day's drive from the great volcano, yet within those bounds can be found a spectrum of landscapes, lifestyles, and architectural treasures that show why Iran, once seen, remains anchored in memory. --Daniel Nadler

Iran the Beautiful
Author: Photographs by Daniel Nadler

[Rasputin]

Borrowed Ware
Medieval Persian Epigrams

Author: translated by Dick Davis

In Borrowed Ware, poet and translator Dick Davis brings together a collection of epigrams by poets from the "classic" period of Persian literature. It makes a fascinating introduction to a literature that is little known in the West, and incidentally provides insight into a vanished and extraordinary way of life. Davis's prodigious scholarship of Persian poetry has enabled him to select a wide range of poems, from both famous and little-known poets. The result is some of the best English translations of Persian poetry ever. Davis has maintained exceptional faithfulness to the original Persian while recasting the poems' grace and drive in English. The book also contains a lucid and entertaining introduction, and informative notes on each of the sixty-eight poets whose work is included. Each poem is faced by the text in delicate Persian nasta'liq calligraphy by Amir Hossein Tabnak.

[Rasputin]

Choice Magazine

This splendid book is the second in a projected set of three volumes that will recount all the major events of the Persian national epic, the Shahnama or Book of Kings. Written in rhyming couplets by the poet Firdawsi and completed in about 1010, the epic runs to more than 40,000 lines. Volume 1, Ehsan Yarshater's The Lion and the Throne (CH, May'98 was translated by Davis largely from an earlier Persian prose translation. Davis translated the present volume directly from the original text and presents it to the reader as a felicitous mixture of prose and verse. Fathers and Sons begins where volume 1 left off, recounting the epic from the legend of Seyavash to the death of Rostam, bringing to a close the purely legendary part of Shahnama. Davis provides an informative introduction as well as a translation that is a joy to read. This reviewer particularly welcomed an increased amount of verse in this volume. Aimed at a wide and varied audience, not exclusively academic, these volumes appeal to the eye as well as the ear. Like its predecessor, this volume is beautifully produced in every respect. Large academic and general libraries collecting Middle Eastern literature and cultural history.
-- W. L. Hanaway, emeritus, University of Pennsylvania

Library Journal

This second volume of stories from the Persian national epic, Book of Kings” (Shahnameh, composed by the poet Ferdowsi between 980 and 1010 C.E.) is so beautifully produced and so exquisitely illustrated with 181 rare color miniature reproductions that it could be used for an art class. The stories themselves are fascination, as illustrated by the adventures of princes Seyavash and Esfandyar, whose respective fathers/kings push them to face the realities of life through extraordianry trials in faraway places. Probably the most famous story here, however, is not laden with violence but romance. It depicts the touching love story of Bizhan and Manizheh, who, like Romeo and Juliet, are the children of sworn enemies. In addition to the seven main sections, the useful introduction by translator Davis (Persian, Ohio State Univ.) gives some background to the Shahnameh and to Persian miniature art. A glossary of manes and their pronunciation as well as a guide to the illustrations providing provenance and other credits conclude the book. Highly recommended for all collections.

[Rasputin]

Crowning Anguish
Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity 1884-1914
Authors: Edited and Introduced by Abbas Amanat



This book consists of two parts. The first hundred pages are an introduction by Abbas Amanat. The second part is the translation of Taj Al-Saltana's memoirs by Vanzan and Neshati.

Taj Al Saltana was one of daughter's of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. She lived in the Shah's harem until the age of thirteen when she was married and sent off to her fatherinlaw s residence. This book is the collection of Taj's childhood and adolescent memories. She provides a vivid picture of her childhood, her relationships with her father, the shah who loved her, her mother who did not show any affection towards her, her nanny, and the rest of her cohabitants in the harem. Living in the harem, she provides a valuable account of its socioeconomic life. Women's relationships with each other, with the Shah and with their male trustees are described very well. Taj presents a refreshing view of how the Qajar dynasty operated the country's affairs. The corruption of the bureaucracy, foreign intervention, and the royal courts' inability to deal with socioeconomic changes are all aspects of Qajar rule that Taj explains in her memoirs.

Taj's memories of her own personal life and the life of her cohabitants in the harem disclose how the traditional royalty of Iran managed their life. She was a melancholic and distressed princess who had the economic opportunity by virtue of being one of the Shah's daughters to become educated in literature and philosophy. This became a source of both her happiness and anguish. While she is critical of socioeconomic and political aspects of Iranian society as well as patriarchal arrangements, she remains docile and subjects herself to exploitative relationships. This contradiction haunts her until her premature death. Her childhood memories of harem life demystify Western accounts of mysterious Persian women. Unintentionally she discloses an important socioeconomic relationship between the royal court and the commoners. She explains that many of the Shah's wives were from low income classes. For those young women to marry the Shah was to liberate themselves from harsh economic reality.

[Rasputin]

The Art of Persian Music uses a multimedia, multifaceted approach to introduce the music and culture of Iran through its art. Persian music is as fine, subtle, and beautiful as a Persian carpet, and yet for the most part it has remained unknown in the West. It has unique aesthetic qualities quite different from Western music. It is monophonic, undramatic, and mostly solo, with rich modal variety and melodic subtlety--an intimate music of the spirit most appreciated by the initiated.

This book provides the keys and definitions essential for understanding Persian music: its history, instruments, repertory, organization, rhythyms, and modes (or dastaghs). Through quotes and anecdotes by and about masters past and present, the reader can grasp the ethos, spirit, and philosophy of Persian music. Filled with exquisite illustrations of instruments and musicians from museums around the world, as well poetry and calligraphy, this volume will introduce the enthusiast both to the whole aesthetic of Persian art and the art of Persian music.

Although it is based on the most recent scholarship, this book is intended for the general audience. All details superfluous to the general reader have been intentionally omitted. But The Art of Persian Music is not just a compilation from past sources--it is full of new ideas and insights that illuminate the state of contemporary Persian music and reward both the layman and the specialist.

Anthology of Persian Music, the 72 minute compact disc which can be purchased with the book gives the reader and listener a taste of some musical styles, both rare and remarkable.

NOTE: In the first printing of this book, the compact disk was shrinkwrapped with the book and the two sold together for $100. Thanks to advances in technology, Mage is now able to offer the book at a greatly reduced price, with or without the compact disk.

[Rasputin]

Hekayate Nagofteh

Translated Title: -
Author: Rahim Moeini Kermanshahi
Translator: -
Publisher: Sanaei
Availability: shipped in 24 hours

Language: Farsi

[Rasputin]

Borrowed Ware
Medieval Persian Epigrams

Author: translated by Dick Davis



The Independent: "Dick Davis's translation of the best of Persia's medieval short poetry, borrowed ware, is a wonderful book, suffused with love, beautifully produced and with a comprehensive introduction to Persian courtly poetry."

The Atlantic Monthly: "Mr. Davis has put what he called "Medieval Persian Epigrams" into easy, idiomatic English and provided an engaging introduction to the Persian world and an explanation of the code words that might otherwise puzzle modern readers. These authors were court poets, highly valued and well rewarded for wit, elegance, and a light touch. Originality of theme was not necessary, but there are surprises among the lovers' laments and financial complaints. Jahan Khatun, one of the few women poets, considered erotic reform but decided to "renounce renumerations." (A contemporary accused her of being a prostitute, but Mr. Davis points out that he "said this kind of thing" about everybody.) The poems are faced by versions in Persian scripts, making the collection pretty as well as amusing."

Times Literary Supplement: "Many of the best poems in borrowed ware are mystical, and Davis is probably the first translator to have succeeded in conveying their intensity of focus. . . . Anyone doubting Davis's own mastery of [poetry] should turn to borrowed ware. This anthology is the most personal of Davis's excellent translations from the Persian. . . . Here, as in Western poetry of a similar period, the subjects are mostly religious and amorous, with some politics thrown in and a good deal of flattery for patrons. Yet these subjects, through their tone and imagery, invite into the book the whole range of that far-off culture's concerns."

[Rasputin]

Up jumps the 'Da Vinci' devil

Doubt the Bible? Question Jesus? Hint at secrets? Make way for crowds. Books and movies about conspiracy theories and skeptical views of religion are sure paths to popular attention. And some people say the devil is behind such works - whether the authors are aware of this or not, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup survey.The nationwide telephone survey of 1,013 U.S. adults, conducted May 5-7, found that 19 percent see Satan trying to destroy people's religious faith when sales soar for books, movies and studies that raise doubts about Jesus or the Bible. People who attend church weekly were more likely to believe that.The movie version of Dan Brown's mega-selling novel, "The Da Vinci Code," which claims the Catholic Church conspired, even killed, to hide Jesus' secret marriage to Mary Magdalene, opens May 19.It follows closely on the heels of "The Gospel of Judas," released at Easter time by National Geographic.

That was the first translation of an ancient manuscript that presents Judas as Jesus' best buddy doing God's will, not the vile betrayer shown in the Bible.However, most people (72 percent) say it's human nature to be skeptical about religion. And Catholics, whose historical church fathers take a heavy beating in Brown's book, were least likely to blame an evil force."The devil has always been a scapegoat," says Terrence Tilley, a professor of philosophy of religion and Catholic theology at the University of Dayton in Ohio.Still, "some of (Brown's book) is so like what people would like to believe that it's easy for people to start believing the whole thing. Scholars really get their dander up when obvious fiction and legend is called fact," say Tilley, who has spoken about the book on panels from Dayton to Dublin.