HAPPY LOVE DAY FROM THE GREAT HAFIZ

Thursday Art Crawl in Chelsea, NY | JAN 2012

Unfortunately I forgot my camera, but here are a few snapshots I savaged with my phone.

SHIRIN NESHAT. THE BOOK OF KINGS AT GLADSTONE GALLERY 

PAULA SCHER. MAPS AT BRYCE WOLKOWITZ GALLERY

WILL KURTZ. EXTRA FUCKING ORDINARY AT MIKE WEISS GALLERY 

love you mama.

Happy Norooz!

Let's make 1390 count!

Haft-Seen

IACC new logo

Design by Soosan Joon Silanee

For more information on IACC click HERE.

Embracing Life After Suicide Attempt by Melody Moezzi

Melody Moezzi, a close and dear family friend, wrote a deeply private and inspiring story for World Suicide Prevention Day based on her life. You can find the full story below or go directly to CNN Living.

Writer Melody Moezzi says speaking openly about her mental illness has played an invaluable role in helping her to heal.

Editor's note: Melody Moezzi is a writer, speaker, attorney and award-winning author. She is working on her second book, which focuses on her experiences with bipolar disorder.

(CNN) -- From the moment I was admitted to my first psychiatric ward, I was desperate to get out. I hated the smell, the food, most of the staff, the routines, the magazines. I hated the sagging mattresses, the glassless funhouse mirrors, the furniture, the isolation rooms. But as much as I despised the place, there was one saving grace for me there: the other patients.

Many had absolute horror stories. Stories of abuse, self-mutilation, combat, rape, starvation. Stories that made this liberal lawyer reconsider taking up criminal prosecution. But others had stories like mine. Happy childhoods. Mild traumas possibly but nothing extreme.

In the end though, we were all the same. We were all seriously ill; we all desperately needed help, and we all resented the fact that we needed it. What's more, we were all acutely aware of the classified, top-secret nature of our conditions and whereabouts. This wasn't paranoia. It was self-preservation. People tend to look unfavorably upon the mentally ill, especially those of us who've ever been hospitalized.

Nevertheless, some of the most brazen, brave and brilliant figures in history have struggled with sickness of the mind. Sadly, many have also died at their own hands because of those same sicknesses. From Vincent van Gogh to Sylvia Plath to Kurt Cobain to countless others.

Like them, roughly 90 percent of those who take their own lives suffer from psychiatric illnesses. Thus, any efforts to combat suicide promise to fail miserably unless and until we begin to engage in more open and honest discussions surrounding mental illness. Not in whispers and not as gossip, but in strong and steady voices and as an issue that deserves as much attention, compassion and funding as cancer or HIV/AIDS or any other deadly disease.

So on Friday, which is World Suicide Prevention Day, I am addressing the living in an effort to honor and respect the dead. I am asking those of you who have experience with mental illness to speak up, and I am asking those of you who have no such experience to hear us out. I know that it's not easy to speak in the midst of so much stigma or listen amid so much misinformation, but I assure you that it's worth it. The true sin of suicide is not the act itself. Rather, it is the insidious silence and insensitivity that surrounds so many of the most excruciating diseases of the mind that so often trigger suicide.

The dangerous thing about silence is that it breeds shame and isolation, both of which can be much more devastating than any singular psychiatric condition alone. It's one thing to be crazy. It's quite another to think that you're the only crazy person on the planet.

By the time I made it to the hospital, I felt more alone than ever. After months of unsuccessfully wrestling with a seemingly relentless bout of depression, I finally just gave up. Within a few days, I had a well-planned exit strategy in place: go far away from home, leave a note full of love and apologies, take a sharp knife to a femoral artery and do it outside so that no one would have to clean up the mess.

But, as with most events involving life and death, things did not go according to plan. The reality of my suicide attempt couldn't have veered any further away from the fantasy of that clean, controlled and speedy departure. Ultimately, I slit my wrist on the floor of my psychiatrist's waiting room with a dismally dull pocketknife.

Having bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) means not only that you can experience the opposing poles of mania and depression, but also that you can experience aspects of both concurrently. Translation: The "poles" don't always stay in place. In my case, my manic impulsivity had shattered the careful plans of my depressive deliberations and left me bleeding from the wrist on the floor of my psychiatrist's waiting room instead of from the leg on the floor of some faraway forest.

Whatever the case, plan or no plan, by the grace of God, I failed miserably in my attempt. And today, thanks to a proper diagnosis, medication, therapy, health insurance, faith and a supportive family, I am well. And by that, I do not mean that I am cured. There is no cure for bipolar disorder, although there are many excellent treatments. Even with medication, therapy and lifestyle adjustments, I still have highs and lows that extend far beyond those of most everyone else I know, and I still occasionally suffer from acute bouts of depression, mania and mixed episodes that can and have landed me in the hospital.

Nevertheless, since my unfortunate encounter with that pocketknife, I've yet to make any more attempts on my own life. Nor have I ever felt nearly as alone as I did upon my first hospitalization. Speaking openly about my mental illness and meeting other talented, creative and productive individuals who also happen to share similar circumstances has played an invaluable role in my healing.

Entering that first psychiatric ward, I felt cut off from the earth, drowning in a sea of despair. All the people I loved -- all the sane, strong and sturdy people who wanted to save me -- were stuck on steady shore.

But getting to the hospital was like noticing all these other people drowning around me -- all within reach. It wasn't just me in the abyss anymore, and now that I knew I wasn't alone, I had a reason to tread water. Killing myself meant I couldn't save them. Killing myself meant killing them. Suddenly, I had no choice. I had to swim. So, I swam to save the others, only to find, upon reaching the shore, that they had saved me.

To find more on Melody visit www.melodymoezzi.com.

Happy Birthday Pops

"Do Not Be Afraid" Melody Moezzi on CNN

More opinions by Melody Moezzi

illustration by soosan joon 2009

Shirin Ebadi for President

As the protests all over Iran continue, many Iranians are beginning to expand their hopes and aims beyond a potential Mousavi presidency. With growing comparisons between the current protests and those that ushered in the Islamic revolution, demonstrators are starting to realize that they too may be able to usher in an entirely new revolution, one that could topple the Islamic Republic and make way for a genuinely free secular democracy.

This isn't to say that Iranians are looking for a new Shah. Corrupt monarchs are no more attractive, especially inside of Iran, than corrupt mullahs. Iran was no freer under the Shah, Reza Pahlavi, than it has been under the Supreme Leaders, Ayatullah Khomeini and his successor, Ayatullah Khamenei.

Many Iranians, including myself, have great respect for Ayatullah Khomeini. What Khomeini accomplished in 1979 was nothing short of a miracle. It represented a demand for independent rule and a statement to the world that Iran was no longer going to be America's lapdog.

The greatest flaw of the revolution, however, was its ultimate creation of a theocratic, allegedly Islamic, state. In a country where over 95% of the population is Muslim, the use of Islam to unite the people seemed to make a lot of sense in 1979. Not so much today.

Countless Iranians who initially supported Khomeini's revolution did not anticipate that it would turn out the way it did. The Qur'an teaches that there should be "no compulsion in religion." Thus, many Iranians thought that Ayatullah Khomeini would follow this vital Islamic teaching and refuse to force religion onto the Iranian people by means of an actual theocracy. They were wrong.

Not only did the regime impose its twisted and self-serving version of Islam onto the people, it tarnished the name of Islam by doing so. Much of Iran's very young historically Muslim population has turned its collective back on Islam entirely, having been largely misled to believe that the so-called Islamic Republic's interpretation of Islam was in any way an accurate one.

Thus, a great deal of Iran's disillusioned youth is caught in an uncomfortable position: they aren't looking to go backwards and become the American puppet they were before the 1979 revolution (which occurred before many of them were born), nor are they looking to sit still and remain oppressed by a regime that fails to represent their views and interests.

If current unrest inside of Iran is to in fact transform from merely a call for fair elections to a call for a new secular revolution, then we as Iranians will have get organized quickly and find a true inspirational figure among us. It took Ayatullah Khomeini to lead us away from imperialist rule and toward bona fide independence, and it will take an equally charismatic and rousing figure to lead us toward secular democracy. Mir Housain Mousavi, a soft-spoken architect and admitted supporter of the status quo, is not that figure.

As an Iranian, I have given much thought to the matter of whether or not such a character exists, and I have come to the conclusion that she in fact does. The most viable figure to unite Iranians toward revolution may be Shirin Ebadi. As an attorney, a former judge, and the winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her long and noble fight for democracy and human rights in Iran, Ebadi is in a unique position to lead. She is a beloved figure both inside of Iran and internationally for her brave work; she understands the incredibly complex and convoluted Iranian legal system, and she has a solid reputation for advocating freedom and equal rights for all Iranians.

The fact that Ebadi is a woman, moreover, is not incidental. She is a living symbol of the potential power of one strong and feisty Iranian woman among many who have been silenced for far too long. If this new revolution is in fact to succeed on a large scale, Iranians will need someone like Ebadi to lead it. And I know of no other Iranian like Ebadi. She stands alone.

Having publicly called for new elections, as opposed to a recount, I pray that Ebadi will attempt to run in any such election. Should the powers that be refuse to allow her to do so, as I suspect they would, I hope she responds by claiming her legitimate place as one of the great leaders of our new revolution.

Ebadi has won far more than a Nobel Prize. She has won the respect of the entire global community and more importantly, the respect of the people of Iran more. If Iran is to embrace democracy, that process must occur from within. And were Ebadi to take on the current political system, we may just see the next miracle in modern Iranian history, one that Ayatullah Khomeini began, but one he certainly never foresaw.

Melody Moezzi speaks to NPR & Huffington Post on the Iranian Elections

Rocking The Vote Not Easy For Iranian-Americans

By Melody Moezzi

Author of "War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims"

On the eve of the Iranian presidential elections, people are pouring into the streets of Tehran in support of the reformist opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. Mousavi is the leading candidate opposing incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and this election promises to be a close one. Should Mousavi win, it would be the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic that an incumbent failed to win a second term. But people are comparing this election to a revolution, and the enthusiasm around Mousavi has extended far beyond Iran's borders. Even Iranian-Americans are trying to get in on the action. That is, we're trying to vote.

Finding out how and where to vote in the U.S., however, is no easy task. Even dual citizens born in the U.S., such as myself, can vote. All you need is a valid Iranian passport. And of course, you need to find out where to go. It's not exactly something you can do at your local courthouse or elementary school.

You can call and ask the Iranian embassy in Washington, D.C., tucked away in a nondescript corner of the Pakistani embassy, but you won't get much help. After nearly a half-hour waiting on hold to speak with an actual human being there, I was finally directed to an effectively useless Website that was supposed to tell me where my closest voting station was. While I found out what I already knew — that there is a spot to vote in Atlanta — I couldn't find an address for the life of me.

So, I started calling all the local Persian haunts: restaurants, groceries, even the Persian Community Center. There was no word at the restaurants, although one waiter told me I could vote in Iran. I left a message at the community center but have yet to hear back. When I asked my parents where I could vote, they told me that there was a place in Columbus — that's Ohio, not Georgia.

At last, my friend's dad sent out a mass e-mail late last night with the subject "Voting in U.S. for Iranian Election." He included an attachment with a list of East Coast voting stations, and I finally found an address nearby — purportedly at a local Comfort Inn. After a laugh and a sigh, I spent the rest of the evening rummaging through files to locate my Iranian passport, only to find amid all my excitement that it was expired! So, sadly, it looks like I won't be voting this time around.

Still, I'm not entirely disheartened. In a way, I feel like I've already voted in Iran — that is, by voting for Barack Obama here, a man with the middle name of a revered Shiite martyr and a little melanin to boot. If Mousavi, my pick and that of much of my generation, does in fact win, it will have as much to do with Obama as it will with Mousavi. Without a George W. Bush on this side of the Atlantic, Ahmadinejad's rhetoric and defiance of the US government is far less appealing. And Barack Hossein Obama may be able to live up to the promise of his name among many Iranians the world over, a blessing.

The New Iranian Political Party

By Melody Moezzi

While Iranians are a highly politically savvy lot, getting them to do more than merely talk politics is a near-herculean task. The combination of cynicism from a revolution gone bad and fear of a potentially oppressive and retaliatory government is an unlikely formula for public displays of political activism.

So, the high voter turnout and involvement in the recent presidential election represents a serious political message and achievement by the Iranian people. The enthusiasm around this election, though disguised as an overwhelming public support of the opposition reformist candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, had very little to do with the candidate himself. Mousavi, in fact, is a far-from-inspiring and charismatic figure. Quite honestly, he's downright boring. But his choice to involve his wife, artist and political scientist Zahra Rahnavard, in his election campaign along with his stellar timing sparked a fire in the hearts and minds of many Iranians.

Despite the huge voter turnout, with some estimates as high as 80%, holding an election is by no means the best way to get Iranians to show up en masse. Rather, the tried and true number-one means of getting high Iranian turnout anywhere is by throwing a hopping party.

Growing up amid a sizable Iranian-American diaspora in Ohio of all places and having visited my homeland on many occasions, I can assure you, Iranians throw parties like those of no other community I have yet to come across. And I have come across my fair share.

So, how did we get so many people to take part in this election? You guessed it: by turning the whole thing into one big party. High-energy music, dancing, mind-altering substances (ranging from kick-ass kabob to alcohol to even MDMA) and dressing to impress -- for cameras and peers alike -- are all stalwarts of your standard hip young Iranian party. But taking to the streets in Iran (or Ohio for that matter) isn't exactly our typical style. To take to the streets, we need some serious incentive. And the potential for positive change in our beloved homeland, the longing to regain the respect we crave and deserve, as well as the opportunity to whoop it up on an international stage has given us the nerve to take our parties public.

Regardless of the winner, the Iranian people have spoken, and I highly doubt that we'll be shutting up any time soon. The outpouring into the streets of Tehran, Shiraz and other large cities throughout the country was a call for recognition. As members of Iran's baby-boomer generation such as myself start entering our 30s, we are sending a loud and clear message to our leaders: we've grown up, we're sick of your empty promises, and we've learned how to mobilize in true Iranian style. We all know that the actual power in Iran lies in the hands of the Ayatullah and the mullahs, and beyond that, we also know that their version of Islam is about as inaccurate and twisted as the KKK's version of Christianity. We have wised up. We're no longer asking for secular democracy: We're demanding it.


In my own words, you go gurl!

Party like its 1-3-8-8!

Happy New Year! or should I say Happy Norooz? or even better Ediet Mobarak!
If you have no idea what I am talking about, I am celebrating the Persian New Year. It falls on the first day of spring - doesn't that just make so much more sense, than celebrating the new year in the dead of winter?? Anywho this year the festivities began exactly at 7:44 am, eastern time, March 20th, 2009, although on the Persian calender it is now 1388!
Below I have posted one of the best documentaries I have seen on Iran. Rick Steve covers the rich Persian culture and history of the first civilization. Please watch this video and educate yourself on the real Iran you may not already know.

NIMANY: New Collection

Revolution Series: Contains hundreds of historic newspaper clippings from the 70's and 80's




By expanding on that same idea by 2004 a production team was put together and the first series of NIMANY T-shirts were produced. This process included hand picking the garments at various stores and vintage shops, opening and re-stitching the cuts, dying the colors through a chemical process and silk screening quotes of Persian poets such as Hafez and Rumi. By stacking poems and graphics on top of each other, new gripping patterns were created; patterns that did not state any particular literal message, rather displaying the beauty of Persian typography on a garment. This first line sold out immediately and was a motivating factor for Nima to design new styles. At the same time his old friend Mamasaid who had relocated to the U.S joined him and began helping him with the NIMANY line.



To find out more about NIMANY, CLICK HERE. Thanks for the link mama ;)

persepolis: favorite film of the year