Simorgh: Portraits on My Mind

Simorgh: Portraits on My Mind is one of Abbas Milani's most self-reflective and engaging books, named

after the fabulous bird in Iranian mythology and poetry that personifies

the quest for knowledge, solace, and self-discovery.

The rise of the Islamic regime in Iran following the revolution of 1979

marked an era of cataclysmic change, accompanied by myriad

conspiracy theories about its origins. The portraits presented in Simorgh,

each a cross between a brief essay and a short story, explore the

lives and loves, youthful illusions and utopian dreams, the harrowing

experiences of prison and exile, and the diasporic accomplishments

and exilic traumas of individuals who either actively or inadvertently

paved the way for the revolution - or whose lives were crushed by the

nightmarish reality of contemporary Iran.

The subjects of these portraits, all contemporaries of Milani, include

some of Iran's most renowned writers, politicians, scholars, and activists,

alongside friends and family members who act as a poignant chorus to

the unfolding saga. Abbas Milani, who lived and worked in Iran until 1987

and was deeply embedded in the crosscurrents of these lives, o ers an

intimate perspective on their stories. Together, these portraits weave a

cohesive narrative, creating a cumulative e ect that is both profound

and compelling.

Abbas Milani has served as the founding director of

the Iranian Studies Program at Stanford University since

2005. His extensive body of work includes The Persian

Sphinx: Amir-Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the

Revolution and The Shah. He is currently working on a

book about Reza Shah. Simorgh, originally written and

published in two volumes in Persian has been masterfully

translated into English by Mahasti Afshar.

Engaging and insightful, Simorgh is Milani at his best and will enthrall both

those new to his work and those already familiar with it.