May 9-12, 2019
Abraham in Flames opera world premiere
Z Space, San Francisco
May 4-5, 2019
Bay Area Book Festival
“Literature Can Save Your Life”
In conversation with Rebecca Foust and Jill Bialosky
Berkeley, CA
April 13, 2019
Reading/Signing of Self-Portait in Bloom
Left Coast Writers @ Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
7 PM
March 29, 2019
“Don’t you Dare Say a Word: Censotship and its Silencing”
AWP Conference
Oregon Convention Center, Level 1
Portland, OR
10:30-11:45 AM
March 28, 2019
“Translators are the Unacknowledged Ambassadors of the World”
AWP Conference
Oregon Ceonvention Center, Level 1
Portland, OR
9-10:15 AM
March 28, 2019
Publication day of Self-Portrait in Bloom!
March 9, 2019
TedxBerkeley Presenter
Infle(x)ion
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA
February 9, 2019
Private house concert with YWCP chorus
Selections from Abraham in Flames
San Francisco
November 1, 2018
The American Literary Translators Association conference
“My First Time: Performing and Translating First Time Authors”
Bloomington, Indiana
March 7-10, 2018
Association of Writers and Writing Professionals
Presenting on the panel, “The Whole Truth”
Tampa, FL
October 5-8, 2017
American Literary Translators Association
Presenting on the panel, “The Whole Truth”
Minneapolis, MN
September 30 - October 4, 2017
Abraham in Flames opera workshop
Public performances October 3-4
Wilsey Center for Opera
401 Van Ness Ave, 4th floor Education Studio
San Francisco
September 25, 2017
Professional Development presentation to educators on the making of Abraham in Flames
in partnership with the San Francisco Opera Education Department
Wilsey Center for Opera
401 Van Ness Ave, conference room
San Francisco
This is a pre-registered event
4:30 PM
May 31, 2017
Work-in-Progress presentation of Abraham in Flames
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Fort Mason, Gallery 308
San Francisco
8 PM - Tix $12.50-$28
May 21, 2017
“Abraham in Flames: From Persian Poetry to American Opera”
A talk by Niloufar Talebi
Berkeley Lecture Series
170 Barrows Hall
University of CA, Berkeley
5:30 PM
March 16, 2017
Screening of The Persian Rite of Spring: the story of Nowruz at “Unfolding Norooz at CSUF”
The Iranian Student Association at Cal State Fullerton event
Titan Student Union
8-9:30 PM
Free
March 15, 2017
Publication of Vis & I
October 6-9, 2016
Bilingual reading from Vis & I (l’Aleph, March 2017)
Panelist (From Translation to Performance)
American Literary Translators Association
Oakland, CA
January 15, 2016
Epiphany: The Cycle of Life
VIA Ferus Festival
National Sawdust
80 North 6th street
Brooklyn, NY 11249
$25 General Admission
7 PM
November 4-7, 2015
Epiphany: The Cycle of Life
BAM Next Wave Festival 2015
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn, New York
September 29, 2015
Abraham in Flames libretto-in-progress event
Intersection for the Arts 50th Anniversary The Circle Festival
925 Mission Street, SF
FREE
7 PM
May 3 and 10, 2015
The Plentiful Peach - with composer Mark Grey
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus
Pasadena Presbyterian Church
585 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
Call 626/793-4231 for tix
7 PM
April 19, 2015
World Premiere
The Plentiful Peach - with composer Mark Grey
Los Angeles Children’s Chorus
Stanford Live
2:30 PM
April 11, 2015
The Living Libretto: Once Upon a Time
Public reading of libretto-in-progress
National Opera Center, NYC
March 10, 2015
Librettist talk
San Francisco Opera Guild
Open to members only
November 20 - 21, 2014
Ensemble/concert performance of “The Investment”, a one-act opera
Washington National Opera: American Opera Initiative
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
Terrace Theater, 7:30 PM
2700 F Street, NW Washington, D.C.
June 16, 2014
Piano/concert performance of “The Disinherited,” a one-act opera
American Lyric Theater InsightALT Opera Festival
Symphony Space, NYC
May 14, 2014
The Persian Cycle (working title)
Librettist spotlight
10 PM, $15 at the door day of event
FERUS Festival curated by VisionIntoArt at the Stone Residency
The Stone, corner of Avenue C and 2nd Ave, NYC
April 2, 2014
Living Libretto: Opera in Eden
Public reading of “The Disinherited,” a one-act opera
National Opera Center
330 7th Ave (7th floor), NYC
7:30 PM, $20
March 20 - 21, 2014
Ātash Sorushān (Fire Angels)
Robert Spano Conductor
Music composed by Mark Grey
With Soprano Jessica Rivera, and tenor Stuart Skelton
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Pre-concert talk on stage Thursday March 20, 7-7:30 PM
Pre-concert talk in the Circle Room, Friday March 21, 6-8 PM
October 30 - November 3, 2013
Layla Means Night
ODC Theater, San Francisco
7 and 9 PM shows every night
September 18, 2013
American Lyric Theater Resident Artist Salon
National Opera Center , NYC
7 PM
August 17, 2013
Party and preview of Layla Means Night
The Electric Lodge
Venice, CA
7:30 PM
January 22, 2013
Ecstasy and the Persian Spirit
Performance of Love, Carnal and Divine
with Bernard Radfar, Majid Naficy, and Niloufar Talebi (with Bobak Salehi)
In conjunction with Light and Shadows: The Story of Iranian Jews at UCLA
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
7:30 PM, FREE
October 12 - November 10, 2012
everyonedies installation
Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead exhibit
SOMArts Gallery
934 Brannan street
San Francisco
September 2012
Workshop premiere of Epiphany
Video excerpts by Ali Hossaini
Mediations Biennale, Poznań, Poland
March 22, 2012
Persian Rite of Spring screening
Persian Arts Festival Norooz Celebration
in collaboration with City Lore, and Bowery Arts + Sciences
featuring the POEMobile
VII Gallery, 28 Jay street, DUMBO Brooklyn
7 PM Sharp!
March 16, 2012
Persian Rite of Spring screening
Iranian Student Organization Nowruz event
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
7 PM
March 15, 2012
Persian Rite of Spring screening
Farhang Foundation Nowruz celebrations
Pasadena Scottish Rite Center
150 North Madison Avenue
Pasadena, CA
6:30 PM
February 4, 2012
Nowruz - Persian Rite of Spring
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
December 3, 2011
Against Longing/Belonging: An evening with Niloufar Talebi and Bobak Salehi
California Institute of Integral Studies
Namaste Hall, 1453 Mission Street, 3rd floor in San Francisco
April 3, 2011
Co-commissioned by and West coast premiere
Ātash Sorushān (Fire Angels)
CAL Performances, SF Bay Area
3 PM, Hertz Hall
March 29, 2011
Co-commissioned by and World premier at Carnegie Hall
Ātash Sorushān (Fire Angels)
Music by Mark Grey
Original libretto by Niloufar Talebi
7:30 PM, Zankel Hall
March 26, 2011
The Persian Rite of Spring
DVDs available, Persian Arts Festival Nowruz event
6-10 PM
March 20, 2011
The Persian Rite of Spring screening
Stanford Persian Student Association Nowruz event
4 PM
March 19, 2011
DVD signing The Persian Rite of Spring
Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum
12-5 PM
March 18, 2011
Screening of The Persian Rite of Spring DVD
Cal State Long Beach conference:
“Life and Identity in Asian Contact Zones’
Time TBA
March 15, 2011
The Persian Rite of Spring DVD
DVDs available at the Berkeley
Persian Center New Year Festival
6-9 PM
March 13, 2011
DVD signing The Persian Rite of Spring
Los Angeles County Museum of Art store
Farhang Foundation Norouz day
Afternoon
March 12, 2011
Screening of The Persian Rite of Spring DVD
Orange County Performing Art Center
followed by DVD signing
FREE, time TBA
June 12, 2010
Performing LOVE
‘Iranian Cultural Village’ Family Arts Festival
Riverside Theatre, Harlem, NYC
FREE festival from 2-9 PM, Performance at 7 PM
April 25, 2010
Performing Poetic Gifts from Iran at Reza Badiyi tribute
Royce Hall, University of CA, Los Angeles
7PM
March 17, 2010
Poetry on the Move: Transmitting our Stories
Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles
7 PM
March 14, 2010
World Premiere - The Persian Rite of Spring
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Bing Theater
12 Noon
January - May 2010
Teaching “Muslim Diasporas” and “West Asian Literature and Film” at City University Hunter College, NYC
January 2010
Teaching workshops in poetry performance and directing the annual senior ‘Poetry Cafe’ event at School of the Arts
October 31, 2009
Workshop: Translation: An Act of Love
Book Passage, Corte Madera, 10 AM - 6 PM
October 30, 2009
Reading from BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World
Book Passage, Corte Madera, 7 PM
October 22, 2009
Bobak Salehi and Niloufar Talebi perform ICARUS/RISE Remix at
The University of Oklahoma’s World Literature Today event, the 2009 Neustadt Festival of International Literature and Culture.
ICARUS/RISE Remix, Pireeni Sundaralingam and Colm O’Riain, Etgar Keret screening “Jellyfish”, 6:30 PM
September 24, 2009
‘30 Years of Belonging: New Iranian Poetry Around the World’ + slideshow of Iranian protest slogans with their translations.
Yale University MacMillan Center
Luce Hall Auditorium, 34 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT (203) 325-5080, 6:30 PM
Sponsored by CMES, co-sponsored with the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at Yale
September 22, 2009
Panel on Iranian poetry at the Philoctetes Center for the ‘Multidisciplinary Study of Imagination’ with:
Iraj Anvar, Richard Jeffrey Newman, Roger Sedarat, Niloufar Talebi, Katayoon Zandvakili
7 - 8:30 PM
247 E 82nd St, NY, NY 10028-2701
(646) 422-0544
August 1, 2009
The Art and Politics of Translation
July 23 - 26, 2009
Presenting translations of Ziba Karbassi’s poetry the San Francisco International Poetry Festival:
Saturday July 25, 2009
Main Stage Poetry Reading on with Francis Combes, Ziba Karbassi, Georges Castera/Joj Kastra, Taslima Nasrin, Al Young, Ámbar Past, Tarek Eltayeb, Agneta Falk, Sasha Pimentel Chacòn, Ferruccio Brugnaro, Carla Badillo Coronado, and Jack Hirschman.
7:00 - 9:30 PM at Palace of Fine Arts
AND
Sunday July 26, 2009
Ziba Karbassi (Iran) reading with Niloufar Talebi
3:30 – 5:00 PM, North Beach Poetry Crawl at *Cafe Trieste*
July 11, 2009
Literatures of Resistance: In Solidarity w/ the Iranian People
FREE EVENT featuring Rana Farhan, Luis Francia, Amir Parsa, THE TEHRAN-DAKAR BROTHERS , Eleanor Wilner, D. Nurske, Said Sayrafiezadeh, Roger Sedarat, Dalia Sofer, Niloufar Talebi and more!
This free event is sponsored by the Association of Iranian American Writers, Persian Arts Festival, The Translation Project, ArteEast and Bowery Arts and Science. Any contributions at the event will be donated to Amnesty International.
Saturday July 11, 2009, 2 - 5 PM, Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, NYC
Co-sponsored by KODOOM.COM
July 6, 2009
PEN American Center Translation Slam
Inspired by live translation slams that proved to be audience favorites at the Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival, and again at PEN World Voices, PEN’s online Translation Slam aims to showcase the art of translation by juxtaposing in a public forum two “competing” translations of a single work.
The poem chosen for the current installment is a political slogan devised by Iranian protesters who took to the streets this June after the official results of the presidential elections were announced. The slogan refers directly to an insult levied at protesters by current Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who referred to them as khas-o-khaashaak, meaning dirt and dust, scraps and bits….(read the two translations of this slogan here…)
ن خس و خاشاک تویی/ پست تر از خاک تویی
شور منم نور منم/ عاشق رنجور منم
زور تویی کور تویی/ هاله ی بی نور تویی
دلیر بی باک منم/ مالک این خاک منم
April 16, 2009
‘On Translation’ a step-by-step demonstration of the translation process at the Marin Poetry Center , 7:30 PM
March 26, 2009
Presenting on the “Translation and Performance” panel at the Queens College Translation Conference.
Keynote speech by Li-Young Lee
4:30 PM
March 24, 2009
Asia Pacific Forum WBAI interview
March 23, 2009
Interview with WNYC’s Leonard Lopate
February - April, 2009
Teaching workshops in poetry, creative writing and translation at School of the Arts
February 19, 2009
Reading of BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World at Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, event introduced by Firoozeh Dumas, 7:30 PM
February 12, 2009
Presenting the lecture ’30 Years of BeLonging’ at University of California, Berkeley, co-sponsored by the English Department and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 6 PM - Maude Fife room
February 5-6, 2009
Presenting the Iranian Literary Arts Festival 2009, on the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution; in partnership with the SF International Poetry Festival and Asia Society
February 2, 2009
2009 Presenter at Left Coast Writers™ Literary Salon at Book Passage Corte Madera, 7 PM
February 1, 2009
Appearance on Liane Hansen’s ‘Weekend Edition Sunday’ NPR show
January 28, 2009
Multimedia presentation at UCLA, sponsored by the Iranian Student Group
January 23, 2009
Multimedia presentation at National University in San Diego, co-sponsored by the Persian Culture Club of San Diego, 8 PM
January 18, 2009
Presentation of the dramaturgy of ICARUS/RISE at the ‘Arts in the One World’ International Theater conference at California Institute of the Arts (CAL ARTS), 1:30 PM
December 13, 2009
Voice of America interview with Behnood Mokri
December 4, 2008
Lecture on ‘Contemporary Iranian Poetry’ and class visits at Nassau Community College
December 2, 2008
Lecture on ‘Contemporary Iranian Poetry’ and class visits at Central Connecticut State University
November 19, 2008
Persian Arts Festival’s Shab-e She’r reading of BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World
November 9, 2008
Reading at KGB BAR
October 10-11, 2008
ICARUS/RISE Re-mix! - a small-ensemble version of the larger production - at the Red Poppy Arts House
October 9, 2008
Reading at Books, Inc. Mountain view
October 6, 2008
Litquake 2008 reading at the SF public library; and presenting on “East of Istanbul: Voices from the Muslim World” at the Mechanics Institute San Francisco
October 4, 2008
Screening ‘Midnight Approaches’ at the Mission Arts and Performance Project (MAPP) in San Francisco
September 25, 2008
Reading at Cornelia Street Cafe’, New York
September 17, 2008
Reading at City University of New York Graduate Center
August 29, 2008
Los Angeles readings of BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World (North Atlantic Books, Aug 2008) at the Levantine Cultural Center
August 6, 2008
Publication of BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World (North Atlantic Books, Aug 2008), edited and translated by Niloufar Talebi
August 5, 2008
BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World (North Atlantic Books, Aug 2008) book launch at Stacey’s Bookstore in San Francisco - co-sponsored by the Asia Society
August 2, 2008
Performed Iranian poetry at the Portland State University Iranian Festival, accompanied by Bobak Salehi, Nat Hulskamp, Chaz Hastings, Fabod Sedeh, Basheer and Parisa Badii
August 1, 2008
Radio interviews with BlogTalkRadio, KIRN 670AM, and KKUP
May 2008
Presented at the Orange County Poetry Festival, Contemporary Poetry in Translation:
Paul Vangelisti, Hélène Cardona, and Niloufar Talebi read their translations of contemporary poetry and discuss processes of translation
November 13-17, 2007
Executive produced and presented at the "Iranian Literary Arts Festival", a 5-day event in San Francisco featuring readings, panels, film screenings, ICARUS/RISE theater, bookstore by Stacey’s, public gatherings and keynote talk by distinguished and exiled Iranian novelist, Moniru Ravanipur
November 15-17, 2007
Created and performed ICARUS/RISE, a multimedia theatrical piece inspired by the Iranian spoken-word tradition of ‘Naghali’ and based on the poetry in BELONGING: New Poetry by Iranians Around the World (North Atlantic Books, August 2008), connecting the myth of Icarus with the migration of Iranians, and the solitary journey of the artist/migrant in the quest for freedom. Created in collaboration with composer Bobak Salehi, and choreographer and video artist Alex Ketley. Premiered at Theater Artaud in SF
Publication of “Against Longing” in ArteEast Journal (July 2007).
Publication in Poetry International, Agni Online, Harvard Divinity Bulletin and ArteEast Quarterly
November 14-15, 2006
Presented a two-day conference at SUNY Plattsburgh on legendary Iranian poet, Forough Farrokhzad, including film screenings, and theatrically performed contemporary Iranian poetry with musicians.
Dramatic poetry presentation with composer and musician Bobak Salehi at the Seattle American Literary Translators Association conference (Fall 2006).
Dramatic poetry presentation at LitQuake SF (Fall 2006).
Created ‘Midnight Approaches’, DVD of short films based on contemporary Iranian poetry with screenings at Dolby Laboratories, Visible Verse Film Festival, Shelton Theater, Brattleboro Literary Festival, LA Film Society, OC Harvest Festival, Middle East Studies Association Conference, IAAB conference at U of Maryland, University of Iowa Translation Carnival, Iranian-American chamber of Commerce event, and on KRON 4 Weekend News (Spring 2006).
Reading at the King County Library in Seattle (Fall 2006)
Dramatic Poetry presentation with musician Sahba Motallebi at the Orange County Harvest Festival (Fall 2006)
Guest-edited Rattapallax magazine #13 featuring contemporary Iranian poetry (2005-2006)
Reading at the Simin Behbahani tribute at US Berkeley (May 2006)
Guest teaching former SF poet laureate, devorah major’s, “World Poetry and Resistance” class at the San Francisco California College for the Arts (Fall 2006)
AWP Conference panel, “Iranians Translating Iranians” (Spring 2006)
Presented for the PEN American Center’s World Voices Festival of International Literature at St. Marks Poetry Project, Asia Society, and the New School (Spring 2005)
Spirit of the Letter, Translator’s Challenge panel discussion with recipients of the International Center for Writing & Translation’s (ICWT) Prize (2005)
The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses and the New York Public Library present ‘Periodically Speaking’, a reading of Translations from the Axis of Evil, representing Rattapallax Magazine (2005)
Poets for Peace and the SF Public Library present a gathering of international poetry (2004)
Organized and moderated panel at InLit, Reading International Literature at Locus Arts Center (2004)
Presented at Deporting the American Dream at Studio Z (2004)
“Against longing/Translation” closing talk at the Intersection for the Arts (2004)
Festival Neruda presentation of Iranian poetry in translation (2004)
ARTSFEST 2004 presentation of Iranian poetry in translation (2004)
Co-created and performed in Four Springs, collaborative performance based on contemporary Iranian poetry. Premiered at ODC theater in SF and performed again at the Mexican Heritage Theater (2004)
Classical Persian poetry recitation for Ballet Afsaneh's dance and poetry performances of "Historic Persia and the Silk Road" (2001-2003)
Presented translations of Forough Farrokhzad at the Tuva Space (2002)
Performed in and assistant-choreographed Bridget Carpenter's "Fall" at the Baltimore Center Stage and Berkeley Repertory Theaters (2001)
Acted in Changing Room, directed by Holly Million (2000)
Acted in Post-Concussion, directed by Danny Yoon (1999)
Produced and acted in La Ronde at the Shelton Theater in SF (1998)
Created This Is Not An Art Event, a site-specific performance/happening at New Langton Arts (1996)
