Books by Rebecca Joubin

Accelerated Persian aims to make the language of Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan accessible to everyone wishing to communicate through the language and culture of the Persian speaking world. It is a comprehensive textbook featuring numerous exercises and speaking drills complemented by clear and concise explanations of Persian grammar. Detailed verb conjugation charts and thematic glossaries allow for easy language learning. Various aspects of Persian culture and history are introduced through idioms, proverbs, and cultural and historical references. Because Persian shares its alphabet with Arabic, exercises are included for those who already read Arabic. Reference tools include verb conjugation charts, Persian-English-Arabic glossary/dictionary, Persian-English-French glossary/dictionary, and an introduction to the colloquial language.Accelerated Persian will expose the learner to the richness of Persian history and culture. Students will explore the biography and works of important historical, political and literary figures such as Cyrus, Hafez, Mossadeq, and the novelists Hedayat and Milani, and will produce short spoken and written reports. Each lesson begins with selections from the rich trove of Persian proverbs relating to the chapter s themes. Throughout the book, highlights of Persian culture such as the Persian New Year holiday (Nowruz), music and art are introduced to connect the language with the culture. Visual learning is an essential tool for successfully mastering any language. Artist Hampton Stall has created original illustrations for each chapter to support the lesson s focus. These culminate in numerous interactive exercises in which students draw on their own experiences. They then present their drawings in Persian to their peers, using creativity to expand their language skills. The over 250 interactive illustrations make this the first Persian book of its kind. Persian is the official language of Iran and Tajikistan, where it is referred to as Tajiki. It is also spoken in Afghanistan, where it is called Dari.

Dramatic miniseries are the primary arena for the expression of postcolonial Syrian culture and artistic talent, an arena that unites diverse aspects of artisanship in a struggle over visions of the past, present, and future of the nation. As the tour de force of the television medium, blossoming amidst persisting authoritarianism, these miniseries serve as a crucial and complex artistic avenue through which political and social opposition manifests. Scholars have tried to come to terms with a highly critical culture produced within attempted state co-optation, and argue that politically critical culture operates as a ';safety valve' to release frustrations so that dissenters are less likely to mobilize against the government. Through research fueled by a viewing of over two hundred and fifty miniseries ranging from the 1960s to the presentas well as an examination of hundreds of press reports, Facebook pages, and extensive interviews with drama creatorsthis book turns away from the dominant paradigm that focuses on regime intent. When turning attention instead to the drama creators themselves we witness the polyphony of voices employing love and marriage metaphors and gender (de)constructions to explore larger issues of nationalism, self-identity, and political critique. At the heart of constructions of femininity are the complications that arise with the symbiosis of pure femininity with authentic national identity. Deconstructing masculinity as political critique has been less complicated since it is not implicated in Western identity issues; on the contrary, illustrations of subservient masculinity serve to subtly denounce government corruption and oppression. Miniseries from the 1960s demonstrate that the focus of the qabaday (tough man) on female sexuality comes from his own political alienation vis--vis the state, and is part of a vicious cycle of state violence vis--vis the citizen. In recent years, and in particular after the uprising, we can see the emerging definition of the true qabaday as one who does not suppress a woman's sexuality, thereby allowing for full equality in relationships as the basis of a truly free society.