Poetry by Susan Atefat Peckham
September 1, 2001 7 x 10 96 pages 978-1-56689-116-5
Poems that delicately unveil the sensual beauty and occasional terror of the authors Iranian heritage.
Stirring and verdant, the poetry within That Kind of Sleep invites readers behind the opaque curtain that has historically concealed the lives of modern and traditional Iranian women. Susan Atefat-Peckhams images alternately whet and sting the senses as rich chador fabrics, earthy cooking scents, and the tender guidance of uncles and grandmothers give way to scene of female mistreatment that make the reader ache to return to the shelter that the chador and the curtainrightfully or otherwiseprovide. Atefat-Peckhams love and celebration of family and culture burnish this collection to a touching glow.
About the Author
Susan Atefat Peckham (1970-2004), author of That Kind of Sleep, was born in New York to Iranian immigrant parents. She received a B.S. in biology and chemistry, a M.A. in English from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. from University of Nebraska. She taught at Hope College. She also studied piano at the Geneva Conservatory in Switzerland and was a volunteer for Caritas, Habitat for Humanity, and the United Way.