New Books Network Amir Moosavi, "Dust That Never Settles: Literary Afterlives of the Iran-Iraq War" (Stanford UP, 2025)
Sep 14, 2025
Amir Moosavi, a professor at Rutgers University, explores the literary repercussions of the Iran-Iraq War, examining how Iraqi and Iranian writers have transformed narratives of conflict into powerful counternarratives. He discusses the concept of iltizam, revealing how committed literature evolved in response to political ideologies post-revolution. The conversation covers the rising prominence of Iraqi literature on the global stage, sheds light on censorship challenges, and even touches on eco-critical projects that connect literature with environmental concerns in the region.
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Bringing Arabic And Persian Together
- Amir Moosavi deliberately put Arabic and Persian literatures in conversation to reveal overlooked comparative perspectives.
- He argues this cross-language approach creates a new paradigm for studying modern Middle Eastern literatures.
Dust As Literal And Metaphor
- Moosavi uses 'dust that never settles' to capture both literal desert combat and persistent memory of the war.
- He shows dust as a recurring image in wartime photos and fiction that symbolizes an unsettled legacy.
Wartime Versus Postwar Literary Phases
- The book separates wartime (1980–1988) state-sponsored literature from postwar engagements that revisit the conflict.
- Moosavi chose 2018 as a practical endpoint marking three decades of postwar literary afterlives.
