ABSTRACT

Hamid Dabashi, the author of Iran: A People Interrupted, was born in 1951 in Ahvaz, Iran, into a working-class family. His devout Muslim mother was a homemaker and herbalist who entertained the family with storytelling, while his father was a railroad laborer, toymaker, and talented cook. Dabashi received his early education near home before moving to the Iranian capital, Tehran, to begin his university studies. As a student he was a social activist and Iranian nationalist. Dabashi speaks openly of his childhood in Iran: A People Interrupted, including many personal stories of growing up during the reign of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Interrupted is a history of intellectual and political life in Iran told through an examination of its philosophy and literature. Interrupted is a major contribution to the study of Iran and helps explain many of Iran's actions today. It reveals a rich intellectual history that has long been centered on resisting internal and external suppression.