Duality in Being: A Review of Farnaz Fatemi’s Triptych Reading

by Olivia Vitale (‘24)

As both the school year and my time here at the university come to a close, I am grateful to have been able to attend the final event in the 2024 Triptych virtual author series. I found myself captivated by the work that Fatemi shared with those in attendance at the reading. Born and raised in California to an Iranian family, Fatemi spent her childhood navigating the sounds around her. She speaks English but grew up hearing those around her speak Farsi. As a result, Fatemi writes about her experience searching for a sense of belonging. Fatemi’s reality as a twin and someone who finds herself in the space between languages and cultures creates the duality that can be found in her work, as much of it is reflective of her own life experiences.

During her virtual reading, Fatemi shared poems from her debut book, Sister Tongue, as well as some new work of hers. Much of the work that was shared touched on girlhood, language, culture, family, food, and love (all of the most important things, in my opinion).

Fatemi read parts of a prose poem divided into vignettes featured in Sister Tongue, and I couldn’t help but draw parallels between her experiences and my own. Born in Michigan to a family of Italian immigrants, I know all too well what it is like to hear different languages in my home and feel suspended between two cultures. One vignette highlighted a time Fatemi traveled to Iran, and she recalls trying to order ice cream in Farsi on a hot summer day. Hearing her read, I was not only transported to the scene that was set in her writing, but I was also seeing my younger self try to order gelato in Italy in the sweltering heat, as I have done too many times to count. Fatemi recalls her aunt being proud of her for speaking Farsi, and I understood what she felt in that moment, having searched for familial approval myself when speaking Italian.

Also captivating was Fatemi’s reading of her poem entitled “Farnaz,” which tells the story of how she was given her name. The poem is divided into three parts, and Fatemi shared with us that the poem had gone through many versions before she settled on what has been published. Initially called “Origin Story,” the poem starts its first section depicting Fatemi’s recognition of the differences between her upbringing and that of her cousins in Iran or her parents before they immigrated to the United States. A line from this section that paralleled my own reality was the line that read “I yelled into a phone so my Iranian family could hear me.” Over the course of my life, I have gotten to know my family by yelling through a phone, since trips back to Italy would have to wait anywhere from a year to several years. The second part of “Farnaz” lets the audience in on the decisions made when Fatemi and her twin sister were named. This section made me picture their names as bridges between the United States and Iran, keeping their culture in who they are, despite being removed from it geographically. Following a gambling theme, the third section of the poem highlights Fatemi’s searching, wanting, and waiting for a meaning. Although Fatemi might never feel as though she is whole rather than split in two as an Iranian American, just as I can never decide if I am Italian or American, there is comfort in the space in between, and I found that space in her poetry.

I could continue forever, praising Fatemi’s work and sharing my connections to it. However, I will allow any curiosity you may have surrounding her work to lead you to purchasing Fatemi’s book, Sister Tongue, and seeing yourself in her words. I would also encourage you to take part in future Triptych events so that you do not miss out on such an amazing opportunity to hear what others have to say. The next event, Triptych+1, is your chance to hear student writers read their original work, and I may or may not be sharing my own poetry. Come and find out for yourself on Thursday, April 18th at 6:30 pm at Pages Bookshop in Detroit.

Olivia Vitale is in her last semester of her undergraduate education. She is a biochemistry major and literature minor, experiencing her own duality in her scholastic interests. Olivia is pre-med and will be applying to medical schools following graduation. Outside of school, she loves to read, write poetry, watch movies, and crochet.