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Sholeh Wolpé is an Iranian-born poet, playwright and librettist. Her performances, solo or in collaboration with musicians and artists, have been hailed by audiences as mesmerizing. Her literary work includes twelve books of poetry, translations and anthologies, as well as several plays, an oratorio, choral librettos and multi-media projects.

Wolpé will discuss her most recent book, a memoir in verse, Abacus of Loss (2022) in which according to Prism International: “Desire and love exist in terrifying worlds” yet they are handled with “silken language.” The book is hailed by Ilya Kaminsky as a book “that created its own genre—a thrill of lyric combined with the narrative spell.”

Following the book reading and Q&A, please enjoy the reception with light refreshments. 

This event is in support of UC Irvine’s 2023-24 University-wide Thematic Year on Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and Conversations Across the Divide.