In his provocative, brave, and sometimes brutal first book of poems,
Roger Sedarat directly addresses the possibility of political change in
a nation that some in America consider part of “the axis of evil.” Iranian
on his father’s side, Sedarat explores the effects of the Islamic Revolution
of 1979—including censorship, execution, and pending war—on the
country as well as on his understanding of his own origins.
Written in a style that is as sure-footed as it is experimental, Dear Regime:
Letters to the Islamic Republic confronts the past and current injustices
of the Iranian government while retaining a sense of respect and admiration
for the country itself. Woven into this collection are the author’s vivid
descriptions of the landscape as well as the people of Iran. Throughout,
Sedarat exhibits a keen appreciation for the literary tradition of Iran, and in
making it new, attempts to preserve the culture of a country he still claims
as his own.