Taqi Modarressi (1932–1997) was an Iranian writer and child psychiatrist. He was born in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

, the son of a lawyer, and grew up in a highly cultured family. He was related to a noted progressive cleric

Mirza Sayyed Mohammad Tabatabai Mirza Seyyed Mohammad Tabatabai (Persian: آیت الله میرزا سید محمد طباطبائی, also known as Mohammad Sang-e-laji,;''Sang-e-laj'' (سَنگِلَج) is one of the neighbourhoods of the Old Tehran, not far from the Grand Ba ...

through his mother's side.

Biography

He trained as a doctor at

Tehran University The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...

, but after being harassed by the security forces of the

Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

, he migrated to the USA in 1959. He worked in Wichita, Kansas, then took up a residency at

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

. After he married the writer

Anne Tyler Anne Tyler (born October 25, 1941) is an American novelist, short story writer, and literary critic. She has published twenty-five novels, including '' Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant'' (1982), '' The Accidental Tourist'' (1985), and '' Breathi ...

in 1963, they moved to Montreal, where he took up a residency at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

. He joined the faculty at the University of Maryland medical school in 1967, specializing in child development. In 1982, he founded the pioneering research center, Center for Infant Study. He had two daughters with

, the artist Tezh Modarressi and the writer Mitra Modarressi. He died of lymphoma in 1997.

Writing career

Taqi started to write when still in high school. He published a collection of short stories, ''Dāʾemolḵamr'' (''Perpetually Drunk'', 1948). His first novel was ''Yakolyā and Her Loneliness'' appeared in the 1950s, and won a literary prize from Soḵan Magazine. After moving to the US, his literary output dwindled. The only major work for many years was the novel ''Šarif jān, šarif jān'' (1961). Two novels came out in the 1980s, ''Ketāb-e ādamhā-ye ḡāyeb'' (''The book of Absent People'', New York, 1986), and ''Ādāb-e ziārat'' (''The Pilgrim’s Rules of Etiquette'', New York, 1989) The novels of Modarresi have also been translated and published in other countries. The Danish, German, and French translations of ''The Book of Absent People'' are available. French translations of ''The Pilgrim's Rules of Etiquette'' are also available. His final novel, ''Azrā-ye ḵalwat nešin'' (''The Virgin of Solitude''), was unpublished at the time of his death.

References

External references

Contributors: Taqi Modarresi

The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Modarresi, Taqi Iranian writers 1931 births 1997 deaths