Persis Karim
Persis Maryam Karim (born 1962) is an American poet, essayist, editor, and educator. Her work focuses on Iranians living outside of Iran, specifically Iranian Americans, and their complicated histories and identities which is often presented through storytelling. She served as the Neda Nobari Distinguished Chair and director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University (SFSU) from 2017 to 2025.
Also recorded as Persis M. Karim · Persis Maryam Karim · Karim, Persis M.
Persis Karim

PersisKarim · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Persis Karim
- Birth Name
- Persis Maryam Karim
- Born
- 1962
- Birthplace
- Walnut Creek, California, U.S.
- Education
- University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Texas at Austin
- Occupation
- Poet, editor, educator
- Known for
- Iranian Diaspora Studies, Iranian American Studies
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Persis Maryam Karim (born 1962) is an American poet, essayist, editor, and educator. Her work focuses on Iranians living outside of Iran, specifically Iranian Americans, and their complicated histories and identities which is often presented through storytelling. She served as the Neda Nobari Distinguished Chair and director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University (SFSU) from 2017 to 2025.
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wikidata · Q109544706 · wikipedia · Persis Karim
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Persis Karim • Birth Name — Persis Maryam Karim • Born — 1962 • Birthplace — Walnut Creek, California, U.S. • Education — University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Texas at Austin • Occupation — Poet, editor, educator • Known for — Iranian Diaspora Studies, Iranian American Studies • Website — http: persiskarim.com/
Biography
Biography
Persis Maryam Karim was born in 1962 in Walnut Creek, California. Her father was an Iranian, born in Paris; her mother was French and had immigrated from Dijon, France. She was the youngest child in her family (with six siblings and two half siblings), and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Karim attended the University of California, Santa Cruz (BA 1985), and University of Texas at Austin (PhD 1998, comparative literature). She had studied under poet Al Young. Karim is known for editing anthologies and sharing the stories of Iranian-Americans, including A World Between: Poems, Short Stories, and Essays by Iranian-Americans (1999) and Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian American Writers (2013). From 1999 until 2017, Karim worked at San José State University, where she was a co-director of its Persian Studies Program. Karim and Soumyaa K. Behrnes co-directed the documentary film The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life (2024), which follows the Iranian diaspora community in the San Francisco Bay Area from the 1950s until present day. The Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies is scheduled to close in 2025.
Contributions
Contributions
* *
Publications
* * * * *
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Karim, Persis M. 1962–. Encyclopedia.com.
- 2.Mojadad, Ida. We Are Here, We Have Always Been Here. SF Weekly. 2019-03-21.
- 3.Jamali, Lily. When Iran Makes Headlines, Iranian Americans Find Themselves Having to Explain. KQED. 11 January 2020.
- 4.Parvini, Sarah. Are Arabs and Iranians white? Census says yes, but many disagree. San Diego Union-Tribune. 2019-03-28.
- 5.Taxin, Amy. Iranian-Americans nurture new generations after revolution. ABC News.
- 6.Kaur, Kiren. Closure of pioneering Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies leaves void in community. Golden Gate Xpress. December 27, 2024.
- 7.Contra Costa Times. Evelyne M. Karim Obituary. Legacy.com. July 10, 2011.
- 8.San Francisco Chronicle. Alexander Karim Obituary. Legacy.com. February 22, 2005.
- 9.Curiel, Jonathan. Iranian artists explore a culture in the crosshairs. SFGATE. 2005-06-11.
- 10.From L.A. to Tehran, nose jobs are a rite of passage and a quiet rebellion for many Persian women. Los Angeles Times. 2017-03-31.
- 11.Iranian-American Women Poets Zara Houshmand, Persis Karim and Katayoon Zandvaliki at San Jose's MLK Library. Payvand.com. 4 November 2004.
- 12.Whiting, Sam. Al Young, California poet laureate, novelist, singer and lecturer, dies at 81. Datebook, San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. San Francisco Chronicle. April 22, 2021.
- 13.Fiction Book Review: Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian American Writers by Edited by Anita Amirrezvani and Persis Karim. Univ. of Arkansas, $24.95 (467p) ISBN 978-1-55728-995-7. PublishersWeekly.com.
- 14.Kalantari, Shuka. The Seven Edible 'S' Foods of the Persian New Year. KQED. 20 March 2015.
- 15.Matin-Asgari, Afshin. A Review of The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life. Jadaliyya (جدلية). March 11, 2025.
- 16.Fiction Book Review: A World Between: Poems, Stories, and Essays by Iranian-Americans by Persis Karim, Editor, Mehdi M. Khorrami, Editor George Braziller $18.5 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8076-1445-7. PublishersWeekly.com.
- 17.Davis, Dick. A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian Americans, edited by Persis M. Karim and Mohammad Mehdi Khorrami. New York, NY: George Braziller, 1999. 15.00 (Paper) ISBN 0-8076-1445-9. Review of Middle East Studies. 33. 2. 178–179. 1999. 0026-3184.
- 18.Curiel, Jonathan. 'Emerging Voices' transcend politics / Hearing top artists from 'evil' countries. SFGATE. 2006-11-26.
- 19.Nonfiction Book Review: Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora by Persis Karim, Editor . Univ. of Arkansas $24.95 (349p) ISBN 978-1-55728-820-2. PublishersWeekly.com.
- 20.Gray Jr., Elizabeth T. Tremors: New Fiction By Iranian American Writers. Harvard Review. October 13, 2014.
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