Annotated Bibliography & Artifacts

i have a victim complex

misplaced

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "Misplaced." BISIA 310 A. Autumn 2022.
In this piece I create a macabre sonnet of love and death with a grim theme throughout. I describe a bride and groom who lay in their caskets, unhappy with their lives. I then personify murder and describe the killing of damned souls. I also introduce my audience to a 'volta,' as a phrase towards the end that contradicts and adds complexity to the piece right on the last line.

It is important to include this piece in my portfolio because it's a great representation of some of my skills, including my ability to write an English Sonnet using the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme, turn the piece with a volta, count syllables, and stick to rigid writing rules. As someone who wants to show writing prowess, this piece exemplifies that, showing a difficult assignment created and completed in a unique way.

pink pearl eraser

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "Pink Pearl Eraser." BISIA 310 A. Autumn 2022.
In this piece I stir together a 'mystery soup' poem, creating a story of strife and romance. Using various figures of speech, I describe two people in an incongruous relationship with one another, one with mutual intention of success but no real sign of it happening. I then visit various memories of the relationship, before concluding in an open-ended state, with no understandable end to the poem, now a metaphor for the relationship itself.

I chose this poem because it's a good example of applying what I learned in one of my classes and creating something personal and emotional with it. I wanted to show that I am able to create pieces interwoven with more than surface-level emotion. This piece also shows that I can utilize various figures of speech, such as similes, metaphors, rhymes, vivid descriptions, compound adjectives, and more.

Letter to Her

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "Letter to Her." BISIA 310 A. Autumn 2022.

In this piece, I create a Postcard prose poem, which captures a moment in time with a strong sense of place. Inspired by Cecilia Woloch's “Postcard to I. Kaminsky from a Dream at the Edge of the Sea," I write an apologetic letter from one lover to another, simply explaining why their love must be true. I then create a list of physical attributes that confirm the writers love for their sweetheart.

I chose to use this piece for my portfolio because it highlights my ability to create longer works of poetry, rather than the normally 'short-written,' style of what which is often seen in. This piece is also written in an archaic style and voice, which demonstrates my skills of using older or dated language to produce unique pieces.

you were fruits

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "You Were Fruits." BISIA 310 A. Autumn 2022.

In this piece I write a persona poem, which is a poem in which the poet speaks through an assumed voice. This piece shares many characteristics with a theatrical monologue: in that there is an implied audience and no dialogue. Additionally, I take on the voice of a character, placing emphasis on subjective lines which are left up to the audience to interpret. I write of an abusive father with a tepid demeanor and a helpless and unknowing mother, using vivid descriptions throughout the piece.

This piece is important to include in my portfolio because it shows a lot of stylistic capability, using enjambment throughout the piece and a strikethrough for added effect. I wanted to show that I am capable of using not just the words of a poem, but even the tools which dictate my words themselves to create good poetry.

one single time

disjunct

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "Disjunct." BISIA 310 A. Autumn 2022.

In this poem  I focus on the space between words in what is spoken or said aloud in a conversation. I write about my speech defect, a stutter, and common misconceptions around how stuttering is a sign of weakness. I touch on weakness with voice versus with character, speak of when that weakness is most commonly and least commonly seen. It also concludes with the most difficult words to pronounce.

It is important to include this poem in my portfolio because it's a great representation of how my disabilities have not forced me to quit life and academic work, but instead they have become parts of what I utilize to reach success.

i was shocked!

A Hatred of Harold

Poem based on "The President's Wife" - The Jovian Bystander

Happy Days

Hindsight

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "Hindsight." BISIA 310 A. Autumn 2022.

In this piece I create a grisly and grotesque poem utilizing enjambment to describe the life of a serial killer on death row from their perspective. I begin the piece writing of their birth and disfigurement, then quickly connect it to their adulthood and crimes. The piece purposefully tries to bring about discomfort for a readers mind, and touches on sexual gratification from the murderous activities. It ends with the serial killer describing how they're now on death row, awaiting their execution.

I chose to use this piece for my portfolio because it is a good example of my ability to take and use the voice a fictional being and also my ability to create discomfort for a reader. I show my capacity to address several taboo points with no concern for filter or the language I utilize, or even the topics I touch on, something which I wanted to highlight in my portfolio.

"Tank Man" + "Raising a Flag over the Reichstag" Modern Recreations with writing on each piece

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "'Tank Man' + 'Raising a Flag over the Reichstag' Modern Recreations" BISIA 311 A. Winter 2022.

This project consists of two recreations of popular images in media history, based on current themes active in the modern day news cycle. The first is a recreation of the photo "Tank Man" by Jeff Widener, where I substituted Russian flags on top of Russian War tanks for the Chinese tanks that were previously there, on the background of the "Tank Man" image. This recreation also includes a man waving two Ukrainian flags, an image which had been seen in the media in defiance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The second image is a recreation of "Raising a Flag over the Reichstag" by Yevgeny Khaldei, where I put transgender rights at the forefront of the image. I replaced Berlin in the background with a photo of the Texas State Capitol during transgender rights protests, and changed the Soviet hammer and sickle flag into a colorized Transgender pride flag. 

I chose this project to include in my portfolio because I wanted to show that my capabilities go further than just poetry and written work, and can reach into graphic work (designing, editing) as well.

Farnaz Fassihi Biography

Khodabandehlou, Shahub. "Farnaz Fassihi Biography" BIS 227 A. Spring 2023.

In this essay I create a biography of Farnaz Fassihi, an Iranian-American journalist and conflict reporter. I describe her upbringing and early education, before moving on to her time at Harvard. I then narrate her 17 years as a war correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, and touch on many of her accomplishments as a journalist. The piece then concludes with some of her career accomplishments.

I identify this work as significant because it was part of a published book of feminist writing; a collection of biographies of radical women from the Pacific Northwest and their many accomplishments in various fields.

The Modern Student's Dictionary

The Birds

Passive Vulgarity

Crowd Response and How Politicians Change Their Speeches