A Review of Wonderland and an Interview with the Author Fevziye Rahgozar By Farhad Azad Oct.-Dec. 1999 Lemar-Aftaab Fevziye Rahgozar's collection of poems, Deyaar-e Shegeftiha (Wonderland) published by Barge Sabz Publications in Spring of 1999, adds a new fragrance to contemporary Dari poetry and yet, is sensitive to the predicament of the Afghan people. Rahgozar's work captures you and renders the subjects in such a way that you can easily relate to them and thus have a deeper understanding of the people of present day Afghanistan. The following is a brief interview with Fevziye Rahgozar on her book Deyaar-e Shegeftiha (Wonderland): Farhad Azad: What inspired you to write this book? Fevziye Rahgozar: The biggest inspiration for me was the suffering and misery of my Nation. I am always thinking of them and try to help as much as I can, spiritually and materially. As I indicate in my introduction, "Wonderland" is a small sharing of the agony of my beloved people. Farhad Azad: You have split Wonderland into two sections, "Give me a Message" and "Greetings Life, Greetings Love." Why did you choose to divide the book into these two sections? Fevziye Rahgozar: I had no particular intention to do so. My publisher suggested it and I found it reasonable. Farhad Azad: How are the two sections of the book alike or different? Fevziye Rahgozar: The two parts of my book are different because in the first section, I talk on behalf of my wonderful people who face unlimited agony. The second part pertains to my own feelings about life and love. Farhad Azad:In the first part of the book, you talk much about the Afghan people and the war that has affected them. And one area that you write most about is children. What is the significance of children in your work? Fevziye Rahgozar: Children are the basis of life. I consider the children of Afghanistan as the most affected victims of war, the most needy to receive help. They deserve all kinds of assistance and support and I have written many short stories about the innocent children of Afghanistan. I love children so much and if God provides me with some money, I will build the most beautiful foundation for the Afghan children. Farhad Azad: You refer to the Afghan children as "children of the light"? How do you keep a balance of despair and hope in regard to their plight? Fevziye Rahgozar: There is no balance between pain and hope. Pain is always deeper and full of suffering, while hope is something that gives comfort. I do not think there is any hope for Afghan children. They are fed with anger and hate. How can we accept [it] if they [can't] see any hope in the near future? Farhad Azad: One particular poem that I would like to discuss is "Dukhtarak Masum-ast" ("The Little Girl is Innocent"). What inspired you to write this poem? Fevziye Rahgozar: This poem is based on the true story of a nine-year-old girl whose mother was a helper in our home in Kabul. [The little girl] was sold to a man fifty years of age, and I was almost the same age as the little girl. I will never forget that savage business of her father. I know that hundreds like her are just born to suffer the pain of being a female. I do not know what happened to her, but her story remained in my memories as the strongest nightmare that I have ever had. Farhad Azad:You also write about the women of Afghanistan. What do you want to convey to the reader when you write about the condition of the women of Afghanistan? Fevziye Rahgozar: I want the reader to know and to share the unbelievable fate of forgotten women who also live in the same planet. I want my readers to notice the on-going 'genocide' in Afghanistan and to hear the silent voices of those innocent women. Farhad Azad: By having field experience as a radio reporter in the Afghan refugee camps and reporting on the Afghan refugees in Europe, how did this impact the material in your book? Fevziye Rahgozar: Unfortunately, I have not visited Pakistani camps. I have never been to Pakistan. I did all my reports and news on the refugee camps in Turkey and other European countries. I had left Afghanistan [before the war] and never had any interest to visit any part of Pakistan. My stories on Afghans in Pakistan are based on the true events that occurred to my close relatives, my friends and their families whom I met mostly in Germany and Austria. Farhad Azad: In your poem "Kabul-e Man" ("My Kabul"), you describe Kabul as a sweet little child that has been stripped of all her charm. Can you elaborate on this poem? Fevziye Rahgozar: Kabul, as I call it, "The sweet city of my sweet memories," always remains in my mind as the wonderful little city where I shared my great time of childhood with my huge family that consisted of my uncles, aunts, cousins and so on. Farhad Azad: The poem "Mard-e Tanha-e Ghourbat" ("The Lonely Man in Exile") depicts an old man awaiting a loved one; as he awaits, the distant lantern of the hopes of life are extinguished. What inspired you to write this poem? Fevziye Rahgozar: In Munich, Germany, where I have my permanent residence, there are a lot of beautiful parks. I always enjoyed riding my bicycle throughout the park. There was an old man [there] whom I assumed to be a lonely Afghan. I wrote that poem for him and tried to describe him as I saw him. Farhad Azad:This collection of poetry is written in the free verse style. Do you favor the free verse to the traditional forms of Dari poetry, such as the ghazal? Fevziye Rahgozar: I have some ghazals. But I have no intention of printing it. Who dares to write a ghazal after Hafiz and Saadi? I will always have my own free style and in my second collection "I am in Love with Love," I try to express myself as free and true as I can. The Ghazal is not my style. I hate to be or to sound monotonous. Farhad Azad: This book is perhaps one of the best examples of poetic drama: love and war. What are your feelings about this collection of poetry? Fevziye Rahgozar: I never like to re-read my work after publication. It sounds always different to me. I have no word[s] to say. I am just happy for the wonderful comments and critiques that I have received so far from all my readers. Their encouragement is the only reason that made me publish my second and third volumes of poetry. Farhad Azad:Do you have any final thoughts that you would like to share? Fevziye Rahgozar: Thank you very much for conducting this interview with me. I will try to deserve the support of my great and beloved people. You have my best regards [for] all your readers. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To receive information on purchasing Deyaar-e Shegeftiha (Wonderland), send e-mail to afghanbookplace@afghanmagazine.com. Featured work by Fevziye Rahgozar: maatab-e khorshid (poem) April-Sept 1999 Princess of Waltzes (short story) April-Sept. 1999) Paa-e Chobin-e Omar (short story) Jan-March 1999 Three Love Poems (poetry) Jan-March 1999 Dukhtar-ak Maasum hast (poem) Oct-Dec 1998 Copyright © 1999 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.