MightierThan.com » Poem http://www.mightierthan.com ideas VS. internets Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:40:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Poem for The Rooftops Suite http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/poem-for-the-rooftops-suite/ http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/poem-for-the-rooftops-suite/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:09:11 +0000 Chas Danner http://www.mightierthan.com/?p=496 A fourth poem has been added to the suite! It was recorded the night of June 21st and has only recently emerged. I once again had the help of some wonderful Iranian’s to help me translate, after which I titled it: “Let Us Not Forget”  And even though it has been a few weeks since it was recorded it’s still very compelling and quite relevant to what we’ve seen this week. (Read this for some more background on the other poem videos) So without further ado – I’m excited to announce that here are all four Poems for the Rooftops of Iran together for the first time – and there may even be a fifth (and definitely final this time)

Click here to jump right to the new one, or head down and browse all four in chronological order…


Tues June 16th 2009 – “Defenseless People”


Fri June 19th 2009 – “Where is This Place”


Sat June 20th 2009 – “Listen Closely”


Sun June 21st 2009 – “Let Us Not Forget”

]]> http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/poem-for-the-rooftops-suite/feed/ 1 Poem for the Rooftops Suite http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/poem-for-the-rooftops-suite-a/ http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/poem-for-the-rooftops-suite-a/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:10:27 +0000 Chas Danner http://www.mightierthan.com/?p=393 Lost in the 24 hour struggle to launch The Rooftop Project was the news that I had finished the first and final Poem for the Rooftops of Iran by YouTube user Oldouz84. I titled it Defenseless People. While it is already featured as the June 16th entry on The Rooftop Project, here it is again by itself so it gets the extra special attention it deserves. As with the June 20th video, I had the help of several Farsi speakers who’s translations I have woven together. Below the jump are the other two “Poems” so that all three are now viewable together for the first time. Also, you should know that “Oldouz84″ did not write these in advance but rather invented them spontaneously in the moment each time, something I find remarkable.

Three weeks ago I’m embarrassed to admit I could not have pointed to Tehran on a map. Now I have mastered highly focused YouTube searches in written Farsi and yesterday even got the point where I took issue with the New York Times for doubting the date of a video I had uploaded. (Like a geometry proof, I cited location, crowd makeup, and careful analysis of hundreds of other videos)

Since June 18th when I opened my YouTube account, my uploaded videos have received a combined 468,554 views. Most of these clips I found in other places and converted to YouTube so they would easier for Nico @ HuffPo to share. Almost all of them show terrible violence that I feel absolutely no pride in associating myself with. But of the footage to make it out from Iran, and I have seen almost all of it, I believe these “Poems” are the most important. Violence may have an easier time capturing our attention, but art is always more powerful at providing the resonance we need to understand and remember. These three videos capture the beating heart of this moment in Iran, and I feel truly fortunate to have been able to play any small part in making sure they are more fully seen.

7/12 UPDATE: There is a fourth video from June 22nd! Coming soon!!




]]> http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/poem-for-the-rooftops-suite-a/feed/ 3 New Rooftop Poem: Listen Closely http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/new-rooftop-poem-listen-closely/ http://www.mightierthan.com/2009/07/new-rooftop-poem-listen-closely/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:07:09 +0000 Chas Danner http://www.mightierthan.com/?p=324 New Poem for the Rooftops from that brave young woman in Iran. This was recorded on June 20th after the brutal government crackdown on protesters. That day among much other violence, was the murder of Neda Agha-Soltan, a 26 year old girl who was shot by the Basij militia.

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