Farzana Marie
Farzana Marie (born in 1983) is the pen name of Felisa Hervey, an American poet, author, and former United States Air Force officer.
Farzana Marie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Felisa Hervey California |
| Alma mater | United States Air Force Academy, University of Arizona |
| Occupation(s) | Military veteran, writer, poet, translator |
| Employer | United States Air Force |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal |
Early life
Hervey was born in California[1] to Episcopal Church missionary parents, Debbie and John Hervey.[2] Felisa and her five siblings lived with their parents in Chile and Kazakhstan before returning to their native California[2] when she was 15.[1]
Work
Hervey joined the United States Air Force Academy in June 2001.[2] Before graduating, she travelled to Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004 to work in an orphanage and learn Dari.[2][3] After graduation and joining the US Air Force, she spent two years working in Kabul where her fluency in Dari enabled community relations work.[2]
She received a Bronze Star Medal in 2012, the same year her six-year deployment to Afghanistan ended.[2] After her military career, Hervey returned to Kabul to study and later to work for NATO.[4] She worked as an editor and translator, using the pen name Farzana Marie.[2]
Hervey studied for a PhD in Persian literature at the University of Arizona, funded by a Pat Tillman Foundation scholarship.[2] In August 2015, before her PhD was complete, she suffered a stroke in Afghanistan.[4] Aphasia caused her to lose all six languages that she spoke.[4] In May 2019, she graduated with her Ph.D in Middle Eastern literature.[1]
Selected books
- Load Poems Like Guns: Women’s Poetry from Herat, Afghanistan, Holy Cow! Press (editor and translator)[6][7]
- Letters to War and Lethe (author)[2]
- Hearts for Sale! A Buyer’s Guide to Winning in Afghanistan, Worldwide Writings 2013, (author)[1]
References
- "Creating Cultural Understanding, One Word at a Time". University of Arizona News. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- Willett, Johanna (27 July 2014). "Air Force veteran had poetic purpose in Afghanistan". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- Drop By Drop': How Poetry Helped The U.S. Military In Afghanistan, July 16, 2018, NPR
- Woods, Alden. "A stroke stole this poet's words. Now she's trying to get them back". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- "Tucson couple helps families evacuate Afghanistan". KGUN 9 Tucson News. 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- Alhart, Valerie (2016-04-20). "2016 Best Translated Book Award finalists announced". News Center. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- Flood, Alison (2016-04-20). "Elena Ferrante and Clarice Lispector up for Best Translated Book award". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-10.