Texas
Nafas founder, Farid Mohammadi,
was a finalist for the Humanities
Texas Award. In her nomination of
Mr. Mohammadi, Dr. Betty Sue
Flowers, wrote: "I find it
remarkable that someone of Iranian
origin is helping Texans come to a
greater appreciation of their own
poetic heritage." For a photo and
more about the award, click here.
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Nafas, in Middle-Eastern
languages, is the word for ‘breath’
and a metaphor for spirit or life.
Texas Nafas airs on channel 10
& 16 @ varying hours . Please
go to www.channelaustin.org
and click on programming for exact
air time. |
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When you shop
@AmazonSmile, Amazon will
make a donation to Texas
Nafas. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/74-2898761 |
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Poetry on DVD
For over a decade, Texas Nafas has been
producing high quality DVDs in addition
to its made for television programming.
They include the Poetry Journal
series of educational DVDs, wherein two
distinguished scholars discuss and
recite from the works of acclaimed
poets, and the equally informative and
entertaining readings of Rumi by Robert
Bly, Coleman Barks and Naomi Shihab Nye.
Click here to view
some clips.
See also our clips on YouTube!
Click here for
more information about these treasures
and to learn how to get your personal
copy.
Click here for
more information about these treasures
and to learn how to get your personal
copy.
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Mission
The mission of Texas Nafas is to
nurture the soul of mankind through
poetry. Our earnest desire is that
poetry should be more widely read,
written, performed, published,
celebrated, recognized, and
praised. We bring poetry to new
audiences through television, create
educational videos to increase the
understanding of poetry, and bring
poetry to life through exciting
performances. Our work honors
excellence in the poetry of all
cultures.
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Founder Farid Mohammadi
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Philosophy
Poetry is the language of the heart,
and of the highest impulse of the spirit
in all cultures. To live closely
with poetry is to exercise the very best
in our being.
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I
give you the end of a golden
string,
Only wind it into a ball,
It will lead you in at
heaven's gate
Built in Jerusalem's Wall.
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William
Blake
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History
Texas Nafas originated
in 1997 when Farid Mohammadi first videotaped
readings at the Austin International Poetry
Festival for up to fifteen hours a day and
interviewed poets over breakfast.
Mohammadi received so much interest from the
Austin poetry community that he immediately
began organizing volunteers to help in the
production of a television show. By July
of 1997, Mohammadi had produced four episodes
and was committed to a weekly broadcast schedule
that has continued unbroken since then.
In 2004, Texas Nafas presented its first live
public reading in Austin, hosting Robert Bly and
Naomi Shihab Nye to the delight of an audience
of over 500. The success of the program
made history for the poetry community in Austin
and was repeated the next year when we presented
a reading by Coleman Barks to an audience of
almost 1000.
To make its work more widely available, Texas
Nafas produces quality DVDs of its best
programming. Our first effort, featuring
Robert Bly and Naomi Shihab Nye, was honored by
a special recommendation from NPR.
One of our most ambitious DVD projects is Poetry
Journal, a twelve-part series of lively
scholarly discussion on master poets whose work
is the core of education on poetry in
America.
Texas Nafas was incorporated as a nonprofit
organization in 1998, and has received support
from the City of Austin Arts Commission
regularly since then.
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The
original Texas Nafas team was based in
Austin, Texas, and put many hours and
many miles travel behind them to make
poetry accessible to a mass audience.
Thank you.
Texas Nafas was organized and is
operated principally by its Executive
Director and Producer, Farid
Mohammadi.
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Friends of Texas Nafas
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Coleman Barks,
renown interpreter of Persian poet Rumi, poses
with Farid
following
his
Texas
Nafas
produced presentation
at the Texas School
for the Deaf in Austin, Texas.
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Robert
Bly poses with Farid following
his his Texas Nafas sponsored performance
with Naomi Shihab Nye on
April 13, 2004, at the Doubletree Hotel in Austin,
Texas. |
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