Whitney S. May

Whitney S. May, MA, is a lecturer for the Department of English at Texas State University and a doctoral candidate in the American Studies program at the University of Texas. Her related work appears on The Conversation, and her gratitude for insights into this subject measures 3.202e+15 miles.
Son of Freedom: Dissident Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi

Son of Freedom: Dissident Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi

Dissident Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi – an heir to the legacies of Persian rap’s founders – carries a torch for Women, Life, Freedom as death looms.

Gol o Bolbol Go Viral: Iranian Protest Songs in the Age of Social Media

Gol o Bolbol Go Viral: Iranian Protest Songs in the Age of Social Media

Iranian protest songs like “Soltane Ghalbha”, which lyrically invoke “structures of feeling” connected to the loss and grief of a loved one, achieve an encoded additional layer of resistance when paired with the specific images and stories of lost young Iranians.