I came back from a visit to Iran last night and I just saw that Amir Zamanifar has died. This picture was sent to me back in March
2005 (he’s on the right. It shows him during the time he was doing his military service.)
I met Amir through my writings when he was in Rasht and he was a brilliant young man. I joked that he was another one of my adopted Iranian sons. His English was amazing and so was his knowledge of literature.
It is ironic that the book he requested by Gabriel Garcia Marquez to translate, never reached him. My father thought he had mailed it, but I found it their house on this trip.
I was supposed to call him and speak to him last year and I never got the chance and his sudden death is proof that you never know when life ends. I had planned to call him upon return but it is too late now.
I am glad I saved his e-mails, which were full of wit and intelligence. I mourn for his mother because she was not able to see him (he stated last year that he could not go back to Iran although he missed it terribly).
Words cannot express how sad I am and I feel fortunate that I met such a talented young man who was so dedicated to Iran and worked so hard to make sure his people’s message was heard by others.
May he rest in eternal peace.
