Hasti Jafari Jozani - MFA in Creative Writing - College of Liberal & Creative Arts
For Hasti Jafari Jozani, a graduate student from Iran, San Francisco State provided a newfound sense of belonging and inspired them to “make increasingly more chaotic and authentic art.” Hasti, a playwright and theatre artist, has been extraordinarily active in the Creative Writing Department — whether they are creating a series of zines on the Jina revolution in Iran (also known as the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement), writing comedic plays and creative nonfiction, volunteering or teaching.
Hasti dreams of creating spaces through theatre and teaching that empower others to be unapologetically themselves. They have taken a leadership role in multiple communities to create cross-cultural works and build dialogue. Activities include publishing an op-ed and participating in a campus teach-in on the women’s movement in Iran, presenting a panel on social justice and pedagogy at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference, and volunteering in graduate student groups to develop inclusive teaching methods and writing practices. Hasti was also playwright-in-residence at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.
Professor Michelle Carter, Hasti’s thesis committee director, describes their genre-crossing ingenuity: “Students have often marveled, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this. Hasti’s bold, original work defies description. Hasti has dazzled us with their inventiveness and offered brilliant, generous commentary to their peers. In diving ever deeper, Hasti creates new forms restlessly, inspiring us with their passionate questioning.”