Elaine Sciolino and David Burnett in Conversation with Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 remains as one of the most important world events of the second half of the twentieth century. There are numerous studies of the causes and consequences of the revolution, but how the revolution was lived and how those who experienced that revolutionary moment were transformed continue to raise questions about our understanding of this historic event. Through their words and images, Elaine Sciolino and David Burnett have captured the spirit of this revolution as it was unfolding. There will also be a slide show of Mr. Burnett’s remarkable photographs compiled in his book 44 Days: Iran and the Remaking of the World.

Elaine Sciolino is a writer for "The New York Times" and a former Paris bureau chief, based in France since 2002. Her 2015 book, “The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs,” was a New York Times best seller. In 2010, she was decorated a chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the highest honor of the French state, for her “special contribution” to the friendship between France and the United States.  Ms. Sciolino began her journalism career as a researcher at "Newsweek" in New York, later becoming national correspondent in Chicago, foreign correspondent in Paris, bureau chief in Rome and roving international correspondent. She was the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in 1982-1983, the first woman to receive that honor. She joined "The New York Times" in 1984, where she has held a number of posts, including United Nations bureau chief, Central Intelligence Agency correspondent, culture correspondent and chief diplomatic correspondent — the first woman to hold that post.  Her 2000 book, “Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran,” received several awards. Ms. Sciolino lives in Paris with her husband, Andrew Plump, an attorney. They have two daughters, Alessandra and Gabriela Plump.

David Burnett is a photojournalist with more than 5 decades of work covering the news, the people, and visual tempo of our age. He is co-founder of Contact Press Images, the New York based photojournalism agency, now entering its 44th year. "American Photo" magazine named Burnett one of the 100 Most Important People in Photography. (That made his mom very happy.)  In the spring of 2019, David was officially named an Artisan of Imagery with the Sony professional photographers group. In the spring of 2018, David was awarded the Sprague Award for Lifetime Achievement from the National Press Photographers Assn., though he claims he is now trying to figure out what his subsequent 'lifetime' work will be. 

Once Upon a Revolution in Iran by David Burnett