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09/23/2005
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1) On Again, off Again, Again Back on...
Instanbul's Armenian Genocide Conference Continues to Cause Stir
2) ANCA-WR Banquet Draws over 600 Federal, State, and Local Officials,
Community Members
3) System Of A Down Calls on Speaker Hastert to Hold Vote on Armenian
Genocide
Resolution
4) Scholars Urge Ankara to Allow Free Debate on Armenian Genocide
5) LA Mayor Villaraigosa Names Armenian Americans to Administration
6) US House of Representatives Marks Upcoming Visit of Catholicos Aram I
7) ANCA-WR Wraps up Local Summer Internship
8) Critics' Forum- Literature
9) G_d's Wrath*
10)HARVEST GALLERY presents Anahit
11) SKETCHED--A one-woman show written and performed by Lory Tatoulian
1) On Again, off Again, Again Back on...
Instanbul's Armenian Genocide Conference Continues to Cause Stir
ISTANBUL(AFP/Reuiters)--A conference on the genocide of Armenians will be held
on Saturday at a new Istanbul location to circumvent a Turkish court ruling
banning the meeting, organizers said on Friday. The CNN Turk television
channel
said the rectors of Bilgi University in Istanbul had agreed to a request by
the
organizers to host the conference.
The Turkish courts ruling following a complaint by nationalists, comes just
days before Turkey is due to start talks on joining the European Union.
One of the organizers of the conference on ''Ottoman Armenians During the
Fall
of the Empire,'' Dr. Halil Berktay of the Sabanci University, remarked that
the
conference must take place as soon as possible so that democracy, academic
freedom and university's autonomy are not damaged.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Turkish Confederation of Revolutionary Labor
Unions
(DISK) Suleyman Celebi has noted that the court decision that suspended the
Armenian conference is against laws and scientific freedom. ''The conference
was initially postponed due to a reaction from the Minister of Justice of
Turkey. The conference was re-scheduled for September 23-25 with the
cooperation of Bogazici, Bilgi, and Sabanci universities,' Celebi said.
A group of Bogazici students protested the Istanbul court's decision by
putting tapes on their mouths. The students stressed that the court
decision to
suspend the Armenian conference is actually a blow to democracy and academic
freedoms in Turkey.
The first attempt to stage the conference in May was abandoned after Turkey's
justice minister accused organizers of stabbing Turkey in the back.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says it was illegal even to discuss the
issue until a very recent reform inspired by Turkey's bid for membership of
the
European Union.
2) ANCA-WR Banquet Draws over 600 Federal, State, and Local Officials,
Community Members
LOS ANGELES, CAThe Armenian National Committee of AmericaWestern Region
(ANCA-WR) played host to a maximum capacity audience at its annual banquet on
September 18, 2005 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. Over 600 supporters of
the ANCA-WR attended the annual banquet, including dozens of federal, state,
and local legislators, and community leaders. The event raised over
$200,000 to
help the ANCA-WR advance issues of concern to Armenian American community.
Banquet benefactors Khachik and Elo Mouradian were joined by Frank and Houri
Melkonian, Ashken Pilavjian, John and Asdghik Bedrosian, and Sarkis and Noune
Sepetjian in cosponsoring the event.
The ANCA-WR presented California State Senator Jackie Kanchelian-Speier
(D-San
Francisco/San Mateo) with the 2005 ANCA-WR Woman of the Year Award and the
ANCA's own Elizabeth Chouldjian with the 2005 ANCA-WR Vahan Cardashian Award
for her dedication and tenacity in advancing the Armenian Cause. Congressman
George Radanovich (R-CA), by video, joined Congressman Adam Schiff (D-29) in
praising the ANCA-WR's efforts in helping the Armenian Genocide resolutions
pass through the House International Relations Committee last week. Newly
elected Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave special remarks during the
evening's program where he expressed his appreciation for the support that the
ANCA-WR and the Armenian American community have given him during his
tenure as
a legislator. The Mayor also used the opportunity to announce appointments of
Armenian Americans to his administration.
In her acceptance speech, Senator Speier told the attendees about her
Armenian
roots, reaffirmed her commitment to the Armenian American community, and
praised the ANCA for its activism within the American political sphere. `The
Armenian National Committee of America has gone beyond the call of duty in
pushing Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide, and I applaud them,' said
Senator Speier.
The ANCA-WR Annual Banquet is the largest event of its kind and helps raise
funds to operate the nation's largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots and political advocacy organization. Through these funds, the
ANCA-WR is able to educate the general public about the Armenian Genocide, the
Republic of Armenia, Mountainous Karabagh, and other vital issues of
concern to
the Armenian American community.
`I'm inspired by your generosity, by your continued commitment to support
this
organization to support this community's voice in public affairs and to
continue to demand that we get the Armenian voice heard by public
officials, by
policy makers, and law makers,' said ANCA-WR Board Chairman Steve Dadaian in
his remarks that closed the evening's program.
3) System Of A Down Calls on Speaker Hastert to Hold Vote on Armenian
Genocide
Resolution
Thousands of Fans Respond to Alert on News Section of www.systemofadown.com
WASHINGTON, DC--Within hours of posting a notice on Tuesday night on the
System Of A Down website, thousands of fans from across the United States have
sent ANCA WebFaxes urging Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to schedule a US
House vote on legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The letters, sent through the ANCA's free WebFax system, urge the Speaker to
honor his pledge, made in October of 2000, to hold a vote on the Armenian
Genocide Resolution. The WebFaxes stress that `The Armenian Genocide is a
clear-cut moral issue. Our government's failure to stand up to Turkey's denial
is an outrage... Today, the fate of this human rights issue rests in your
hands. Do the right thingkeep your pledge. Serve US interests and American
values by allowing this legislation to reach the floor for a vote at the
earliest possible opportunity.'
On September 15, the House International Relations Committee overwhelmingly
approved legislation properly recognizing the Armenian Genocide. During the
course of a three-hour meeting, 21 members of this 50-member panel spoke in
favor of HRes316 and HConRes195, which were adopted by bipartisan
majorities of
40 to 7 and 35 to 11, respectively. Similar legislation was adopted by the
Committee in 2000, but was withdrawn by Speaker Hastert, at the urging of
President Clinton, only moments before it was to reach the House floor for a
vote. In the aftermath of his withdrawal of the measure, Speaker Hastert
pledged to hold a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, but has failed to
honor this promise.
In May of this year, Mezmerize, the first half of the band's two-part album
Mezmerize/Hypnotize, debuted as the number-one selling CD in the United
States.
On April 24 of this year, System held a sold-out `Souls 2005' benefit concert
for the ANCA and other groups working to prevent genocide and counter genocide
denial. The band has sold nearly 10 million CDs worldwide. A Google search for
`System of a Down' returns over 1.6 million hits.
The ANCA, at the invitation of the band, has worked alongside Amnesty
International and Axis of Justice at activist tables at concerts to distribute
educational materials, secure signatures on petitions, field questions, and
promote discussion about the Turkish government's ongoing denial of the
Armenian Genocide.
For information about System of a Down, including a full listing of
their remaining tour dates, visit http: www.systemofadown.com
The full text of the System of a Down action alert can be viewed on-line by
visiting www.systemofadown.com and clicking on `NEWS.'
4) Scholars Urge Ankara to Allow Free Debate on Armenian Genocide
(RFE/RL)--More than 60 Turkish, Diaspora Armenian and Western academics have
sent a joint letter to official Ankara expressing `deep concern' about what
they see as a continuing persecution of Turkish intellectuals challenging its
vehement denial of the Armenian genocide.
`We think Turkish state and society can only attain peace within Turkey and
abroad by critically confronting its own history,' reads the letter
obtained by
RFE/RL on Wednesday. `A critical analysis, discussion and debate of the
location of minorities in that history is essential for the replacement of
violent solutions with peaceful ones.'
The statement was addressed to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his top ministers. Its signatories specifically urged
the Turkish leaders to ensure that a landmark conference on the 1915-1918 mass
killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, which is
scheduled to start in Istanbul on Friday, proceeds `without harassment or
interference.'
The three-day conference titled `Ottoman Armenians of an Empire in
Decline' is
organized by the private Bosphorus Univeristy of Istanbul. It will bring
together Turkish scholars and intellectuals who question the official line on
the Armenian massacres. The conference was originally scheduled for May, but
was postponed after Turkey's Justice Minister Cemil Cicek condemned the
initiative as `treason' and a `stab in the back of the Turkish nation'.
The comments were denounced by senior officials from the European Union who
warned that they could complicate the upcoming start of Turkey's membership
talks with the EU. The Turkish government said subsequently that it does not
object to the holding of the forum.
`Given the current hostility regarding the public discussion of minorities in
Turkey, we cannot overstate how important it is for the rescheduled conference
that is to take place during 23-25 September 2005 to proceed without
harassment
or interference,' says the letter.
The academics who signed it also condemned criminal proceedings launched
against prominent Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk and Hrant Dink, the ethnic
Armenian editor of an Istanbul newspaper. Pamuk was charged with `denigrating
Turkish identity' in a February interview with a Swiss newspaper in which he
stated that `one million Armenians were killed in these lands.' Dink is facing
potential imprisonment on similar charges.
One of the letter's signatories is Taner Akcam, a University of Minnesota
professor and one of few Turkish historians who openly refer to the slaughter
of more than a million Ottoman Armenians as genocide. Also signing it were two
dozen Turkish scholars, most of them working at US and European universities.
5) LA Mayor Villaraigosa Names Armenian Americans to Administration
LOS ANGELES--Newly elected Mayor of the City of Los Angeles Antonio
Villaraigosa this week announced appointments of Armenian Americans to one of
the city's departments and various commissions. The announcement of Maria
Armoudian, Ara Bedrosian, Ed Ebrahimian, and Raffi Ghazarian to the City of
Los
Angeles' administration came during special remarks the Mayor delivered at the
2005 Armenian National Committee of America Western Region (ANCA-WR) Annual
Banquet.
`There were a great deal of people wanting to be a part of my
administration because we said that it would be an administration that would
reflect every community in Los Angeles,' said Mayor Villaraigosa during his
remarks.
Most notably, the Mayor appointed Ed Ebrahimian General Manager of the Los
Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting. Ebrahimian is the Mayor Villaraigosa's
first
appointment as a department head and is the first Armenian American to head a
department in the City of Los Angeles. Prior to his appointment, Ebrahimian
served as the Interim Director of the department. As General Manager, he will
be in charge of the department which is responsible for providing over 5,000
miles of street lighting, which includes over 240,000 street lights, within
the
city. The Bureau of Street Lighting is one of six bureaus in the Los Angeles
City Department of Public Works and is responsible for the design,
construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of the city's street lighting
system. Ebrahimian is a longtime member of the Homenetmen Glendale `Ararat'
Chapter.
Maria Armoudian, a member of the Green Party and an ANC-Burbank activist, was
appointed to the Los Angeles Commission of Environmental Affairs. She is the
Vice President of Programming at KPFK radio and was an instrumental part of
State Senator Richard Alarcon's staff.
Ara Bedrosian, an ANCA-WR Board member and Chairman of the National
Organization of Republican Armenians (NORA) was appointed to the Los Angeles
Police Permits Review Commission. He is an attorney in a private practice law
firm in downtown Los Angeles.
Raffi Ghazarian, who is a member of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Camp
Management Board, Homenetmen `Masis' Chapter's athletic director, and a former
longtime AYF member, was appointed to the Los Angeles Children, Youth, and
Their Families Commission.
Since taking office, Mayor Villaraigosa has honored his pledge to have Los
Angeles's diverse ethnic communities represented in his administration.
Speaking in front of the over 600 people at the ANCA-WR Annual Banquet, the
Mayor emphasized that he made the first appointments of Armenian Americans
because they were the best candidates for the chosen roles. The Mayor's
appointments are subject to confirmation by the Los Angeles City Council.
6) US House of Representatives Marks Upcoming Visit of Catholicos Aram I
LOS ANGELES--Two prominent Members of Congress have submitted official
statements in the Congressional Record marking the upcoming visit in
October of
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. Los Angeles
area
US Representatives Adam Schiff (D-29) and Brad Sherman (D-27) both expressed
their great anticipation of the arrival of His Holiness.
Congressman Schiff stated that "the main theme of the Pontiff's visit is
'Towards the Light of Knowledge.' This theme reflects the Pontiff's deep faith
that only with greater education and dialogue can the world's conflicts be
properly addressed." Meanwhile, Congressman Brad Sherman followed by saying
"Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing His Holiness Aram I, a man who has
been a strong voice for mutual understanding among religions, cultures and
civilizations; a true spiritual leader committed to peace, justice, and human
rights."
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and
debates
of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government
Printing Office, and is issued daily when Congress is in session. Following
are
the full statements that were submitted by the two congressmen.
US Representative Adam Schiff
Member of Congress
In Recognition of Catholicos Aram I's Pontifical Visit to California
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my Armenian American constituents in
California's 29th Congressional District in welcoming the upcoming Pontifical
visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. His
Holiness will be visiting the State of California this October at the
invitation of His Eminence, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian of the Western
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia is the
spiritual
leader for hundreds of thousands of Armenians around the world and one of the
most prominent Christian leaders in the Middle East. The Pontiff presently
serves as the Moderator for the World Council of Churches (WCC). This
prominent ecumenical organization is comprised of more than 340 churches from
different cultures and nations around the world representing over 400 million
Christians. The Pontiff, who is the first Orthodox and the youngest person to
be elevated to this post, is currently serving his second term as Moderator.
The main theme of the Pontiff's visit is "Towards the Light of Knowledge."
This theme reflects the Pontiff's deep faith that only with greater education
and dialogue can the world's conflicts be properly addressed.
The Catholicos's visit will be marked by a number of major events,
including a
speech he will deliver on October 14th at the Los Angeles World Affairs
Council
concerning the challenges to inter-religious dialogue in the Middle East. He
will also participate by giving the main address at a symposium to be held at
the University of Southern California focusing on "Christian Responses to
Violence."
Of special significance to the 29th Congressional District, the Catholicos
will be consecrating the Saint Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Pasadena
and
blessing a new headquarters for the Western Prelacy. I ask all Members to
join
with me and the Armenian American community throughout the State of California
in welcoming the upcoming Pontifical visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos
of the Great House of Cilicia.
US Representative Brad Sherman
Member of Congress
Tribute To His Holiness Aram I
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to join my Armenian American
constituents of California's 27th Congressional District in welcoming His
Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, to the State of
California.
His Holiness Aram I was elected Catholicos on June 28, 1995. Four years
earlier, His Holiness had been selected to serve as the Moderator for the
World
Council of Churches (WCC). This prominent ecumenical organization is composed
of more than 340 churches from around the world and represents over 400
million
Christians. His Holiness is the first Orthodox Christian and the youngest
person to be elevated to the post of Moderator of the WCC.
Aram I was ordained a priest in 1968 and obtained the title of Vartabed
(Doctor of the Armenian Church) in 1970. In 1979 he was elected Primate of the
Armenian Orthodox community in Lebanon. The next year he received his
Episcopal
ordination. His tenure as Primate of the Armenian community in Lebanon
coincided with the Lebanese Civil War. During this time and after, His
Holiness
reorganized parishes and schools, restructured and reactivated church-related
institutions, and renewed community leadership.
As a strong supporter of inter-religious relations, dialogue and cooperation,
Aram I has played a significant part in promoting common values, mutual
understanding and peaceful coexistence among religions. He has worked
tirelessly as Primate to foster tolerance and build mutual confidence between
Christian and Muslim communities.
His Holiness is also active as a scholar and has written several books in
which he frequently admonishes the vital importance of dialogue and
collaboration among the living faiths of the world.
We can expect a message of peace and unity when His Holiness addresses the
Los
Angeles World Affairs Council on October 14th, 2005. His Holiness will also
present the main address at a symposium to be held at the University of
Southern California that will focus on how Christians respond to violence.
I am
honored that the Catholicos will be visiting the 27th District on October 7th
to preside over church services to be held at Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic
Church in Encino, California.
Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing His Holiness Aram I, a man who has
been a strong voice for mutual understanding among religions, cultures and
civilizations; a true spiritual leader committed to peace, justice, and human
rights.
7) ANCA-WR Wraps up Local Summer Internship
LOS ANGELES--The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
(ANCA-WR) recently wrapped up its Annual Summer Internship Program, which took
place at the regional offices in Glendale, CA.
The internship program is an opportunity for Armenian American youth to gain
the experience of grassroots community outreach by working on a variety of
issues of concern to Armenian American communities such as increasing Armenian
American political activism at the local level and developing economic links
between California and the Republic of Armenia.
`This internship allows us to further advance our grassroots efforts in the
Armenian American communities. Having the opportunity to help the youth
perfect
its grassroots and advocacy skills will ensure that the Armenian Cause will
continue to advance,' said ANCA-WR Board member Leonard Manoukian.
This year's interns were chosen from a large pool of young Armenian American
community-leaders and activists. Through the extensive application process
completed by the ANCA-WR Executive Board, Kaiane Habeshian and Shant Krikorian
were selected for the six-week program.
Kaiane Habeshian, a resident of Waltham, MA, is in her second year at
Brandeis University in Massachusetts where she plans on double majoring in
Biology and Spanish. She is currently playing a key role in establishing an
Armenian Student Association at her university.
Shant Krikorian who is a resident of Glendale, CA is in his first year at the
University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He has grown up as an active
member
of the Armenian American community, having been a Patrol Leader in the
Homenetmen Glendale `Ararat' Chapter's Scouting Division. He was also most
recently a board member of the Transnational Council of the European Union
Center of California.
8) Critics' Forum- Literature
Curious Sightings: Armenian Papers
By Hovig Tchalian
This week's article looks at a collection of poems neither new nor recently
re-published but nonetheless relevant. I refer to a curious collection of
poems published by the American man of letters, Harry Mathews. The collection
bears the even more curious title, Armenian Papers: Poems 1954-1984.
Mathews is a quintessentially American poet born in New York in 1930 who
emigrated to Europe in the early 1950's and, after living in various
countries,
finally settled in France. At the time, he had already become associated with
the New York school of poets, which included the likes of John Ashbery and
Kenneth Koch.
In 1972, Mathews became a member of the French intellectual group, Oulipo,
composed of mathematicians, poets and thinkers interested in exploring the
boundaries of form. The groups had previously included other great minds,
such
as the Italian philosopher Italo Calvino.
Over the years, Mathews has published a variety of literary works--novels,
poems, and experimental pieces. The poems and some prose poetry are collected
in Armenian Papers. The curiosity of the collection in this particular case
lies in two elements: the content of the work; but equally, its effect on the
reader, particularly the Armenian reader.
First, a look at the content. The collection brings together disparate
pieces, many of a consciously enigmatic nature. The quietly disturbing poem,
`Deathless, Lifeless,' describes the aftermath of a passing, then moves to
what
appears to be a nature scene, in the process expanding the description
outward:
Where did we
First separate?
Descending with difficulty from gulley to gulley
To break at the start? Here is that country,
The blue sky dives,
Steps up, and emerges at the bus,
Under oaks.
The cloudy hag swept through the black trunks
Lagged too much in her cloaked legs,
You, with stone legs.
The speaker is mindful of a `first' separation, a false `start,' as though
that smaller parting looked forward ominously to this infinitely larger one.
The search acts as a willful un-forgetting of the separation that has already
arrived and a mourning of what could have been.
The anthology is full of such descriptions of loss and forgetting, all
absorbed in the context of the larger experiment with thought, language and
form signaled by Mathews' membership in Oulipo. A brief poem entitled `Of
Course' (it is worth noting that the `title' appears underneath the poem
itself) sums up Mathews' style, what can only be called a series of
experiments
in sensibility:
I could hardly expect you to love me if I couldn't make up my mind about you.
If I thought love was pointless, how could I fail to repulse you?
I wouldn't expect your support if I derided beauty as skin-deep.
If I was a jerk, why would your intelligence tolerate it?
Who wants to fly his rocket ship through solid rock?
Who cares for strolling on the unpaved void of night?
Who takes icicles to bed in winter? Who likes his ice cream boiled?
Nobody wants that kind of world. Please agree.
The simple, almost simplistic, series of questions in the poem culminates
in a
final plea, to a lover, a reader, or perhaps a higher being.
These various experiments culminate in the collection of poems that give the
volume its name, Armenian Papers. The collection is named after the group of
lost Armenian medieval poems on which they are based, discovered in Italian
and
`translated' by the poet into English. As the Philadelphia City Paper's
Justin
Coffin puts it, `Mathews' adaptation is an attempt to rehabilitate the
original
work he has never seen. The chance of success is perhaps a little better than
the typewriting monkey's banging out King Lear, but Mathews' inevitable
failure
stands on its own.'
The failure, in this case, is almost pre-determined, a part of the game
Mathews plays with the poems and with himself, very much in line with the rest
of the volume. The theme is brought out clearly in the poems, which together
tell a tale of a man introduced into a village community and enamored of a
married woman named Sirvan. The love story touches on the same issues of love
and loss mentioned earlier but with the added layer of identity issues,
generated primarily by the context of translation--across languages, across
cultures.
The very first poem end with these lines, which could have just as easily
come
from a modern European novel: `As I looked around me, I saw among others
what I
myself was feeling, a pride familiar (as in one's own family), and this has
probably withstood the failure of the sacrifice, the desolation of the city,
the years of massacre and captivity.' The description perfectly encapsulates
the poems' feeling of identity (`family,' or what we might today call
`nationality') created, paradoxically, in a moment of isolation.
The final mention of massacre and captivity binds together the moment being
described with its future historyoursand both Armenian and non-Armenian
readers. It is a line of thought picked up again by the speaker of the fifth
poem: `When I sit in the darkness of never-harvested firs, the fruit over
smokeless charcoal seethes so faint you can hear a butterfly's flapping, or a
wren as [it] hops up the crannies of a wall: the wall my father
rebouldered, in
the last summer of our life together, truncated by a Settler's ax.' The blow
of the ax finds its echo several pages later, in these words that complete the
eighteenth poem: `You will know our powers for what they are: nothing more
than
a recognition of helplessness in the face of a destiny that does not exist.'
If the poet had written the words himself, he might have added, `please
agree.'
This series of poetic exercises begs the question--why Armenian poems? And
why these? We might imagine that Mathews chose these particular poems for one
of many reasons--the sense of enigma of words written long ago; or perhaps the
strange novelty of a foreign language.
For the Armenian reader, perhaps, coming across a volume like this one
presents the curious sensation of a satisfying `sighting'--akin to noticing an
Armenian last name in the otherwise anonymous list of credits that scroll
by at
the end of a film. But what remains of that satisfaction when we come to
realize the exact nature of the poems and their origin--medieval Italian poems
thought to have been written originally in Armenian?
Considering the answer to this question bring us to the second curiosity I
mentioned earlier--the reaction of the Armenian reader to the volume, or more
accurately, the relationship among the various parties in the curious triangle
created by that same reader, an American writer, and a series of enigmatic
poems of mysterious origin. It also brings the Armenian reader to the uneasy
realization that his estranged relationship to the poems is finally curiously
akin to the distant relationship of the American poet to his own material--a
curious distance, a sighting and no more.
Hovig Tchalian holds a PhD in English literature from UCLA. You can reach him
or any of the other contributors to Critics' Forum at
[email protected].
9) G_d's Wrath*
By Garen Yegparian
Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, and high gas prices- all
increasing
in frequency...
See what we have wrought? We have angered the Almighty by transgressing
against His laws.
And now we are reaping the whirlwind of G_d's wrath.
We have despoiled and degraded Creation. Water and air, intelligently
designed to sustain us, now poison us. The land, where it has not been
defiled
with outrageous construction is rendered too toxic to much of life through our
use of pesticides, herbicides, or outright industrial dumping.
We have initiated a period of unparalleled extinctions, the ultimate
insult to
the Creator, and severely limited the range of the plants and animals He
intended us to be the stewards of.
In the more specifically human realm we have engaged in numerous
transgressions against the Decalogue.
We have sanctioned murder, mass-murder actually, by engaging in needless,
unprovoked warfare and the legitimation of the death penalty- think of Texas
alone, where some 200 descendants of Adam and Eve, created in His image, have
been put to death over the last decade.
We have lied, deceived, and distorted, as when it comes to genocide and
preventing or atoning for it.
We have been covetous and greedy. We allow people to work all seven days of
the week with very little recompense. We allow the needy to suffer. And all
this we do and legitimize through our laws and societal systems.
Worse still, much of this is done in the Lord's name as when men of the cloth
such as Rev. Jerry Falwell after the September 11 attacks and Rev. Pat
Robertson recently regarding policy towards Venezuela's president advocate
opinions and approaches in direct contravention of His love and dictates.
Finally, we have disregarded the sage advice of our wise scientists who,
using
their G_d given intellect have warned against the dire consequences of our
planet destroying actions.
If you were the one true G_d, wouldn't you demonstrate your ire, particularly
by smiting those people and areas who have committed the worst sins?
* This article was conceived before hurricane Katrina struck.
10)HARVEST GALLERY presents Anahit
Artist Opening Reception: Friday, September 30, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
September 30 through October 2
GLENDALE--Harvest Gallery will be exhibiting the paintings and drawings of
Anahit Ar, beginning September 30.
Working with numerous art forms including graphic art and costume design,
Anahit Ar's paintings showcase figurative compositions and portraits that are
strong, expressive and dramatic yet flow with a sense of elasticity. Her work
has been displayed in several exhibitions and shows in fine art museums
throughout Russia and Armenia, as well as in private art collections.
Anahit Ar was born into a family of artists whose artistic roots span three
generations. Earning a bachelor of fine arts from Terlmezyan Fine Arts College
and a doctorate in art from the University of Fine Arts and Theater in
Armenia,
Anahit Ar became an accomplished artist-painter and international costume
designer with extensive associations with Russian drama theaters, ballet
organizations and opera houses, including the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet.
Anahit Ar's exhibit will be on display from Friday, September 30 through
Sunday, October 2. Gallery hours are Tuesday Sunday from 11:00 am to 7:00
pm.
Harvest Gallery: 938 North Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA
For information about the exhibit, call Harvest Gallery at 818.546.1000 or
visit <http://www.harvestgallery.com/>www.harvestgallery.com.
11) SKETCHED--A one-woman show written and performed by Lory Tatoulian
LOS ANGELES--On October 1-22, Dandigin Productions presents SKETCHED , a
one-woman show written and performed by Lory Tatoulian at HeartBeatHouse
Studio
in Atwater Village.
Tatoulian is an actress and playwright whose work explores issues of cultural
identity, gender and ethnic community dynamics. Her comedic character-studies
define the core of her style. Tatoulian's explorations take root in theatrical
monologues that meld the comedic and absurd experiences of several ethnic
groups, including Armenians, who make-up the American tableau. Her
intelligible
character portraits range from an Avon Lady who wants to help democratize the
world, to a housewife jazz singer from Beirut, to a car addict who
contemplates
her free-will on the freeway in the award-winning piece "Autosapiens," a
comedic realization of Californians' intricate relationship with their
automobiles. The San Diego Union Tribune writes, "The boldly physical
writer-performer Lory Tatoulian sent up SoCal's car mania in her explosive
satiric solo. Tatoulian is a find. In 'Autosapiens,' she creates a
freeway-crazed gal who's decided to spend her life in her car. As she eats,
observes, makes love and fights other drivers on the highway of life, she
devolves into another species altogether, the Autosapien."
SKETCHED is a collection of humorous stories and musical vignettes.
Throughout
the evening, Tatoulian manages to incarnate into 10 different characters from
across the globe. She collaborates with talented musician and composer Ara
Dabandjian. Together they bring jazz to Armenian children's songs, rhythm to
the stylings of Glendale and sheer satire to the peculiar inhabitants of all
those who live on the periphery of society.
SKETCHED will be running on the first four Saturdays in October at 8 p.m. The
exact dates are October 1,8,15,22.
Tickets are $15 and are available at the door.
Location: HeartBeatHouse Studio 3141 Glendale Blvd. LA CA 90039
In the heart of Atwater Village
Limited Seating, Reservations recommended by contacting Arpy Jahjah at
626-296-0028.
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ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
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mass media outlets.
TOP STORIES
09/23/2005
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WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM
1) On Again, off Again, Again Back on...
Instanbul's Armenian Genocide Conference Continues to Cause Stir
2) ANCA-WR Banquet Draws over 600 Federal, State, and Local Officials,
Community Members
3) System Of A Down Calls on Speaker Hastert to Hold Vote on Armenian
Genocide
Resolution
4) Scholars Urge Ankara to Allow Free Debate on Armenian Genocide
5) LA Mayor Villaraigosa Names Armenian Americans to Administration
6) US House of Representatives Marks Upcoming Visit of Catholicos Aram I
7) ANCA-WR Wraps up Local Summer Internship
8) Critics' Forum- Literature
9) G_d's Wrath*
10)HARVEST GALLERY presents Anahit
11) SKETCHED--A one-woman show written and performed by Lory Tatoulian
1) On Again, off Again, Again Back on...
Instanbul's Armenian Genocide Conference Continues to Cause Stir
ISTANBUL(AFP/Reuiters)--A conference on the genocide of Armenians will be held
on Saturday at a new Istanbul location to circumvent a Turkish court ruling
banning the meeting, organizers said on Friday. The CNN Turk television
channel
said the rectors of Bilgi University in Istanbul had agreed to a request by
the
organizers to host the conference.
The Turkish courts ruling following a complaint by nationalists, comes just
days before Turkey is due to start talks on joining the European Union.
One of the organizers of the conference on ''Ottoman Armenians During the
Fall
of the Empire,'' Dr. Halil Berktay of the Sabanci University, remarked that
the
conference must take place as soon as possible so that democracy, academic
freedom and university's autonomy are not damaged.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Turkish Confederation of Revolutionary Labor
Unions
(DISK) Suleyman Celebi has noted that the court decision that suspended the
Armenian conference is against laws and scientific freedom. ''The conference
was initially postponed due to a reaction from the Minister of Justice of
Turkey. The conference was re-scheduled for September 23-25 with the
cooperation of Bogazici, Bilgi, and Sabanci universities,' Celebi said.
A group of Bogazici students protested the Istanbul court's decision by
putting tapes on their mouths. The students stressed that the court
decision to
suspend the Armenian conference is actually a blow to democracy and academic
freedoms in Turkey.
The first attempt to stage the conference in May was abandoned after Turkey's
justice minister accused organizers of stabbing Turkey in the back.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says it was illegal even to discuss the
issue until a very recent reform inspired by Turkey's bid for membership of
the
European Union.
2) ANCA-WR Banquet Draws over 600 Federal, State, and Local Officials,
Community Members
LOS ANGELES, CAThe Armenian National Committee of AmericaWestern Region
(ANCA-WR) played host to a maximum capacity audience at its annual banquet on
September 18, 2005 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. Over 600 supporters of
the ANCA-WR attended the annual banquet, including dozens of federal, state,
and local legislators, and community leaders. The event raised over
$200,000 to
help the ANCA-WR advance issues of concern to Armenian American community.
Banquet benefactors Khachik and Elo Mouradian were joined by Frank and Houri
Melkonian, Ashken Pilavjian, John and Asdghik Bedrosian, and Sarkis and Noune
Sepetjian in cosponsoring the event.
The ANCA-WR presented California State Senator Jackie Kanchelian-Speier
(D-San
Francisco/San Mateo) with the 2005 ANCA-WR Woman of the Year Award and the
ANCA's own Elizabeth Chouldjian with the 2005 ANCA-WR Vahan Cardashian Award
for her dedication and tenacity in advancing the Armenian Cause. Congressman
George Radanovich (R-CA), by video, joined Congressman Adam Schiff (D-29) in
praising the ANCA-WR's efforts in helping the Armenian Genocide resolutions
pass through the House International Relations Committee last week. Newly
elected Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave special remarks during the
evening's program where he expressed his appreciation for the support that the
ANCA-WR and the Armenian American community have given him during his
tenure as
a legislator. The Mayor also used the opportunity to announce appointments of
Armenian Americans to his administration.
In her acceptance speech, Senator Speier told the attendees about her
Armenian
roots, reaffirmed her commitment to the Armenian American community, and
praised the ANCA for its activism within the American political sphere. `The
Armenian National Committee of America has gone beyond the call of duty in
pushing Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide, and I applaud them,' said
Senator Speier.
The ANCA-WR Annual Banquet is the largest event of its kind and helps raise
funds to operate the nation's largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots and political advocacy organization. Through these funds, the
ANCA-WR is able to educate the general public about the Armenian Genocide, the
Republic of Armenia, Mountainous Karabagh, and other vital issues of
concern to
the Armenian American community.
`I'm inspired by your generosity, by your continued commitment to support
this
organization to support this community's voice in public affairs and to
continue to demand that we get the Armenian voice heard by public
officials, by
policy makers, and law makers,' said ANCA-WR Board Chairman Steve Dadaian in
his remarks that closed the evening's program.
3) System Of A Down Calls on Speaker Hastert to Hold Vote on Armenian
Genocide
Resolution
Thousands of Fans Respond to Alert on News Section of www.systemofadown.com
WASHINGTON, DC--Within hours of posting a notice on Tuesday night on the
System Of A Down website, thousands of fans from across the United States have
sent ANCA WebFaxes urging Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to schedule a US
House vote on legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The letters, sent through the ANCA's free WebFax system, urge the Speaker to
honor his pledge, made in October of 2000, to hold a vote on the Armenian
Genocide Resolution. The WebFaxes stress that `The Armenian Genocide is a
clear-cut moral issue. Our government's failure to stand up to Turkey's denial
is an outrage... Today, the fate of this human rights issue rests in your
hands. Do the right thingkeep your pledge. Serve US interests and American
values by allowing this legislation to reach the floor for a vote at the
earliest possible opportunity.'
On September 15, the House International Relations Committee overwhelmingly
approved legislation properly recognizing the Armenian Genocide. During the
course of a three-hour meeting, 21 members of this 50-member panel spoke in
favor of HRes316 and HConRes195, which were adopted by bipartisan
majorities of
40 to 7 and 35 to 11, respectively. Similar legislation was adopted by the
Committee in 2000, but was withdrawn by Speaker Hastert, at the urging of
President Clinton, only moments before it was to reach the House floor for a
vote. In the aftermath of his withdrawal of the measure, Speaker Hastert
pledged to hold a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, but has failed to
honor this promise.
In May of this year, Mezmerize, the first half of the band's two-part album
Mezmerize/Hypnotize, debuted as the number-one selling CD in the United
States.
On April 24 of this year, System held a sold-out `Souls 2005' benefit concert
for the ANCA and other groups working to prevent genocide and counter genocide
denial. The band has sold nearly 10 million CDs worldwide. A Google search for
`System of a Down' returns over 1.6 million hits.
The ANCA, at the invitation of the band, has worked alongside Amnesty
International and Axis of Justice at activist tables at concerts to distribute
educational materials, secure signatures on petitions, field questions, and
promote discussion about the Turkish government's ongoing denial of the
Armenian Genocide.
For information about System of a Down, including a full listing of
their remaining tour dates, visit http: www.systemofadown.com
The full text of the System of a Down action alert can be viewed on-line by
visiting www.systemofadown.com and clicking on `NEWS.'
4) Scholars Urge Ankara to Allow Free Debate on Armenian Genocide
(RFE/RL)--More than 60 Turkish, Diaspora Armenian and Western academics have
sent a joint letter to official Ankara expressing `deep concern' about what
they see as a continuing persecution of Turkish intellectuals challenging its
vehement denial of the Armenian genocide.
`We think Turkish state and society can only attain peace within Turkey and
abroad by critically confronting its own history,' reads the letter
obtained by
RFE/RL on Wednesday. `A critical analysis, discussion and debate of the
location of minorities in that history is essential for the replacement of
violent solutions with peaceful ones.'
The statement was addressed to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his top ministers. Its signatories specifically urged
the Turkish leaders to ensure that a landmark conference on the 1915-1918 mass
killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, which is
scheduled to start in Istanbul on Friday, proceeds `without harassment or
interference.'
The three-day conference titled `Ottoman Armenians of an Empire in
Decline' is
organized by the private Bosphorus Univeristy of Istanbul. It will bring
together Turkish scholars and intellectuals who question the official line on
the Armenian massacres. The conference was originally scheduled for May, but
was postponed after Turkey's Justice Minister Cemil Cicek condemned the
initiative as `treason' and a `stab in the back of the Turkish nation'.
The comments were denounced by senior officials from the European Union who
warned that they could complicate the upcoming start of Turkey's membership
talks with the EU. The Turkish government said subsequently that it does not
object to the holding of the forum.
`Given the current hostility regarding the public discussion of minorities in
Turkey, we cannot overstate how important it is for the rescheduled conference
that is to take place during 23-25 September 2005 to proceed without
harassment
or interference,' says the letter.
The academics who signed it also condemned criminal proceedings launched
against prominent Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk and Hrant Dink, the ethnic
Armenian editor of an Istanbul newspaper. Pamuk was charged with `denigrating
Turkish identity' in a February interview with a Swiss newspaper in which he
stated that `one million Armenians were killed in these lands.' Dink is facing
potential imprisonment on similar charges.
One of the letter's signatories is Taner Akcam, a University of Minnesota
professor and one of few Turkish historians who openly refer to the slaughter
of more than a million Ottoman Armenians as genocide. Also signing it were two
dozen Turkish scholars, most of them working at US and European universities.
5) LA Mayor Villaraigosa Names Armenian Americans to Administration
LOS ANGELES--Newly elected Mayor of the City of Los Angeles Antonio
Villaraigosa this week announced appointments of Armenian Americans to one of
the city's departments and various commissions. The announcement of Maria
Armoudian, Ara Bedrosian, Ed Ebrahimian, and Raffi Ghazarian to the City of
Los
Angeles' administration came during special remarks the Mayor delivered at the
2005 Armenian National Committee of America Western Region (ANCA-WR) Annual
Banquet.
`There were a great deal of people wanting to be a part of my
administration because we said that it would be an administration that would
reflect every community in Los Angeles,' said Mayor Villaraigosa during his
remarks.
Most notably, the Mayor appointed Ed Ebrahimian General Manager of the Los
Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting. Ebrahimian is the Mayor Villaraigosa's
first
appointment as a department head and is the first Armenian American to head a
department in the City of Los Angeles. Prior to his appointment, Ebrahimian
served as the Interim Director of the department. As General Manager, he will
be in charge of the department which is responsible for providing over 5,000
miles of street lighting, which includes over 240,000 street lights, within
the
city. The Bureau of Street Lighting is one of six bureaus in the Los Angeles
City Department of Public Works and is responsible for the design,
construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of the city's street lighting
system. Ebrahimian is a longtime member of the Homenetmen Glendale `Ararat'
Chapter.
Maria Armoudian, a member of the Green Party and an ANC-Burbank activist, was
appointed to the Los Angeles Commission of Environmental Affairs. She is the
Vice President of Programming at KPFK radio and was an instrumental part of
State Senator Richard Alarcon's staff.
Ara Bedrosian, an ANCA-WR Board member and Chairman of the National
Organization of Republican Armenians (NORA) was appointed to the Los Angeles
Police Permits Review Commission. He is an attorney in a private practice law
firm in downtown Los Angeles.
Raffi Ghazarian, who is a member of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Camp
Management Board, Homenetmen `Masis' Chapter's athletic director, and a former
longtime AYF member, was appointed to the Los Angeles Children, Youth, and
Their Families Commission.
Since taking office, Mayor Villaraigosa has honored his pledge to have Los
Angeles's diverse ethnic communities represented in his administration.
Speaking in front of the over 600 people at the ANCA-WR Annual Banquet, the
Mayor emphasized that he made the first appointments of Armenian Americans
because they were the best candidates for the chosen roles. The Mayor's
appointments are subject to confirmation by the Los Angeles City Council.
6) US House of Representatives Marks Upcoming Visit of Catholicos Aram I
LOS ANGELES--Two prominent Members of Congress have submitted official
statements in the Congressional Record marking the upcoming visit in
October of
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. Los Angeles
area
US Representatives Adam Schiff (D-29) and Brad Sherman (D-27) both expressed
their great anticipation of the arrival of His Holiness.
Congressman Schiff stated that "the main theme of the Pontiff's visit is
'Towards the Light of Knowledge.' This theme reflects the Pontiff's deep faith
that only with greater education and dialogue can the world's conflicts be
properly addressed." Meanwhile, Congressman Brad Sherman followed by saying
"Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing His Holiness Aram I, a man who has
been a strong voice for mutual understanding among religions, cultures and
civilizations; a true spiritual leader committed to peace, justice, and human
rights."
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and
debates
of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government
Printing Office, and is issued daily when Congress is in session. Following
are
the full statements that were submitted by the two congressmen.
US Representative Adam Schiff
Member of Congress
In Recognition of Catholicos Aram I's Pontifical Visit to California
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my Armenian American constituents in
California's 29th Congressional District in welcoming the upcoming Pontifical
visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. His
Holiness will be visiting the State of California this October at the
invitation of His Eminence, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian of the Western
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia is the
spiritual
leader for hundreds of thousands of Armenians around the world and one of the
most prominent Christian leaders in the Middle East. The Pontiff presently
serves as the Moderator for the World Council of Churches (WCC). This
prominent ecumenical organization is comprised of more than 340 churches from
different cultures and nations around the world representing over 400 million
Christians. The Pontiff, who is the first Orthodox and the youngest person to
be elevated to this post, is currently serving his second term as Moderator.
The main theme of the Pontiff's visit is "Towards the Light of Knowledge."
This theme reflects the Pontiff's deep faith that only with greater education
and dialogue can the world's conflicts be properly addressed.
The Catholicos's visit will be marked by a number of major events,
including a
speech he will deliver on October 14th at the Los Angeles World Affairs
Council
concerning the challenges to inter-religious dialogue in the Middle East. He
will also participate by giving the main address at a symposium to be held at
the University of Southern California focusing on "Christian Responses to
Violence."
Of special significance to the 29th Congressional District, the Catholicos
will be consecrating the Saint Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Pasadena
and
blessing a new headquarters for the Western Prelacy. I ask all Members to
join
with me and the Armenian American community throughout the State of California
in welcoming the upcoming Pontifical visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos
of the Great House of Cilicia.
US Representative Brad Sherman
Member of Congress
Tribute To His Holiness Aram I
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to join my Armenian American
constituents of California's 27th Congressional District in welcoming His
Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, to the State of
California.
His Holiness Aram I was elected Catholicos on June 28, 1995. Four years
earlier, His Holiness had been selected to serve as the Moderator for the
World
Council of Churches (WCC). This prominent ecumenical organization is composed
of more than 340 churches from around the world and represents over 400
million
Christians. His Holiness is the first Orthodox Christian and the youngest
person to be elevated to the post of Moderator of the WCC.
Aram I was ordained a priest in 1968 and obtained the title of Vartabed
(Doctor of the Armenian Church) in 1970. In 1979 he was elected Primate of the
Armenian Orthodox community in Lebanon. The next year he received his
Episcopal
ordination. His tenure as Primate of the Armenian community in Lebanon
coincided with the Lebanese Civil War. During this time and after, His
Holiness
reorganized parishes and schools, restructured and reactivated church-related
institutions, and renewed community leadership.
As a strong supporter of inter-religious relations, dialogue and cooperation,
Aram I has played a significant part in promoting common values, mutual
understanding and peaceful coexistence among religions. He has worked
tirelessly as Primate to foster tolerance and build mutual confidence between
Christian and Muslim communities.
His Holiness is also active as a scholar and has written several books in
which he frequently admonishes the vital importance of dialogue and
collaboration among the living faiths of the world.
We can expect a message of peace and unity when His Holiness addresses the
Los
Angeles World Affairs Council on October 14th, 2005. His Holiness will also
present the main address at a symposium to be held at the University of
Southern California that will focus on how Christians respond to violence.
I am
honored that the Catholicos will be visiting the 27th District on October 7th
to preside over church services to be held at Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic
Church in Encino, California.
Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing His Holiness Aram I, a man who has
been a strong voice for mutual understanding among religions, cultures and
civilizations; a true spiritual leader committed to peace, justice, and human
rights.
7) ANCA-WR Wraps up Local Summer Internship
LOS ANGELES--The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
(ANCA-WR) recently wrapped up its Annual Summer Internship Program, which took
place at the regional offices in Glendale, CA.
The internship program is an opportunity for Armenian American youth to gain
the experience of grassroots community outreach by working on a variety of
issues of concern to Armenian American communities such as increasing Armenian
American political activism at the local level and developing economic links
between California and the Republic of Armenia.
`This internship allows us to further advance our grassroots efforts in the
Armenian American communities. Having the opportunity to help the youth
perfect
its grassroots and advocacy skills will ensure that the Armenian Cause will
continue to advance,' said ANCA-WR Board member Leonard Manoukian.
This year's interns were chosen from a large pool of young Armenian American
community-leaders and activists. Through the extensive application process
completed by the ANCA-WR Executive Board, Kaiane Habeshian and Shant Krikorian
were selected for the six-week program.
Kaiane Habeshian, a resident of Waltham, MA, is in her second year at
Brandeis University in Massachusetts where she plans on double majoring in
Biology and Spanish. She is currently playing a key role in establishing an
Armenian Student Association at her university.
Shant Krikorian who is a resident of Glendale, CA is in his first year at the
University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He has grown up as an active
member
of the Armenian American community, having been a Patrol Leader in the
Homenetmen Glendale `Ararat' Chapter's Scouting Division. He was also most
recently a board member of the Transnational Council of the European Union
Center of California.
8) Critics' Forum- Literature
Curious Sightings: Armenian Papers
By Hovig Tchalian
This week's article looks at a collection of poems neither new nor recently
re-published but nonetheless relevant. I refer to a curious collection of
poems published by the American man of letters, Harry Mathews. The collection
bears the even more curious title, Armenian Papers: Poems 1954-1984.
Mathews is a quintessentially American poet born in New York in 1930 who
emigrated to Europe in the early 1950's and, after living in various
countries,
finally settled in France. At the time, he had already become associated with
the New York school of poets, which included the likes of John Ashbery and
Kenneth Koch.
In 1972, Mathews became a member of the French intellectual group, Oulipo,
composed of mathematicians, poets and thinkers interested in exploring the
boundaries of form. The groups had previously included other great minds,
such
as the Italian philosopher Italo Calvino.
Over the years, Mathews has published a variety of literary works--novels,
poems, and experimental pieces. The poems and some prose poetry are collected
in Armenian Papers. The curiosity of the collection in this particular case
lies in two elements: the content of the work; but equally, its effect on the
reader, particularly the Armenian reader.
First, a look at the content. The collection brings together disparate
pieces, many of a consciously enigmatic nature. The quietly disturbing poem,
`Deathless, Lifeless,' describes the aftermath of a passing, then moves to
what
appears to be a nature scene, in the process expanding the description
outward:
Where did we
First separate?
Descending with difficulty from gulley to gulley
To break at the start? Here is that country,
The blue sky dives,
Steps up, and emerges at the bus,
Under oaks.
The cloudy hag swept through the black trunks
Lagged too much in her cloaked legs,
You, with stone legs.
The speaker is mindful of a `first' separation, a false `start,' as though
that smaller parting looked forward ominously to this infinitely larger one.
The search acts as a willful un-forgetting of the separation that has already
arrived and a mourning of what could have been.
The anthology is full of such descriptions of loss and forgetting, all
absorbed in the context of the larger experiment with thought, language and
form signaled by Mathews' membership in Oulipo. A brief poem entitled `Of
Course' (it is worth noting that the `title' appears underneath the poem
itself) sums up Mathews' style, what can only be called a series of
experiments
in sensibility:
I could hardly expect you to love me if I couldn't make up my mind about you.
If I thought love was pointless, how could I fail to repulse you?
I wouldn't expect your support if I derided beauty as skin-deep.
If I was a jerk, why would your intelligence tolerate it?
Who wants to fly his rocket ship through solid rock?
Who cares for strolling on the unpaved void of night?
Who takes icicles to bed in winter? Who likes his ice cream boiled?
Nobody wants that kind of world. Please agree.
The simple, almost simplistic, series of questions in the poem culminates
in a
final plea, to a lover, a reader, or perhaps a higher being.
These various experiments culminate in the collection of poems that give the
volume its name, Armenian Papers. The collection is named after the group of
lost Armenian medieval poems on which they are based, discovered in Italian
and
`translated' by the poet into English. As the Philadelphia City Paper's
Justin
Coffin puts it, `Mathews' adaptation is an attempt to rehabilitate the
original
work he has never seen. The chance of success is perhaps a little better than
the typewriting monkey's banging out King Lear, but Mathews' inevitable
failure
stands on its own.'
The failure, in this case, is almost pre-determined, a part of the game
Mathews plays with the poems and with himself, very much in line with the rest
of the volume. The theme is brought out clearly in the poems, which together
tell a tale of a man introduced into a village community and enamored of a
married woman named Sirvan. The love story touches on the same issues of love
and loss mentioned earlier but with the added layer of identity issues,
generated primarily by the context of translation--across languages, across
cultures.
The very first poem end with these lines, which could have just as easily
come
from a modern European novel: `As I looked around me, I saw among others
what I
myself was feeling, a pride familiar (as in one's own family), and this has
probably withstood the failure of the sacrifice, the desolation of the city,
the years of massacre and captivity.' The description perfectly encapsulates
the poems' feeling of identity (`family,' or what we might today call
`nationality') created, paradoxically, in a moment of isolation.
The final mention of massacre and captivity binds together the moment being
described with its future historyoursand both Armenian and non-Armenian
readers. It is a line of thought picked up again by the speaker of the fifth
poem: `When I sit in the darkness of never-harvested firs, the fruit over
smokeless charcoal seethes so faint you can hear a butterfly's flapping, or a
wren as [it] hops up the crannies of a wall: the wall my father
rebouldered, in
the last summer of our life together, truncated by a Settler's ax.' The blow
of the ax finds its echo several pages later, in these words that complete the
eighteenth poem: `You will know our powers for what they are: nothing more
than
a recognition of helplessness in the face of a destiny that does not exist.'
If the poet had written the words himself, he might have added, `please
agree.'
This series of poetic exercises begs the question--why Armenian poems? And
why these? We might imagine that Mathews chose these particular poems for one
of many reasons--the sense of enigma of words written long ago; or perhaps the
strange novelty of a foreign language.
For the Armenian reader, perhaps, coming across a volume like this one
presents the curious sensation of a satisfying `sighting'--akin to noticing an
Armenian last name in the otherwise anonymous list of credits that scroll
by at
the end of a film. But what remains of that satisfaction when we come to
realize the exact nature of the poems and their origin--medieval Italian poems
thought to have been written originally in Armenian?
Considering the answer to this question bring us to the second curiosity I
mentioned earlier--the reaction of the Armenian reader to the volume, or more
accurately, the relationship among the various parties in the curious triangle
created by that same reader, an American writer, and a series of enigmatic
poems of mysterious origin. It also brings the Armenian reader to the uneasy
realization that his estranged relationship to the poems is finally curiously
akin to the distant relationship of the American poet to his own material--a
curious distance, a sighting and no more.
Hovig Tchalian holds a PhD in English literature from UCLA. You can reach him
or any of the other contributors to Critics' Forum at
[email protected].
9) G_d's Wrath*
By Garen Yegparian
Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, and high gas prices- all
increasing
in frequency...
See what we have wrought? We have angered the Almighty by transgressing
against His laws.
And now we are reaping the whirlwind of G_d's wrath.
We have despoiled and degraded Creation. Water and air, intelligently
designed to sustain us, now poison us. The land, where it has not been
defiled
with outrageous construction is rendered too toxic to much of life through our
use of pesticides, herbicides, or outright industrial dumping.
We have initiated a period of unparalleled extinctions, the ultimate
insult to
the Creator, and severely limited the range of the plants and animals He
intended us to be the stewards of.
In the more specifically human realm we have engaged in numerous
transgressions against the Decalogue.
We have sanctioned murder, mass-murder actually, by engaging in needless,
unprovoked warfare and the legitimation of the death penalty- think of Texas
alone, where some 200 descendants of Adam and Eve, created in His image, have
been put to death over the last decade.
We have lied, deceived, and distorted, as when it comes to genocide and
preventing or atoning for it.
We have been covetous and greedy. We allow people to work all seven days of
the week with very little recompense. We allow the needy to suffer. And all
this we do and legitimize through our laws and societal systems.
Worse still, much of this is done in the Lord's name as when men of the cloth
such as Rev. Jerry Falwell after the September 11 attacks and Rev. Pat
Robertson recently regarding policy towards Venezuela's president advocate
opinions and approaches in direct contravention of His love and dictates.
Finally, we have disregarded the sage advice of our wise scientists who,
using
their G_d given intellect have warned against the dire consequences of our
planet destroying actions.
If you were the one true G_d, wouldn't you demonstrate your ire, particularly
by smiting those people and areas who have committed the worst sins?
* This article was conceived before hurricane Katrina struck.
10)HARVEST GALLERY presents Anahit
Artist Opening Reception: Friday, September 30, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
September 30 through October 2
GLENDALE--Harvest Gallery will be exhibiting the paintings and drawings of
Anahit Ar, beginning September 30.
Working with numerous art forms including graphic art and costume design,
Anahit Ar's paintings showcase figurative compositions and portraits that are
strong, expressive and dramatic yet flow with a sense of elasticity. Her work
has been displayed in several exhibitions and shows in fine art museums
throughout Russia and Armenia, as well as in private art collections.
Anahit Ar was born into a family of artists whose artistic roots span three
generations. Earning a bachelor of fine arts from Terlmezyan Fine Arts College
and a doctorate in art from the University of Fine Arts and Theater in
Armenia,
Anahit Ar became an accomplished artist-painter and international costume
designer with extensive associations with Russian drama theaters, ballet
organizations and opera houses, including the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet.
Anahit Ar's exhibit will be on display from Friday, September 30 through
Sunday, October 2. Gallery hours are Tuesday Sunday from 11:00 am to 7:00
pm.
Harvest Gallery: 938 North Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA
For information about the exhibit, call Harvest Gallery at 818.546.1000 or
visit <http://www.harvestgallery.com/>www.harvestgallery.com.
11) SKETCHED--A one-woman show written and performed by Lory Tatoulian
LOS ANGELES--On October 1-22, Dandigin Productions presents SKETCHED , a
one-woman show written and performed by Lory Tatoulian at HeartBeatHouse
Studio
in Atwater Village.
Tatoulian is an actress and playwright whose work explores issues of cultural
identity, gender and ethnic community dynamics. Her comedic character-studies
define the core of her style. Tatoulian's explorations take root in theatrical
monologues that meld the comedic and absurd experiences of several ethnic
groups, including Armenians, who make-up the American tableau. Her
intelligible
character portraits range from an Avon Lady who wants to help democratize the
world, to a housewife jazz singer from Beirut, to a car addict who
contemplates
her free-will on the freeway in the award-winning piece "Autosapiens," a
comedic realization of Californians' intricate relationship with their
automobiles. The San Diego Union Tribune writes, "The boldly physical
writer-performer Lory Tatoulian sent up SoCal's car mania in her explosive
satiric solo. Tatoulian is a find. In 'Autosapiens,' she creates a
freeway-crazed gal who's decided to spend her life in her car. As she eats,
observes, makes love and fights other drivers on the highway of life, she
devolves into another species altogether, the Autosapien."
SKETCHED is a collection of humorous stories and musical vignettes.
Throughout
the evening, Tatoulian manages to incarnate into 10 different characters from
across the globe. She collaborates with talented musician and composer Ara
Dabandjian. Together they bring jazz to Armenian children's songs, rhythm to
the stylings of Glendale and sheer satire to the peculiar inhabitants of all
those who live on the periphery of society.
SKETCHED will be running on the first four Saturdays in October at 8 p.m. The
exact dates are October 1,8,15,22.
Tickets are $15 and are available at the door.
Location: HeartBeatHouse Studio 3141 Glendale Blvd. LA CA 90039
In the heart of Atwater Village
Limited Seating, Reservations recommended by contacting Arpy Jahjah at
626-296-0028.
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