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Charles and Elisabeth Kenosian Chair
in Modern Armenian History and Literature
Contact: Professor Simon Payaslian
Department of History
226 Bay State Road
Boston University
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 353-8313
Fax: (617) 353-2556
Email: [email protected]
http://www.bu.edu/history/faculty.htm l#Payaslian
Professor Simon Payaslian completes his first academic year as holder
of the Charles and Elisabeth Kenosian Chair in Modern Armenian History
and Literature at Boston University.
Professor Simon Payaslian was appointed the Charles and Elisabeth
Kenosian Chair in Modern Armenian History and Literature at Boston
University beginning in September 2007. The Kenosian Chair was
established at BU in 2007 to promote the study of modern Armenian
history and literature from the early nineteenth century to the
present. Payaslian joined more than thirty internationally renowned
historians in the Department of History at BU. His activities during
the academic year 2007-08 included publications, teaching, and public
lectures and other community outreach activities.
PUBLICATIONS
During the academic year of 2007-08, Professor Payaslian published two
books. The first, titled THE HISTORY OF ARMENIA (Palgrave Macmillan,
2007), consists of nine chapters and surveys Armenian history from the
origins to the present. Payaslian also co-edited a volume, titled
ARMENIAN CILICIA, with Professor Richard G. Hovannisian (UCLA). The
volume, published by Mazda Publishers (2008), consists of 22 chapters,
including surveys of the geography and history of Cilicia from ancient
times to the final disintegration of the Armenian communities during
and after World War I. The chapter by Payaslian (pp. 557-592), titled
THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA IN ANTELIAS,
focuses on the emergence of development of the Cilician Catholicosate
in Beirut between 1916 and 1956.
Payaslian published a chapter, titled ANATOMY OF POST-GENOCIDE
RECONCILIATION, in the book THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: CULTURAL AND ETHICAL
LEGACIES, edited by Hovannisian (Transaction Publishers, 2007). The
chapter contends that truth commissions as practiced thus far in other
cases (eg, Rwanda, South Africa) are not applicable to the
Armenian-Turkish case. The paper instead proposes a two-phase process,
whereby Armenian-Turkish negotiations would be conducted under the
auspices of a multilateral body (eg, the United Nations), followed by
bilateral negotiations between the governments of Armenia and Turkey.
Professor Payaslian also published an article, titled HOVHANNES SHIRAZ,
PARUYR SEVAK, AND THE MEMORY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, in the JOURNAL
OF THE SOCIETY FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES, vol. 16 (2007): 89-107. The paper
presents a comparative analysis of the construction of the memory of
the Armenian Genocide in the literary works of Hovhannes Shiraz and
Paruyr Sevak, two of the most popular poets in the former Soviet
republic of Armenia. The analysis centers on poetry as the narrative of
historical memory, commemoration, and mourning.
Payaslian contributed two articles for THE OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOMEN
IN WORLD HISTORY (4 vols., Oxford University Press, 2008). The first
article covers diaspora and women and consists of (1) an overview of
the concept of DIASPORA and diasporization, and (2) a comparative
history (vol. 2, pp. 43-54). The second article, on genocide and women
(vol. 2, pp. 364-71), focuses on a number of cases in the twentieth
century, including the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire during
World War I, the Jewish Holocaust and World War II, and the genocides
in Cambodia (1975-79) and Rwanda (1994).
TEACHING
Professor Payaslian offered four courses during the academic year
(September 2007-May 2008) at Boston University. During the fall
semester (Sept.-Dec. 2007) he taught a course on modern Armenian
history and literature, and a course on the Armenian Genocide. In the
course on Armenian history and literature, students read chapters from
A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE by George A. Bournoutian; THE
ARMENIAN PEOPLE FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES (vol. 2), edited by
Richard G. Hovannisian; ARMENIA AT THE CROSSROADS by Joseph R. Masih
and Robert O. Krikorian; and PASSAGE TO ARARAT Michael Arlen. They also
read selections from Armenian literature, including, for example,
Khachatur Abovian, Raffi, Srbuhi Dussap, Misak Medzarents, Hovannes
Tumanian, Zapel Esayan, Vahan Tekeyan, Gurgen Mahari, and Silva
Kaputikyan.
For the course on the Armenian Genocide, students read a number of
books, including A SHAMEFUL ACT, by Taner Akçam; THE GERMAN, THE TURK,
AND THE DEVIL MADE AN ALLIANCE, by Tacy Atkinson; THE HISTORY OF THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, by Vahakn Dadrian; THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: HISTORY,
POLITICS, ETHICS, edited by Richard G. Hovannisian; and SURVIVORS, by
Donald E. Miller and Lorna Touryan Miller. Payaslian also offered this
course in summer session I (May-June 2008).
In the spring semester (Jan. 2008-May 2008), Professor Payaslian taught
a course on history research and writing, and a course titled MODERN
HISTORY AND GEOPOLITICS OF THE CAUCASUS. The purpose of the course on
history research and writing is to strengthen the writing and research
skills of students, to examine methodological issues involved in the
writing of history, and to examine the relationship between research
and writing. The theme for the course was American foreign policy since
World War I. It reviewed the evolution of American foreign policy from
Wilsonian idealism and internationalism to isolationism and to
globalism. Students read books such as EXPLAINING AMERICAN FOREIGN
RELATIONS, by Michael Hogan and Thomas G. Paterson; THE END OF THE
AMERICAN ERA, by Charles Kupchan; and MAJOR PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN
FOREIGN POLICY (vol. 2), edited by Dennis Merrill and Thomas Paterson.
The course on MODERN HISTORY AND GEOPOLITICS OF THE CAUCASUS covered
the history of the Caucasus from the early nineteenth century to the
post-Soviet period. It explored the ethnic, cultural, and religious
components of the region. The course examined the emergence of
Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian nationalism and the impact of
imperial powers on their efforts toward modernization and development
in the age of interdependence and globalization. Students read THE
CAUCASIAN KNOT, by Levon Chorbajian, Patrick Donabedian, and Claude
Mutafian; CAUCASUS CHRONICLES, by Leonidas T. Chrysanthopoulos;
TROUBLED WATERS, by R. Hrair Dekmejian and Hovann H. Simonian; BLACK
GARDEN, by Thomas De Waal; and TRANSCAUCASIA, NATIONALISM, AND SOCIAL
CHANGE, by Ronald Gregory Suny.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC LECTURES
Payaslian gave a number of public lectures during the academic year
2007-08. He gave a talk, titled THE POLITICS OF GENOCIDE RECOGNITION IN
THE UNITED STATES, on November 11, 2007, in Toronto. The event was
organized by the Zoryan Institute and co-sponsored by several Armenian
organizations. His talk presented a survey of the history of U.S.
foreign policy and the Armenian Question and focused on House
Resolution 106 regarding the Armenian Genocide.
While in Toronto, on November 12, Payaslian also met with the president
of the Armenian Student Association (ASA) at the University of Toronto
and discussed ways to strengthen the ties between ASA-UT and other ASA
organizations in Canada and the United States.
On December 5, 2007, Payaslian participated at a panel on genocide
denial and covered THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GENOCIDE DENIAL. The panel
was organized by the Armenian Students Association at Boston University.
Payaslian gave his inaugural lecture as the first incumbent of the
Kenosian Chair at BU, at the Castle on March 26, 2008. His talk was
titled DANIEL VAROUJAN, SIAMANTO, AND THE LAST GENERATION IN HISTORIC
ARMENIA BEFORE THE CATACLYSM. The event was co-sponsored by the
International History Institute of BU. Professor William Keylor,
Director of IHI, emceed the event, and Professor Charles Dellheim,
Chair of the History Department, talked about the Kenosian Chair and
introduced Payaslian. In his talk, Payaslian presented the evolution of
Armenian political thought from romanticism in the nineteenth century
to radicalism by the early twentieth century and focused on two
influential poets in Ottoman or Western Armenia, Daniel Varoujan
(1884-1915) and Siamanto (1878-1915).
Payaslian also presented a paper, titled THREE REPUBLICS OF THE
CAUCASUS: INDEPENDENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, AND
GEORGIA, at the annual conference of the Midwest Political Science
Association, April 3-6, 2008, in Chicago.
On April 11, Payaslian gave a public lecture at the University of
Montreal on US foreign policy and the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. The event was co-sponsored by the Zoryan Institute of Toronto
and the Armenian Students Association of the University of Montreal, in
addition to a number of other student and community organizations in
Montreal.
During the summer, Payaslian will give a lecture on the Armenian
Genocide, on July 31, 2008, at the Genocide and Human Rights University
Program of the Zoryan Institute, the University of Toronto.
Charles and Elisabeth Kenosian Chair
in Modern Armenian History and Literature
Contact: Professor Simon Payaslian
Department of History
226 Bay State Road
Boston University
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 353-8313
Fax: (617) 353-2556
Email: [email protected]
http://www.bu.edu/history/faculty.htm l#Payaslian
Professor Simon Payaslian completes his first academic year as holder
of the Charles and Elisabeth Kenosian Chair in Modern Armenian History
and Literature at Boston University.
Professor Simon Payaslian was appointed the Charles and Elisabeth
Kenosian Chair in Modern Armenian History and Literature at Boston
University beginning in September 2007. The Kenosian Chair was
established at BU in 2007 to promote the study of modern Armenian
history and literature from the early nineteenth century to the
present. Payaslian joined more than thirty internationally renowned
historians in the Department of History at BU. His activities during
the academic year 2007-08 included publications, teaching, and public
lectures and other community outreach activities.
PUBLICATIONS
During the academic year of 2007-08, Professor Payaslian published two
books. The first, titled THE HISTORY OF ARMENIA (Palgrave Macmillan,
2007), consists of nine chapters and surveys Armenian history from the
origins to the present. Payaslian also co-edited a volume, titled
ARMENIAN CILICIA, with Professor Richard G. Hovannisian (UCLA). The
volume, published by Mazda Publishers (2008), consists of 22 chapters,
including surveys of the geography and history of Cilicia from ancient
times to the final disintegration of the Armenian communities during
and after World War I. The chapter by Payaslian (pp. 557-592), titled
THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE GREAT HOUSE OF CILICIA IN ANTELIAS,
focuses on the emergence of development of the Cilician Catholicosate
in Beirut between 1916 and 1956.
Payaslian published a chapter, titled ANATOMY OF POST-GENOCIDE
RECONCILIATION, in the book THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: CULTURAL AND ETHICAL
LEGACIES, edited by Hovannisian (Transaction Publishers, 2007). The
chapter contends that truth commissions as practiced thus far in other
cases (eg, Rwanda, South Africa) are not applicable to the
Armenian-Turkish case. The paper instead proposes a two-phase process,
whereby Armenian-Turkish negotiations would be conducted under the
auspices of a multilateral body (eg, the United Nations), followed by
bilateral negotiations between the governments of Armenia and Turkey.
Professor Payaslian also published an article, titled HOVHANNES SHIRAZ,
PARUYR SEVAK, AND THE MEMORY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, in the JOURNAL
OF THE SOCIETY FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES, vol. 16 (2007): 89-107. The paper
presents a comparative analysis of the construction of the memory of
the Armenian Genocide in the literary works of Hovhannes Shiraz and
Paruyr Sevak, two of the most popular poets in the former Soviet
republic of Armenia. The analysis centers on poetry as the narrative of
historical memory, commemoration, and mourning.
Payaslian contributed two articles for THE OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOMEN
IN WORLD HISTORY (4 vols., Oxford University Press, 2008). The first
article covers diaspora and women and consists of (1) an overview of
the concept of DIASPORA and diasporization, and (2) a comparative
history (vol. 2, pp. 43-54). The second article, on genocide and women
(vol. 2, pp. 364-71), focuses on a number of cases in the twentieth
century, including the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire during
World War I, the Jewish Holocaust and World War II, and the genocides
in Cambodia (1975-79) and Rwanda (1994).
TEACHING
Professor Payaslian offered four courses during the academic year
(September 2007-May 2008) at Boston University. During the fall
semester (Sept.-Dec. 2007) he taught a course on modern Armenian
history and literature, and a course on the Armenian Genocide. In the
course on Armenian history and literature, students read chapters from
A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE by George A. Bournoutian; THE
ARMENIAN PEOPLE FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN TIMES (vol. 2), edited by
Richard G. Hovannisian; ARMENIA AT THE CROSSROADS by Joseph R. Masih
and Robert O. Krikorian; and PASSAGE TO ARARAT Michael Arlen. They also
read selections from Armenian literature, including, for example,
Khachatur Abovian, Raffi, Srbuhi Dussap, Misak Medzarents, Hovannes
Tumanian, Zapel Esayan, Vahan Tekeyan, Gurgen Mahari, and Silva
Kaputikyan.
For the course on the Armenian Genocide, students read a number of
books, including A SHAMEFUL ACT, by Taner Akçam; THE GERMAN, THE TURK,
AND THE DEVIL MADE AN ALLIANCE, by Tacy Atkinson; THE HISTORY OF THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, by Vahakn Dadrian; THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: HISTORY,
POLITICS, ETHICS, edited by Richard G. Hovannisian; and SURVIVORS, by
Donald E. Miller and Lorna Touryan Miller. Payaslian also offered this
course in summer session I (May-June 2008).
In the spring semester (Jan. 2008-May 2008), Professor Payaslian taught
a course on history research and writing, and a course titled MODERN
HISTORY AND GEOPOLITICS OF THE CAUCASUS. The purpose of the course on
history research and writing is to strengthen the writing and research
skills of students, to examine methodological issues involved in the
writing of history, and to examine the relationship between research
and writing. The theme for the course was American foreign policy since
World War I. It reviewed the evolution of American foreign policy from
Wilsonian idealism and internationalism to isolationism and to
globalism. Students read books such as EXPLAINING AMERICAN FOREIGN
RELATIONS, by Michael Hogan and Thomas G. Paterson; THE END OF THE
AMERICAN ERA, by Charles Kupchan; and MAJOR PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN
FOREIGN POLICY (vol. 2), edited by Dennis Merrill and Thomas Paterson.
The course on MODERN HISTORY AND GEOPOLITICS OF THE CAUCASUS covered
the history of the Caucasus from the early nineteenth century to the
post-Soviet period. It explored the ethnic, cultural, and religious
components of the region. The course examined the emergence of
Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian nationalism and the impact of
imperial powers on their efforts toward modernization and development
in the age of interdependence and globalization. Students read THE
CAUCASIAN KNOT, by Levon Chorbajian, Patrick Donabedian, and Claude
Mutafian; CAUCASUS CHRONICLES, by Leonidas T. Chrysanthopoulos;
TROUBLED WATERS, by R. Hrair Dekmejian and Hovann H. Simonian; BLACK
GARDEN, by Thomas De Waal; and TRANSCAUCASIA, NATIONALISM, AND SOCIAL
CHANGE, by Ronald Gregory Suny.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC LECTURES
Payaslian gave a number of public lectures during the academic year
2007-08. He gave a talk, titled THE POLITICS OF GENOCIDE RECOGNITION IN
THE UNITED STATES, on November 11, 2007, in Toronto. The event was
organized by the Zoryan Institute and co-sponsored by several Armenian
organizations. His talk presented a survey of the history of U.S.
foreign policy and the Armenian Question and focused on House
Resolution 106 regarding the Armenian Genocide.
While in Toronto, on November 12, Payaslian also met with the president
of the Armenian Student Association (ASA) at the University of Toronto
and discussed ways to strengthen the ties between ASA-UT and other ASA
organizations in Canada and the United States.
On December 5, 2007, Payaslian participated at a panel on genocide
denial and covered THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GENOCIDE DENIAL. The panel
was organized by the Armenian Students Association at Boston University.
Payaslian gave his inaugural lecture as the first incumbent of the
Kenosian Chair at BU, at the Castle on March 26, 2008. His talk was
titled DANIEL VAROUJAN, SIAMANTO, AND THE LAST GENERATION IN HISTORIC
ARMENIA BEFORE THE CATACLYSM. The event was co-sponsored by the
International History Institute of BU. Professor William Keylor,
Director of IHI, emceed the event, and Professor Charles Dellheim,
Chair of the History Department, talked about the Kenosian Chair and
introduced Payaslian. In his talk, Payaslian presented the evolution of
Armenian political thought from romanticism in the nineteenth century
to radicalism by the early twentieth century and focused on two
influential poets in Ottoman or Western Armenia, Daniel Varoujan
(1884-1915) and Siamanto (1878-1915).
Payaslian also presented a paper, titled THREE REPUBLICS OF THE
CAUCASUS: INDEPENDENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, AND
GEORGIA, at the annual conference of the Midwest Political Science
Association, April 3-6, 2008, in Chicago.
On April 11, Payaslian gave a public lecture at the University of
Montreal on US foreign policy and the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. The event was co-sponsored by the Zoryan Institute of Toronto
and the Armenian Students Association of the University of Montreal, in
addition to a number of other student and community organizations in
Montreal.
During the summer, Payaslian will give a lecture on the Armenian
Genocide, on July 31, 2008, at the Genocide and Human Rights University
Program of the Zoryan Institute, the University of Toronto.