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Four contemporary women writers in New York
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?furl=/go/article/2012-08-23-four-contemporary-women-writers-in-new-york-&pagewanted=all
Published: Thursday August 23, 2012
>From left: Lola Koundakjian, Nora Armani, Lucine Kasbarian and Aida
Zilelian-Silak.
Woodside, N.Y. - The Armenian Center in Woodside, N.Y. recently served as a
venue for four female writers of the diaspora who presented their works at
Kuragan Koharner yev Kini (Literary Gems and Wine), a program sponsored by
the New York Chapter of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association.
Actress and storyteller Nora Armani, writer and political cartoonist Lucine
Kasbarian, poet and artist Lola Koundakjian, and writer and editor Aida
Zilelian-Silak shared writings that explored the complexities of the human
condition. The collective result was an eclectic compilation of vocal
pieces that reflected a moving, contemplative look at life in the diaspora.
Creator, director and actor in the play, "Sojourn at Ararat," Armani is
performing in "Golden Boy," a pilot program for CBS Television. A long-time
publicist for the book publishing industry, Kasbarian has written
publications about Armenia and the Diaspora for young audiences. Creator
and Director of the Armenian Poetry Project, Koundakjian also founded and
runs the Dead Armenian Poets Society. New York writer and editor Zilelian
is the founder and director of Boundless Tales, a reading series of poetry
and prose in New York.
In her introduction, program organizer, rare book librarian and literary
devotée Arevik Caprielian expressed her satisfaction in showcasing
accomplished Armenian "creatives." "These writers need not be heralded
beyond the Armenian milieu in order to be recognized as credits to the
global Armenian nation," she said. "While Hamazkayin remains true to its
mission of preserving and disseminating Armenian traditional literature and
arts, it also moves forward with the times and inevitable changes in
diaspora," she continued. "Therefore, it embraces contemporary authors
writing in various languages, considering them contributors to the body of
Armenian literature." Caprielian concluded by affirming, "A nation
maintains its distinction through arts and literature."
Following are English-language excerpts from their readings of poetry
and/or prose.
A poem, "Exile," by Nora Armani and published in the book, "Forgotten
Genocides of the 20th Century" (Taderon Press), put to music by Turkish
vocalist Ya?ar Kurt, and on the soundtrack of Armani's short film, "Moving
Stories," screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival:
Once more an exile, an exile for all living memory.
Stuck to my genes, this state of mind,
like colour of hair, skin, mode and manner,
forms an integral part my being... other.
No civil wars, deportation, forceful displacements for me.
Handed down through generations, not racial though genetic,
This innate property is my dowry at birth.
I am a native exile.
An excerpt from "Elixir in Exile" by Lucine Kasbarian, about a quest to
recover an ancestral folk recipe, published in r.kv.r.y. Literary Quarterly
and Armenian periodicals:
Ultimately, my aim was to refresh Hairig's supply [of our ancestral
elixir], and from a source logistically close to Dikranagerd. Doing so
seemed a meaningful thing a grateful child could do for a devoted parent in
his twilight years.
My father had never seen the home of his ancestors and, yet, he carried the
ham yev hod (flavors and fragrances) of Dikranagerd in his words, thoughts
and deeds-from his modesty, humor and hospitality, to his dialect and
storytelling ability, to his culinary and musical aptitudes. A humble gift
would be to help him make that remarkable elixir that could, at least
emotionally, bring his ancestors, their way of life, and our lost homeland
back to him. And was it not worth it to rediscover a missing and precious
part of our culinary heritage, and perhaps share it with the world?
A prose poem,"Speaking of the Past," by Lola Koundakjian, translated from
the Armenian, Kalov Antsyalin, and which appears in "The Accidental
Observer," Koundakjian's book published through a grant received from the
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance:
I walk in the company of my memories
Step by step,
Street by street.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
Right, left, right, left.
Breathing deeply, and then tired.
The past is getting dimmer.
Who was I thinking about a few minutes ago?
The weather seems to help me remember.
Rain, it's raining, today.
Was it raining on that day?
Yes, there was an umbrella with you
And I was wearing an anorak
And my chin was wet - I remember.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
And I cross the street for the meeting.
The umbrella was large and protected us both,
And soon the rain stopped. There was a smile on your face.
Right, left.
Right, left.
Hand in hand.
You're with your umbrella and I am wearing my anorak
A few more streets
A little while yet.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
An excerpt from Aida Zilelian's "He's the One For Her," a short story about
a young Armenian-American woman seeking a handsome, Armenian-speaking mate,
and published in Ararat.
The boys from the small town in Massachusetts where she had been raised
were ultimately disappointing to her in a variety of ways. Some wanted more
than she was willing to offer, and at the end of these dates (the last one
was her father's co-worker's son Hovsep) she found herself in the passenger
seat of a car clutching the collar of her shirt to keep it closed, or
yanking down her skirt to keep it in place, eventually weakening her date's
advances. Other young men, she realized, did not have any interest in
attending Sunday Church mass, and spoke Armenian so poorly that she winced
at their feeble attempts at conversing with her.
"It's not as if Armenian men grow on trees out there that you can just fly
over and pick anyone you please," scoffed her older sister Anahid, who was
unmarried and had no promise of even entertaining the notion of a boyfriend.
Woodside, N.Y. - The Armenian Center in Woodside, N.Y. recently served as a
venue for four female writers of the diaspora who presented their works at
Kuragan Koharner yev Kini (Literary Gems and Wine), a program sponsored by
the New York Chapter of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association.
Actress and storyteller Nora Armani, writer and political cartoonist Lucine
Kasbarian, poet and artist Lola Koundakjian, and writer and editor Aida
Zilelian-Silak shared writings that explored the complexities of the human
condition. The collective result was an eclectic compilation of vocal
pieces that reflected a moving, contemplative look at life in the diaspora.
Creator, director and actor in the play, "Sojourn at Ararat," Armani is
performing in "Golden Boy," a pilot program for CBS Television. A long-time
publicist for the book publishing industry, Kasbarian has written
publications about Armenia and the Diaspora for young audiences. Creator
and Director of the Armenian Poetry Project, Koundakjian also founded and
runs the Dead Armenian Poets Society. New York writer and editor Zilelian
is the founder and director of Boundless Tales, a reading series of poetry
and prose in New York.
In her introduction, program organizer, rare book librarian and literary
devotée Arevik Caprielian expressed her satisfaction in showcasing
accomplished Armenian "creatives." "These writers need not be heralded
beyond the Armenian milieu in order to be recognized as credits to the
global Armenian nation," she said. "While Hamazkayin remains true to its
mission of preserving and disseminating Armenian traditional literature and
arts, it also moves forward with the times and inevitable changes in
diaspora," she continued. "Therefore, it embraces contemporary authors
writing in various languages, considering them contributors to the body of
Armenian literature." Caprielian concluded by affirming, "A nation
maintains its distinction through arts and literature."
Following are English-language excerpts from their readings of poetry
and/or prose.
A poem, "Exile," by Nora Armani and published in the book, "Forgotten
Genocides of the 20th Century" (Taderon Press), put to music by Turkish
vocalist Ya?ar Kurt, and on the soundtrack of Armani's short film, "Moving
Stories," screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival:
Once more an exile, an exile for all living memory.
Stuck to my genes, this state of mind,
like colour of hair, skin, mode and manner,
forms an integral part my being... other.
No civil wars, deportation, forceful displacements for me.
Handed down through generations, not racial though genetic,
This innate property is my dowry at birth.
I am a native exile.
An excerpt from "Elixir in Exile" by Lucine Kasbarian, about a quest to
recover an ancestral folk recipe, published in r.kv.r.y. Literary Quarterly
and Armenian periodicals:
Ultimately, my aim was to refresh Hairig's supply [of our ancestral
elixir], and from a source logistically close to Dikranagerd. Doing so
seemed a meaningful thing a grateful child could do for a devoted parent in
his twilight years.
My father had never seen the home of his ancestors and, yet, he carried the
ham yev hod (flavors and fragrances) of Dikranagerd in his words, thoughts
and deeds-from his modesty, humor and hospitality, to his dialect and
storytelling ability, to his culinary and musical aptitudes. A humble gift
would be to help him make that remarkable elixir that could, at least
emotionally, bring his ancestors, their way of life, and our lost homeland
back to him. And was it not worth it to rediscover a missing and precious
part of our culinary heritage, and perhaps share it with the world?
A prose poem,"Speaking of the Past," by Lola Koundakjian, translated from
the Armenian, Kalov Antsyalin, and which appears in "The Accidental
Observer," Koundakjian's book published through a grant received from the
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance:
I walk in the company of my memories
Step by step,
Street by street.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
Right, left, right, left.
Breathing deeply, and then tired.
The past is getting dimmer.
Who was I thinking about a few minutes ago?
The weather seems to help me remember.
Rain, it's raining, today.
Was it raining on that day?
Yes, there was an umbrella with you
And I was wearing an anorak
And my chin was wet - I remember.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
And I cross the street for the meeting.
The umbrella was large and protected us both,
And soon the rain stopped. There was a smile on your face.
Right, left.
Right, left.
Hand in hand.
You're with your umbrella and I am wearing my anorak
A few more streets
A little while yet.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
An excerpt from Aida Zilelian's "He's the One For Her," a short story about
a young Armenian-American woman seeking a handsome, Armenian-speaking mate,
and published in Ararat.
The boys from the small town in Massachusetts where she had been raised
were ultimately disappointing to her in a variety of ways. Some wanted more
than she was willing to offer, and at the end of these dates (the last one
was her father's co-worker's son Hovsep) she found herself in the passenger
seat of a car clutching the collar of her shirt to keep it closed, or
yanking down her skirt to keep it in place, eventually weakening her date's
advances. Other young men, she realized, did not have any interest in
attending Sunday Church mass, and spoke Armenian so poorly that she winced
at their feeble attempts at conversing with her.
"It's not as if Armenian men grow on trees out there that you can just fly
over and pick anyone you please," scoffed her older sister Anahid, who was
unmarried and had no promise of even entertaining the notion of a boyfriend.
In the future, the New York Chapter of Hamazkayin hopes to launch an
ongoing reading series spotlighting contemporary Armenian writers. The
organization's web address is: http://www.hamazkayin.com/
To learn more about these writers, visit at:
http://www.noraarmani.com
http://www.lucinekasbarian.com
http://www.lolakoundakjian.com
http://www.aidazilelian.com.
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?furl=/go/article/2012-08-23-four-contemporary-women-writers-in-new-york-&pagewanted=all
Published: Thursday August 23, 2012
>From left: Lola Koundakjian, Nora Armani, Lucine Kasbarian and Aida
Zilelian-Silak.
Woodside, N.Y. - The Armenian Center in Woodside, N.Y. recently served as a
venue for four female writers of the diaspora who presented their works at
Kuragan Koharner yev Kini (Literary Gems and Wine), a program sponsored by
the New York Chapter of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association.
Actress and storyteller Nora Armani, writer and political cartoonist Lucine
Kasbarian, poet and artist Lola Koundakjian, and writer and editor Aida
Zilelian-Silak shared writings that explored the complexities of the human
condition. The collective result was an eclectic compilation of vocal
pieces that reflected a moving, contemplative look at life in the diaspora.
Creator, director and actor in the play, "Sojourn at Ararat," Armani is
performing in "Golden Boy," a pilot program for CBS Television. A long-time
publicist for the book publishing industry, Kasbarian has written
publications about Armenia and the Diaspora for young audiences. Creator
and Director of the Armenian Poetry Project, Koundakjian also founded and
runs the Dead Armenian Poets Society. New York writer and editor Zilelian
is the founder and director of Boundless Tales, a reading series of poetry
and prose in New York.
In her introduction, program organizer, rare book librarian and literary
devotée Arevik Caprielian expressed her satisfaction in showcasing
accomplished Armenian "creatives." "These writers need not be heralded
beyond the Armenian milieu in order to be recognized as credits to the
global Armenian nation," she said. "While Hamazkayin remains true to its
mission of preserving and disseminating Armenian traditional literature and
arts, it also moves forward with the times and inevitable changes in
diaspora," she continued. "Therefore, it embraces contemporary authors
writing in various languages, considering them contributors to the body of
Armenian literature." Caprielian concluded by affirming, "A nation
maintains its distinction through arts and literature."
Following are English-language excerpts from their readings of poetry
and/or prose.
A poem, "Exile," by Nora Armani and published in the book, "Forgotten
Genocides of the 20th Century" (Taderon Press), put to music by Turkish
vocalist Ya?ar Kurt, and on the soundtrack of Armani's short film, "Moving
Stories," screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival:
Once more an exile, an exile for all living memory.
Stuck to my genes, this state of mind,
like colour of hair, skin, mode and manner,
forms an integral part my being... other.
No civil wars, deportation, forceful displacements for me.
Handed down through generations, not racial though genetic,
This innate property is my dowry at birth.
I am a native exile.
An excerpt from "Elixir in Exile" by Lucine Kasbarian, about a quest to
recover an ancestral folk recipe, published in r.kv.r.y. Literary Quarterly
and Armenian periodicals:
Ultimately, my aim was to refresh Hairig's supply [of our ancestral
elixir], and from a source logistically close to Dikranagerd. Doing so
seemed a meaningful thing a grateful child could do for a devoted parent in
his twilight years.
My father had never seen the home of his ancestors and, yet, he carried the
ham yev hod (flavors and fragrances) of Dikranagerd in his words, thoughts
and deeds-from his modesty, humor and hospitality, to his dialect and
storytelling ability, to his culinary and musical aptitudes. A humble gift
would be to help him make that remarkable elixir that could, at least
emotionally, bring his ancestors, their way of life, and our lost homeland
back to him. And was it not worth it to rediscover a missing and precious
part of our culinary heritage, and perhaps share it with the world?
A prose poem,"Speaking of the Past," by Lola Koundakjian, translated from
the Armenian, Kalov Antsyalin, and which appears in "The Accidental
Observer," Koundakjian's book published through a grant received from the
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance:
I walk in the company of my memories
Step by step,
Street by street.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
Right, left, right, left.
Breathing deeply, and then tired.
The past is getting dimmer.
Who was I thinking about a few minutes ago?
The weather seems to help me remember.
Rain, it's raining, today.
Was it raining on that day?
Yes, there was an umbrella with you
And I was wearing an anorak
And my chin was wet - I remember.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
And I cross the street for the meeting.
The umbrella was large and protected us both,
And soon the rain stopped. There was a smile on your face.
Right, left.
Right, left.
Hand in hand.
You're with your umbrella and I am wearing my anorak
A few more streets
A little while yet.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
An excerpt from Aida Zilelian's "He's the One For Her," a short story about
a young Armenian-American woman seeking a handsome, Armenian-speaking mate,
and published in Ararat.
The boys from the small town in Massachusetts where she had been raised
were ultimately disappointing to her in a variety of ways. Some wanted more
than she was willing to offer, and at the end of these dates (the last one
was her father's co-worker's son Hovsep) she found herself in the passenger
seat of a car clutching the collar of her shirt to keep it closed, or
yanking down her skirt to keep it in place, eventually weakening her date's
advances. Other young men, she realized, did not have any interest in
attending Sunday Church mass, and spoke Armenian so poorly that she winced
at their feeble attempts at conversing with her.
"It's not as if Armenian men grow on trees out there that you can just fly
over and pick anyone you please," scoffed her older sister Anahid, who was
unmarried and had no promise of even entertaining the notion of a boyfriend.
Woodside, N.Y. - The Armenian Center in Woodside, N.Y. recently served as a
venue for four female writers of the diaspora who presented their works at
Kuragan Koharner yev Kini (Literary Gems and Wine), a program sponsored by
the New York Chapter of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association.
Actress and storyteller Nora Armani, writer and political cartoonist Lucine
Kasbarian, poet and artist Lola Koundakjian, and writer and editor Aida
Zilelian-Silak shared writings that explored the complexities of the human
condition. The collective result was an eclectic compilation of vocal
pieces that reflected a moving, contemplative look at life in the diaspora.
Creator, director and actor in the play, "Sojourn at Ararat," Armani is
performing in "Golden Boy," a pilot program for CBS Television. A long-time
publicist for the book publishing industry, Kasbarian has written
publications about Armenia and the Diaspora for young audiences. Creator
and Director of the Armenian Poetry Project, Koundakjian also founded and
runs the Dead Armenian Poets Society. New York writer and editor Zilelian
is the founder and director of Boundless Tales, a reading series of poetry
and prose in New York.
In her introduction, program organizer, rare book librarian and literary
devotée Arevik Caprielian expressed her satisfaction in showcasing
accomplished Armenian "creatives." "These writers need not be heralded
beyond the Armenian milieu in order to be recognized as credits to the
global Armenian nation," she said. "While Hamazkayin remains true to its
mission of preserving and disseminating Armenian traditional literature and
arts, it also moves forward with the times and inevitable changes in
diaspora," she continued. "Therefore, it embraces contemporary authors
writing in various languages, considering them contributors to the body of
Armenian literature." Caprielian concluded by affirming, "A nation
maintains its distinction through arts and literature."
Following are English-language excerpts from their readings of poetry
and/or prose.
A poem, "Exile," by Nora Armani and published in the book, "Forgotten
Genocides of the 20th Century" (Taderon Press), put to music by Turkish
vocalist Ya?ar Kurt, and on the soundtrack of Armani's short film, "Moving
Stories," screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival:
Once more an exile, an exile for all living memory.
Stuck to my genes, this state of mind,
like colour of hair, skin, mode and manner,
forms an integral part my being... other.
No civil wars, deportation, forceful displacements for me.
Handed down through generations, not racial though genetic,
This innate property is my dowry at birth.
I am a native exile.
An excerpt from "Elixir in Exile" by Lucine Kasbarian, about a quest to
recover an ancestral folk recipe, published in r.kv.r.y. Literary Quarterly
and Armenian periodicals:
Ultimately, my aim was to refresh Hairig's supply [of our ancestral
elixir], and from a source logistically close to Dikranagerd. Doing so
seemed a meaningful thing a grateful child could do for a devoted parent in
his twilight years.
My father had never seen the home of his ancestors and, yet, he carried the
ham yev hod (flavors and fragrances) of Dikranagerd in his words, thoughts
and deeds-from his modesty, humor and hospitality, to his dialect and
storytelling ability, to his culinary and musical aptitudes. A humble gift
would be to help him make that remarkable elixir that could, at least
emotionally, bring his ancestors, their way of life, and our lost homeland
back to him. And was it not worth it to rediscover a missing and precious
part of our culinary heritage, and perhaps share it with the world?
A prose poem,"Speaking of the Past," by Lola Koundakjian, translated from
the Armenian, Kalov Antsyalin, and which appears in "The Accidental
Observer," Koundakjian's book published through a grant received from the
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance:
I walk in the company of my memories
Step by step,
Street by street.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
Right, left, right, left.
Breathing deeply, and then tired.
The past is getting dimmer.
Who was I thinking about a few minutes ago?
The weather seems to help me remember.
Rain, it's raining, today.
Was it raining on that day?
Yes, there was an umbrella with you
And I was wearing an anorak
And my chin was wet - I remember.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
And I cross the street for the meeting.
The umbrella was large and protected us both,
And soon the rain stopped. There was a smile on your face.
Right, left.
Right, left.
Hand in hand.
You're with your umbrella and I am wearing my anorak
A few more streets
A little while yet.
Green light, go!
Red light, stop!
An excerpt from Aida Zilelian's "He's the One For Her," a short story about
a young Armenian-American woman seeking a handsome, Armenian-speaking mate,
and published in Ararat.
The boys from the small town in Massachusetts where she had been raised
were ultimately disappointing to her in a variety of ways. Some wanted more
than she was willing to offer, and at the end of these dates (the last one
was her father's co-worker's son Hovsep) she found herself in the passenger
seat of a car clutching the collar of her shirt to keep it closed, or
yanking down her skirt to keep it in place, eventually weakening her date's
advances. Other young men, she realized, did not have any interest in
attending Sunday Church mass, and spoke Armenian so poorly that she winced
at their feeble attempts at conversing with her.
"It's not as if Armenian men grow on trees out there that you can just fly
over and pick anyone you please," scoffed her older sister Anahid, who was
unmarried and had no promise of even entertaining the notion of a boyfriend.
In the future, the New York Chapter of Hamazkayin hopes to launch an
ongoing reading series spotlighting contemporary Armenian writers. The
organization's web address is: http://www.hamazkayin.com/
To learn more about these writers, visit at:
http://www.noraarmani.com
http://www.lucinekasbarian.com
http://www.lolakoundakjian.com
http://www.aidazilelian.com.