ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
01/14/2005
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1) Armenian Insurance Settlement Fund Board Delivers First $3 Million to
Armenian Charities
2) Armenian Refugees Appeal to European Court of Justice
3) Turkish Press Continues to Fabricate Reports on Historians’ Meeting
4) Moscow Hails Progress toward Karabagh Settlement
5) ‘Always Drunk and Asleep Before Me, My Guardian Angel’
6) California Armenian Woman Missing in Thailand
7) UNESCO, Armenia to Celebrate 1600 Years of ABCs
8) $500,000 Raised for USC Armenian Institute in Advance of February 13
Inaugural Gala
9) Ark Family Services Announces New Programs and Services for Youth and
Families.
10) Barnsdall Park to Host Series of Armenian Concert Events
11) Hye Shakar IV Concert to Benefit Juvenile Diabetes in Armenia
12) Hamazkayin Partners With Kennedy Center to Feature ‘Zulal’
in Washington, DC
13) Hagop Hagopian at HARVEST GALLERY
14) GROUNDS FOR SUPERSTITION AND SILLY BEHAVIOR
15) Tidbits from The Diner
16) The Elections Are Coming, The Elections Are Coming!
1) Armenian Insurance Settlement Fund Board Delivers First $3 Million to
Armenian Charities
The Armenian Insurance Settlement Fund Board released the sum of $3 million
last week for distribution to nine Armenian charitable organizations. The
funds
were the first distributions from the proceeds of the settlement in Marootian
v. New York Life Insurance Co.
The Marootian case was a class action suit filed in United States District
Court by the heirs of Armenians who had purchased life insurance from New York
Life in the Ottoman Empire prior to 1915. The heirs contend that upon the
deaths of the policyholders, many of whom were murdered by Turks during the
Armenian genocide, New York Life did not pay the benefits on these policies.
Last year, New York Life agreed to settle the class action suit by paying a
total of $20 million, including up to $11 million for the heirs of the
policyholders, at least $3 million for specified Armenian charities, and $6
million for attorneys’ fees and administrative expenses.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the initial $3 million
distribution is to be divided equally by the AGBU, the Armenian Relief
Society,
the Armenian Education Foundation, the Armenian Missionary Association, the
Armenian Catholic Church, both the Eastern and Western Dioceses of the
Armenian
Church of North America, and both the Eastern and Western Prelacies of the
Armenian Apostolic Church. The Settlement Fund Board released these funds to
the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case, who will deliver the checks to
the charities. In addition, the Settlement Fund Board released the funds
allocated by the settlement agreement to various named plaintiffs, including
lead plaintiff Martin Marootian.
The Settlement Fund Board is an independent panel appointed by California
State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi for the purpose of evaluating the
claims of individuals who contend they are heirs who are entitled to
compensation from New York Life under the agreement and distributing the funds
allocated by the settlement agreement. The Board members are attorney and law
professor Berj Boyajian; attorney and Burbank Board of Education Vice
President
Paul Krekorian; and physician and health care activist Viken Manjikian.
The Board is scheduled to begin considering individual claims in March.
Anyone who believes there is even a possibility that they are the heir of a
New
York Life policyholder whose benefits were not paid must submit a “Notice of
Claim” form to the Settlement Fund Board in order to avoid waiving the
right to
recover. All Notice of Claim forms must be postmarked no later than March 16,
2005.
For further information or to obtain a Notice of Claim form, please call the
toll free information line at 1-866-422-0124 or visit
<;www.armenianinsurancesettlemen
t.com. The website includes a partial list of policyholders, but it is not
necessary that your ancestor’s name appear on the list in order to submit a
Notice of Claim.
2) Armenian Refugees Appeal to European Court of Justice
BAKU (Noyan Tapan)–Thirty citizens of Armenia have appealed to the European
Court of Justice, seeking compensation from Azerbaijan for their forced
displacement from the Ketashen and Shahumian regions of Mountainous Karabagh,
between the years of 1991 and 1994.
The Trend news agency reports that, in their appeal, the refugees emphasize
Azerbaijan’s violation of their land ownership, residency, and other rights.
According to procedure, the court’s secretariat records the appeal and
presents it for review.
3) Turkish Press Continues to Fabricate Reports on Historians’ Meeting
ISTANBUL (Marmara)–The Anadolu news agency reported that a meeting between
Armenian and Turkish historians, scheduled to take place in Vienna in order to
discuss the Armenian genocide, has been canceled.
The intent of the May meeting, according to the Turkish agency, was an
exchange and review of documents by both sides. The reason for the
cancellation, writes Anadolu, was the failure of the Armenian side to present
documents as planned and promised. It adds that, although during their meeting
in July 2004, Armenian and Turkish historians exchanged hundreds of documents,
it remained unclear whether the Armenian side would participate in the
upcoming
meeting in Vienna.
“Those who know of this issue also know that the [Turkish] press has
consistently given false information,” writes the Istanbul-based Armenian
newspaper Marmara, and explains that the “first Vienna meeting” Anadolu wrote
about never took place because Armenian historians refused to participate.
The director of the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum, historian Dr.
Lavrenti
Barseghyan has consistently denied that the meeting took place–which the
Turkish press insists he attended.
Armenian historians have categorically asserted that they refuse to
participate in meetings that attempt to establish whether of not Armenian
genocide took place.
4) Moscow Hails Progress toward Karabagh Settlement
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti)–A recently released report by the Russian foreign
ministry highlights positive shifts in Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s conceptual
approaches to reaching a settlement in the Karabagh conflict.
Noting the January 10 Prague meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian and his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov, the report hails such
progress as it allows for dialogue to “take on a routine nature.”
Referring to the OCSE Minsk Groups involvement in negotiations between
Armenia
and Azerbaijan, the report states that international participation has proven
that virtually all aspects of the Karabagh conflict are being considered.
“These include such disputes as the withdrawal of Armenian troops,
demilitarization of this territory, international guarantees, and the future
status of Karabagh.”
It continues to commend both sides for their readiness to abate tensions
created by the Karabagh conflict and consequently improve the situation in the
South Caucasus region.
“The sides can be praised for their agreement on the implementation of an
earlier-made decision to send a fact-finding OSCE Minsk Group mission to the
Karabagh zone, as well as on seeking to organize an Azeri-Armenian summit in
Warsaw this summer.”
The Russian foreign ministry’s report concludes by reaffirming Moscow’s role
to assist in an ever deeper mutual understanding between Armenia and
Azerbaijan
to attain a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
5) ‘Always Drunk and Asleep Before Me, My Guardian Angel’
Leonardo Alishan wrote those lines five years ago. He died in a horrific house
fire last Sunday, at the age of 53.
By Jenny Kiljian
Celebrated poet Leonardo Alishan died on Sunday, January 9, when a fire tore
through his Salt Lake City, Utah home.
Born in Tehran, Iran, Alishan came to the United States in 1973 for graduate
studies. Alishan married Neli Assadurian in 1974, and had three children,
Michael, Ara, and Eileen. The couple were later divorced in 1993 but remained
friends.
Alishan earned a doctorate in comparative literature from the University of
Texas at Austin before moving to Utah, where he taught Persian literature and
comparative literature for twenty years at the University of Utah.
He published two books of poetry. Dancing Barefoot on Broken Glass was
published in 1991, and Through a Dewdropa collection of haiku, tanka, and
senryuin 2000. He also contributed his poetry to literary journals, including
the Burning Bush and Aspora.
His poems explored love and romance, the Armenian genocide, and feelings of
isolation. Many people have characterized Alishan’s work as being distinctly
Armenian in feeling, even though the poems are in English. Alishan focused
heavily on his grandmother, a genocide survivor who took care of him in his
childhood. Her hands figure as a central motif in several poems from Dancing
Barefoot on Broken Glass.
Those who knew Alishan are reeling from the news of his death. “It’s a
terrible
loss,” said his friend Ara Oshagan, who interviewed Alishan in the early
nineties for the Asbarez newspaper in Los Angeles. “We don’t have that many
accomplished poets in the English language and he was definitely one of them,
both widely published and recognized. It’s a great loss to Armenian letters.”
While he was in his basement apartment, a fire on the first level caused the
floor to collapse, trapping Alishan under the debris.
Firefighters arrived on the scene minutes after neighbors called 911, but the
damage was insurmountable. “We don’t know how long the fire had been burning
before neighbors called 911,” said Capt. Michael Jensen, public information
officer of the Unified Fire Authority. “Our crews did the best they could, but
it was too late to save him by the time we got there.”
Firefighters discovered Alishan’s remains on his bed; officials believe he
was
not aware of the fire, according to Jensen. The cause of the fire will remain
undetermined. “The floor had collapsed, and the evidence was destroyed in the
fire,” Jensen said.
Leonardo Alishan is survived by his former wife, Neli, and their three
children, Ara, Michael and Eileen. Funeral services will be held Saturday,
January 15, 2005, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 3015 E.
Creek Road. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Asian Tsunami
victims in care of Red Cross, P.O. Box 38436, SLC, UT 84110.
Tired Thoughts
Leonardo Alishan
They have buried ten million mines
in Afghanistan, one land mine
for every two or three Afghans,
regardless of age or ethnic background.
They have planted death in the womb
of the mother. Prosthetic limbs are airdropped
with food. They have planted a mine
under God’s pillow and his dreams of doves.
Every night a new dark dream spreads
its wings in my sleep. This morning I woke
with a throbbing headache. I woke tired.
I had defused or detonated mines all night.
A dream so real, I checked my limbs.
They were still mine. A dream so dark
I checked my heart. God was still there.
But also still mine and also still there
was the problem of ten million mines,
ten million limbs, ten million lives, ten million
dreams, blown apart in the heart of a God
who plows with the farmers and lives in my heart.
6) California Armenian Woman Missing in Thailand
By Jenny Kiljian
Los Angeles resident Armine Kevorkian, 60, was vacationing at a beachfront
resort in Khaolik, Thailand, when the tsunami hit on December 26, 2004.
Krikor Kevorkian and his family, who live in North Hollywood, Calif., are
waiting on news of his sister’s whereabouts. Kevorkian has given a DNA sample
to the US State Department so that they can identify his sister.
The family received a letter from the hotel manager, according to her niece
Talin Kevorkian, saying that the bungalow Armine Kevorkian and her boyfriend
Richard Morris, 63, were staying in was destroyed. The couple was sleeping at
the time the giant wave came to shore.
Talin Kevorkian says her aunt liked to travel, and had been on a trip around
the world since July. Armine Kevorkian contacted her family by e-mail once a
month.
According to the Armenian Embassy in Washington, D., Armine Kevorkian is the
only Armenian missing from the region.
One Russian-Armenian man was reportedly injured in Thailand and flown back to
Russia for treatment, according to embassy spokesperson Haik Gugarats. He
confirmed that no Armenians live in Madras, the capital of India’s Tamil Nadu
state that was most affected by the tsunami. Gugarats confirmed that one man,
the former caretaker of the Armenian Church in Madras, had recently moved to
Calcutta and was unharmed.
7) UNESCO, Armenia to Celebrate 1600 Years of ABCs
YEREVAN (Arminfo)–UNESCO and the government of Armenia will collaborate to
celebrate worldwide the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet, according
to the secretary general of the UNESCO national commission of Armenia’s
foreign
ministry Karina Danielyan.
Officials anticipate more than 20 events as part of the celebration, which
will take place throughout 2005. “Alphabet Procession,” a dramatic show, will
start in the ancient city of Yervandashat and will end at the Holy See of
Etchmiadzin. Translators’ Day will be marked in the village of Oshakan, the
home of Mesrob Mashdots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet. Since 1979,
Translators’ Day has been widely commemorated in Armenia once every three
years.
During this celebration, the authors of the best translations are awarded a
special prize named after Yeghishe Charents.
Armenians in Karabagh, Javakhk, and the diaspora will also participate in
celebrating the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will
finance an international scientific conference on Armenian studies, according
to Danielyan, which will be held jointly with the National Academy of Sciences
of Armenia. An e-conference titled “Information Technologies and Armenian
Letters” will also be held during the year.
The celebrations will conclude with a show in October at the National Opera
House.
8) $500,000 Raised for USC Armenian Institute in Advance of February 13
Inaugural Gala
LOS ANGELES–The campaign leading to the February 13 Inaugural Gala Banquet to
fund USC’s Institute of Armenian Studies has gone into overdrive in
response to
unprecedented widespread financial support from the Armenian community. As a
result of rapidly increasing commitments made during December 2004, over
$500,000 has already been raised.
In order for the Institute to begin its work as a distinguished center of
Armenian academic, intellectual, and cultural life, the initial target is to
raise $1,000,000 by the time of the banquet. An endowment fund of several
million dollars would eventually be needed for a fully functional institute.
The list of donors is growing exponentially by the ever-expanding ranks of
Armenian Trojan alumni, students, parents, and friends of the University of
Southern California.
Prospective donors are invited to make their pledges as soon as possible
to be
included in the Institute’s Honor Roll and program listings, and to reserve a
place at the February 13 Inaugural Gala Banquet. Early reservations are
suggested due to limited seating at USC’s Town & Gown Banquet Hall.
For further information contact
Savey Tufenkian at (818) 956-8455
Noelle Moss at (213) 740-4996 or
Dr. R. Hrair Dekmejian at (213) 740-3619
[email protected]
Tax deductible contributions & reservations to be sent to:
USC Institute of Armenian Studies Inaugural Dinner
University of Southern California
USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
3551 Trousdale Parkway, ADM 204
Los Angeles, CA 90089-4015
9) Ark Family Services Announces New Programs and Services for Youth and
Families.
GLENDALE–Ark Family Services, Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new
center in Glendale on Tuesday, December 7, providing an opportunity for
members
of the community to gain a better understanding of the services and
educational
programs it provides. Among those in attendance were representatives of the
City of Glendale Youth and Family Services Programs and from the office of
Assembly member Dario Frommer, as well as organization supporter Hrach
Khudatyan, MD and his medical staff.
“We’re happy to have a new home,” said founder and Executive Director Dr.
Edward Kudaverdian. “We at Ark have a profound respect for people and life
itself. We are dedicated to empowering people in generating unlimited
possibilities and making a difference. Our work provides limitless
opportunities for growth and development for individuals, relationships,
families, communities, businesses, institutions, and society as a whole,” he
explained.
The private, non-profit counseling and educational organization has been
serving the multi-cultural needs of the residents of Glendale and its
surrounding communities for the past five years. Ark Family Services offers
counseling services in English, Armenian, and Farsi, and plans to offer
them in
Spanish and Tagalog in the near future.
Services include counseling and therapy for individuals, couples, families,
and children. Workshops and group and individual sessions address a myriad of
topics, including single and two parent family issues, domestic violence,
anger
management, marital and partner conflict, parent-child conflict, coping with
family dysfunction, cultural and social isolation, identity confusion, and
depression.
Clinical Director Astik Kudaverdian, MA explained, ” As an agency
dedicated to
aiding all who seek assistance and direction, Ark’s fees are calculated on a
sliding scale, based on monthly income and household size. This ensures that
virtually all who cross Ark’s threshold receive the support they need.”
Further, to better serve the diverse population of Glendale, Ark continually
develops and implements new programs to offer culturally competent care.
“This grand opening celebration allowed us the opportunity to let the
community know that we are here to serve them at whatever level their
counseling and/or life-skills training needs may be,” commented Melina Sardar,
MA Educational Director at Ark Family Services, Inc.
Ark also offers educational programs and seminars in self-fulfillment and
awareness. Its prime educational program is the “Curriculum for Awakening
“(CFA), which is designed to train people to generate groundbreaking thinking.
The CFA Seminar teaches and trains practical tools of how to create and
maintain a balanced lifestyle, how to reach true potential, excel on the job
and in school, and develop healthy relationships. The CFA programs are offered
to all segments of the community–youth and adolescents ages 14-18 and adults
over 18 with diverse backgrounds and professions. Ms. Sardar concluded, “Among
the many programs and services we also offer leadership and self expression
training, volunteering/assisting programs which include life skills coaching
and mentoring.”
Ark offers free introductory seminars every Monday at 7:30 p.m. For further
information call (818) 662-7045. Ark Family Services, Inc. is located at
541 W.
Colorado Street Suite 302 in Glendale.
10) Barnsdall Park to Host Series of Armenian Concert Events
LOS ANGELES–The Armenian Arts Fund released details of an unprecedented
concert series that will be held at Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood’s Little
Armenia.
The series will kick off on Saturday, January 15, with a concert by
contemporary folk singer Gor Mkhitarian and traditional folk singer Alexander
Karapetian, as well as folk vocalist Araks Karapetian performing in her debut.
A night of traditional troubadour music will be presented on Saturday,
February 5, with performances by the Garni Folk Ensemble, featuring vocalists
Anahid Shahnazarian and Gagik Badalian.
The folk theme will continue on Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12, at the
Los Angeles premiere of Armenian-Greek classical guitarist Iakovos Kolanian,
who will perform his renditions of Armenian Folk music. Kolanian will be
joined
by the critically acclaimed duduk quintet Winds of Passion.
The series will conclude on Sunday, April 10, with a concert by world fusion
artist Armen Chakmakian and his band. All four events will be held at
Barnsdall
Art Park’s Theater Gallery (4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Little Armenia,
Hollywood, CA 90027).
“We’d like to see Little Armenia come alive with all the wonderful musical
traditions that the Los Angeles Armenian community can offer,” said Stepan
Partamian, founder and president of the Armenian Arts Fund. “But this
particular concert series is not just about preserving those traditions; it’s
about building on them with fresh energies and ideas. The artists gathered for
the Barnsdall series represent some of the best talent in the diaspora, and I
think Little Armenia is the perfect destination for showcasing them.”
Created in 2000, the Armenian Arts Fund is dedicated to fostering excellence
in Armenian music, the visual arts, literature, and journalism. Supporting
projects by up-and-coming and established artists alike, the Fund has
organized
several concerts since its founding and publishes the “Armenian Arts”
magazine.
Proceeds from the Barnsdall Art Park concert series will benefit an Armenian
Arts Fund project to record “The Divine Liturgy” featuring Winds of Passion,
which will perform the piece with the traditional Armenian instrument the
duduk. “This will be a first,” Partamian said. “The world-class Armenian
musicians teaming up for this project will bring a whole new perspective and
appreciation to one of the gems of Armenian music, ‘The Divine Liturgy.'”
Tickets for individual concerts at Barnsdall Art Park are $30, or $100 for
all
four performances. Call (818) 244-2468 for reservations.
All performances will begin at 8:00PM, except for the Sunday, April 10
concert
which is scheduled at 7:00PM
11) Hye Shakar IV Concert to Benefit Juvenile Diabetes in Armenia
The Juvenile Diabetes Project of the Armenian American Medical Society of
California will be sponsoring Hye Shakar IV at the Glendale High School
Auditorium on February 27 at 3:30 PM. The project has been in operation since
1993, supplying all juvenile diabetics in Armenia, Artsakh, and even those in
southern Georgia, with human insulin, visual teststrips, supplies, and
information about their blood sugars. The effort has dramatically reduced the
short and long-term complications from this devastating disease.
The concert will star the a capella singing group Zulal from New York and the
amazing drummer Jacob Armen and his band.
Before the start of the Juvenile Diabetes Project, juvenile diabetes in
Armenia meant a life of frequent short term complications from low blood
sugars
(hypoglycemia) resulting in coma and even death, and long term complications
from high blood sugars (hyperglycemia) resulting in weight loss, blindness,
kidney disease, hypertension, nerve damage, stroke, and heart disease. Life
was
not only severely shortened, but was also very depressing and difficult.
The program has supplied children with visual blood teststrips (which they
split to get several readings), human insulin, syringes, lancets, and the
proper books in eastern Armenian–to markedly reduce both the short and long
term complications of the disease in children–allowing them to lead a near
normal lifestyle.
As a result, they have been able to plan their education, careers, and
expect
a normal life. No other program has made such a dramatic improvement in
children with diabetes in the former Soviet Union.
With the $12,000 raised by the Knights of Vartan Sevan Tahlij 50th
anniversary
banquet in 2003 and the money raised by the Hye Shakar III concert in 2004,
the
organization was able to purchase two years of visual teststrips for the
children.
The money raised from the upcoming concert will be used to purchase human
insulin. All supplies are given to children without charge and are sent to
Armenia through the United Armenian Fund. The project is under the guidance of
Dr. Elmira Pashinyan, Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Children’s Hospital
#4 in Yerevan. The 600 patients covered by this project range from under one
year of age to their late teens and early twenties.
Ticket prices are $50, $37.50, $25, $15, as well as a separate section
for
high school students for $10 with a valid school ID. Tickets can be purchased
from the following:
SFV/Hollywood: Hourig (323) 466-0497
Glendale: Marina (818) 243-5731
Pasadena: Seda (818) 790-7271
Orange County: Olga (949) 574-3508
San Diego: Mark (858) 259-9337
Dr. Malayan (818) 550-0702
Abril Bookstore (818) 243-4112
Sardarabad Bookstore (818) 500-0790
All donations should be sent to the AAMSC at 834 Ida Ave. Solana Beach, CA
92075 and will be listed in the program. The AAMSC is a 501(c)(3) organization
and all donations are tax deductible.
All proceeds from the concert will go towards the purchase of medicine to
improve the lives of children in Armenia with stricken by diabetes.
12) Hamazkayin Partners With Kennedy Center to Feature ‘Zulal’ in Washington,
DC
Performance Part of Hamazkayin Evening Dedicated to Supporting Young
Armenians in the Arts
WASHINGTON, DC–The Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society
joined forces with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to
sponsor a New Year’s weekend performance of Armenian folk music on the
Center’s
Millenium Stage. The concert was part of an evening organized by the
Hamazkayin
Washington chapter dedicated to supporting young Armenians in the performing
and visual arts.
The Zulal Armenian A Capella Trio performed a range of songs showcasing
Armenia’s folk music heritage before a standing-room-only audience of more
than
600 Washingtonians gathered at the world-renowned Kennedy Center. Using
original arrangements of melodies and harmonies, the group presented a
repertoire of songs that drew on the rich tradition of Armenia’s rural music,
including songs such as `Sari Siroon Yar’ and `Sareri Hovin Mernem.’
Following the concert, the Hamazkayin Washington chapter hosted a photography
exhibit titled `A Window to Armenia,’ featuring the works of Arsineh
Khachikian
at the Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church Hall. A Washington DC native,
Ms.
Khachikian shared with attendees a photographic journey across Armenia’s
mountains, villages and people. The exhibit displayed more than 30 color and
black and white images depicting a range of subjects from panoramic landscapes
to poignant close-up portraits.
“By sponsoring such performances and exhibits, Hamazkayin is pleased to help
young Armenian artists gain increased exposure in the nation’s capital,’
stated
Maggie Simonian, chair of the Hamazkayin Washington DC chapter. `Hamazkayin
would like to thank the Kennedy Center for opening their Millenium Stage to
our
organization as well as acknowledge the Armenian Embassy for their
collaboration in making this event a success.”
Founded in 1928, the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society is
dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the history and the cultural
heritage of the Armenian nation. Hamazkayin has chapters throughout the United
States, Canada, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, as well
as the Republic of Armenia.
A recording of the concert featuring Zulal is available on the Kennedy Center
Website at:
<
id=ZULAL>
m?artist_id=ZULAL.
13) Hagop Hagopian at HARVEST GALLERY
GLENDALE–A rare solo exhibition of works by internationally acclaimed artist
Hagop Hagopian will run at Glendale’s Harvest Gallery from January 21 to
February 6, and will feature works spanning the last decade.
The artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States in more than five
years will present over 25 watercolors and oil paintings
Hagopian’s canvases evoke a profound sense of realism through the use of oils
and watercolors that enhance images, symbols, scenes, and ideas. “His
transparent hues and clear graphic lines are so perfect that they seem to be
unsurpassable. With each new work, Hagopian proves that there is no limit to
perfection. Only a great master can do that,” says famed artist Jean Carzou.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1923, Hagopian was educated in Paris and
Cairo at
the Institute of Fine Arts and the Académie de la Grande Chaumiére,
respectively. Hagopian moved to Armenia in 1962, where he worked as a design
artist in a textile factory in Gyumri.
His first solo exhibit was in 1963 in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. In 1977,
Hagopian was awarded the State Prize of Armenia and the People’s Artist of
Armenia. In 1986, he won the coveted State Prize of USSR for this pictorial of
My Land and was elected a full-member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR.
Hagopian has exhibited throughout the world including in Cyprus, Finland,
France, Germany, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, and the US.
Hagopian’s exhibit will be on display from Friday, January 21 through Sunday,
February 6. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday 11:00AM to 7:00PM. For
general information about the exhibit, call Harvest Gallery at 818.546.1000.
Artist Opening Reception
Friday, January 21 6:00–10:00PM
Exhibition Dates: January 21 through February 6
14) GROUNDS FOR SUPERSTITION AND SILLY BEHAVIOR
By Skeptik Sinikian
The other day, while at a coffee shop, I noticed an Armenian man in his
40s or
50s finish his single shot of espresso, then flip the tiny paper cup over on a
napkin. I didn’t think much of the gesture at first but after five minutes,
when he flipped the cup back over and started staring at the remnants of the
coffee grinds, I realized that the poor sap was trying to read his own
fortune.
Too busy to make a decent, thick-as-mud cup of Armenian coffee, our friend was
using a commercial substitute to satisfy his urge to know his future.
I wanted to approach this man and tell him that I could save saved him the
trouble of reading his grinds by telling him what the coffee grounds said.
After all, it’s always the same two or three things. You’re either going to
receive a letter from a strange man. You’re going to go on a trip or you’re
either going to win or lose money. Sometimes the letter is actually news and
it’s brought to you by a bird instead of a strange man but this is only a
slight variation on the three different predictions commonly used by Armenian
grandmothers worldwide.
I personally don’t believe that a person’s future is determined by the
leftovers of someone’s coffee. I don’t believe in horoscopes either. But I
know
people who do. These are people who not only believe in horoscopes but live
their lives by them. Maybe the Armenian obsession with rituals that deal with
superstition stems from our lack of faith in our own abilities to make our
destiny. How else do you explain the thousands of Armenian grandmothers out
there who regularly go to church AND play the lottery. I don’t remember that
verse in the Bible that said blessed are the gambling ‘dadeegs’ for they shall
inherit God’s timeshare in Las Vegas.
I admit that I’ll look up my own horoscope but it’s mainly for laughs than it
is for actual everyday or even life altering decisions. My friend’s
grandmother, on the other hand, will clip horoscopes for her grandchildren and
mail it to them with a Lotto ticket. “Janeeg, pakhdud portseh”–“Honey, try
your luck.” But this whole horoscope business got me thinking. Why do only
people have to have horoscopes? What if countries had horoscopes too? I
wondered what Armenia’s horoscope was on this unnaturally rainy Los Angeles
day.
Armenia should have a horoscope. After all, it has been personified in so
many
Armenian songs, poems, stories, everyday lexicon that it might as well be a
person. So I decided to look it up. (What you’re about to read is not made up.
It is an actual horoscope taken from an internet horoscope site).
The hardest part would be to figure out what Armenia’s sign is. Armenia is
either a Virgo (September 21) or a Gemini (May 28), depending on who you ask.
Here’s what the horoscope for Virgo read on January 14, 2005: “New material
comes with new territory. Your first reaction may tell the whole story, or it
may mean nothing at all. Nobody has the answers at this point. At least you’re
getting used to the idea of change.” Strangely enough, it seemed to fit. New
territory can be Artsakh (even though it’s always been historically Armenian)
and I can see how NOBODY in Armenia has any answers to the Artsakh conflict at
this point. And change can refer to independence, exodus, privatization, etc.
It sort of made some sense.
Then I looked up the horoscope for Gemini which read: “If you broke it, you
have to buy or replace it. Arguing your case just goes to show how weak it is.
This is one time when you have to choose your battles carefully. Winning an
easy one can only help your image.” I could interpret this in a myriad of
ways.
Choosing your battles? Armenians seem to always be tilting their lances at
imaginary windmills instead of focusing on real and immediate threats. We’re
constantly rebuilding ancient churches in Armenia in villages of
populations of
100 or less while dozens of Armenian kids are arrested and thrown in jail in
Los Angeles every day. Building churches is a noble endeavor but the horoscope
clearly states “…you have to choose your battles carefully.” This was sort of
creepy.
And just for fun, I decided to look up the Republic of Turkey too. Turkish
Sovereignty Day is April 23, which also happens to be Turkish Children’s Day.
Before your blood pressure begins to rise at the oddly inappropriate and
ironic
date for these two made up holidays, let me just say that Turkey happens to be
a Taurus. Here’s what Turkey’s horoscope said: “You still know a few tricks
this crowd hasn’t seen. Leave them smiling instead of feeling afraid. You’re a
master at framing the issues to make yourself look good. Once you inspire
loyalty, your work is almost done.” Can anyone think of an instance in
current
news where Turkey is trying to make a certain other group smile instead of
feel
afraid? Can you say “European Union?” At this point I was on a roll. I had to
look up America too. July 4. Cancer. “Some topics must remain off limits.
Your
needs are important to you, but they might eclipse common courtesy or
destabilize someone else’s peace of mind. Remember that a community issue
could
be at stake.” Wow, I almost wanted to clip this one and send it to President
George W. Bush with a lotto ticket and handwritten note.
I looked at the man getting up from his seat and throwing away his fortune in
the nearby trash bin. I watched him as he walked to his car and drove off to
work, probably unhappy that the coffee grounds had not predicted a happier
more
successful future. I went back to my experiment with the horoscopes. I could
have a field day with all of these but I’ll let you, the reader, delve deeper
and interpret them instead. I finished my cup of coffee and almost
instinctively flipped the cup over before realizing that it doesn’t matter
whether I’ll be going away on a trip or not or if I win or lose some money. I
threw the cup in the trash and headed home.
Skeptik Sinikian encourages his readers to regularly pinch/scratch their
butts
to ward off evil spirits and jealous eyes. He can be reached at
[email protected], or visit is outdated blog at
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15) Tidbits from The Diner
By Tatul
Parking my car in a moderate (by New England standards) snowstorm wasn’t much
fun. As I entered the Diner, shaking the snow off my shoulders and what’s left
of my hair, I looked for Marty at his usual corner and, sure enough, there he
was, deeply engrossed in a book; there was no sign of the batch of newspapers
he usually carried with him.
He didn’t seem to notice me until I was practically sitting in front of him.
“You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that,” he said, marking his place in the
book with a napkin and setting it down, “how long have you been sitting
there?”
“Oh, about twenty minutes,” I lied.
“Remarkable,” he said, “considering I only arrived ten minutes ago.”
“It must be some book,” I said, changing the subject, “You were lost to the
world.”
“I wasn’t lost,” he said, “I found myself in a world I thought I had
forgotten.”
“May I?” I said, reaching for the paperback volume with a nondescript cover
displaying an obviously vintage photograph of four pre-teen boys in
old-fashioned bathing suits squatting in, what looked like, a creek or a pond.
WEST OF MALATIA, read the title with “The Boys of ’26” as subtitle, just above
the sepia photograph, and at the bottom of this somewhat utilitarian yet
nostalgic cover, the author’s name, Sarkis J. Eminian. “Who is he?” I
asked.
“Who is he?” he repeated slowly, “He is us, I guess; who else? A native of
the
Armenian diaspora,” he said, taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses with
a napkin and replacing them on his nose. “A first generation diasporan, with
the eyes, ears, and voice of a born story teller and a genuine talent that
transcends the technical limitations of this privately edited and published
volume.”
“This is a truly authentic voice,” he continued, “a voice that reaches the
hearts and fading memories of that generation born and raised West, East,
North
or South of Malatia, worldwide, not just Cleveland, Ohio, but Paris, France,
Athens, Greece, Cairo, Egypt, and Beirut, Lebanon, and so on.” His voice
trailed off and I could swear there were tears in his eyes, concealed behind
his reading glasses.
“Listen to this,” he said, picking up the book and reading from a marked
page:
“The stories in this book are about my friends and my life. They are memories
that go back in time, as far back as I can remember and recall the things we
did. I suppose there must be a reason for all this, as if we accomplished
something extraordinary, or one of us became famous. But none of those things
happened to us. We grew up with nothing special to distinguish us from the
ordinary, except the close bond we shared–five of us, who shared a special
bond because we were all born between March and September of 1926. We grew up
as close as as brothers, in a close-knit clan of seven families. We were the
boys of ’26.”
He stopped reading and neither one of us broke the silence for a while.
Outside, the snow came down, steady and equally silent — the only sounds were
those coming from the Diner’s busy kitchen and the muffled voices of Costa and
one of the waiters.
“I wonder how Arty is doing in Canada,” said Marty, gathering his things,
ready to leave. “It’s been a while since I heard from him.”
“He’s a Watertown boy,” I said, “he’ll be all right.” He didn’t seem to hear
me.
“If you want,” he said, as we stepped out into the snow, “I’ll loan you the
book when I’m through with it. Everyone should read it.”
I thanked him and walked to my snow-bound car.
16) The Elections Are Coming, The Elections Are Coming!
By Garen Yegparian
It’s an odd numbered year and a number of the cities and other governmental
entities hosting the largest non-homeland Armenian community will be holding
elections between now and the end of Spring. Some are one-shot,
plurality-vote-getter-wins arrangements (such as Glendale). Others are of the
two-stage, primary-and-general variety (such as Burbank). All are
non-partisan–though you wouldn’t know it listening to some people’s analyses
of whom to vote for and why. All attract their share of crackpots, hapless and
hopelessly unelectable candidates, and, given it’s the LA basin we’re
discussing, Armenians.
Even if you don’t live in one of the charter cities that have these
elections,
such as Pasadena and Los Angeles, you might still be voting since school and
community college districts frequently span multiple municipal jurisdictions.
The most obvious examples are the Los Angeles Unified School and Community
College Districts. While in most cases all the dates are nicely aligned, some
are not. Burbank is in the LACCD, but with completely separate dates for its
municipal election.
But beyond my obvious civic spirit and desire to keep my compatriots informed
of opportunities to empower themselves through the ballot box, why am I
writing
this? And be sure, there’ll be more on this topic before Summer arrives. I
want
to sadly admit that the unflattering description of some candidates given
above
applies to Armenians as well.
Since we have a large concentration of Armenians in these areas, many seem to
think an “ian” at the end of their name entitles them to election. Forget
considerations of electability, service to the community (Armenian and broader
civic), and impact on the Armenian community.
Here are a few samples from the current crop of candidates. One is on a
mission to change policy in the jurisdiction where this candidacy has been
declared. Of course it matters little that this crusade is as utterly
unsupported by the facts, as George Bush’s weapons-of-mass-destruction-in-Iraq
arguments. Another, who I would consider a friend, has not been active in
civic
life, yet thinks it appropriate to run for office. Two others have done
nothing but sow discord in our community. A raft of others just plain haven’t
an ice cube’s chance in hell of getting elected, yet insist on running.
Fortunately, some have the sense, decency, and grace to withdraw when they see
their chances of winning are slim.
You’ll argue, “Hey, it’s their right; this is a democracy governed by levels
of representative government.” True enough. But, since many of these Armenian
candidates are running with the tacit or overt expectation of Armenian
community support, then that community’s interest must be factored into all
considerations. We’d all agree that we want to see more Armenians attaining
elected office and progressing to higher such positions. But when large
numbers
of Armenians run, specifically more than the number of seats up for election,
then they all get hurt because the Armenian vote scatters among all the
candidates, rendering them less likely to win. Also, the funds available get
diffused, hurting everyone’s ability to purchase electoral necessities.
Credible and useless candidates alike get hurt.
So do us all a favor, if you’re one of these people, withdraw. If your friend
is one of them, talk him/her out of it. We’ll all be better off.
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