Milford Daily News, MA
May 29 2005
A family legacy: Milford native shares a lifetime of stories and
local history
By Kristine Diederich / Daily News Staff
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Mitchell Kalpakgian was born in Milford into a tight-knit Armenian
family. Like many neighborhood families, his ancestors had immigrated
to the area in search of a better life. But unlike some of his
neighbors, his family’s story began tragically.
Kalpakgian’s father, at the tender age of 14, narrowly escaped
the Turkish massacre of Armenians in 1915 when he literally ran for
his life, at his mother’s insistence. He emigrated to the United
States and never saw his parents or sister again. Over the years, he
became a fixture in Milford; a trusted locksmith, hard-working
citizen and friend to many.
Over the years, as the family grew, so did their experiences —
happy and sad — including the warmth of friendship, cultural
traditions, faith and the strong bonds of family.
Kalpakgian has compiled his family stories in a new book titled,
“An Armenian Family Reunion: A Lifetime of Unforgettable and
Delightful Stories,” published by The Neumann Press.
Kalpakgian, 64, a 1963 graduate of Bowdoin College, earned a
master’s degree at the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. at the
University of Iowa. He has taught college English and is currently
academic dean and teacher of English, Latin and French at Mount Royal
Academy in Sunapee, N.H. He now lives in Warner, N.H. He was married
for 25 years to the late Joyce Narsasian and is the father of five
children and grandfather of four.
Kalpakgian recently took time to discuss his new book and his
life growing up in Milford.
Q: Tell me about your upbringing in Milford and your influences.
A: I went through all the grades in Milford (and graduated from)
Milford High School. I had wonderful high school teachers — Nello
Allegrezza, Dr. Miriam Ryan, Philomena Collavita. Dr. Ryan, who
taught Latin, told me, “You can go to college but you need to read
more, take the SATs.” I went to the (public) library to the
recommended reading shelf for high-schoolers. I took out “A Tale of
Two Cities” but struggled with it and realized I was lacking. But I
kept at it, took out another book and another book and another (and
it got easier).
We didn’t have books at home but my family was very supportive
of my interest (in reading); there was always a respect for learning.
To receive an education and to do work that you love was a gift.
Q: Tell me what your book is about.
A: Family culture is transmitted very naturally between family
members when you are living close (and I had that). When people are
spread out over the country, you don’t hear the same messages from
multiple sources and a larger extended family.
The whole idea (of sharing a wealth of family stories) came to
me because young people just have their youth culture, where they
identify more with their age group than being a member of a family or
extended family. They develop the feeling that the past doesn’t
relate to them; it’s dead and gone. They live more in the now and
don’t seem to know what wisdom is or value it, like they might if
they learned it from an elder or grandparent. The older generation
who want to pass something down don’t have anyone to receive it.
The idea of (sharing stories at) a family reunion came to me as
a way to pass on a body of knowledge that (young people) would never
get from a college course or a movie. The reunion in the book is a
device (and did not happen because my extended family is spread out
all over the country), but all of the stories are true.
Q: What led you to write the book when you did?
A: I realized at about age 60 or 61, I should (compile these
family stories) as soon as possible. What better gift could I give to
my children and grandchildren than these stories of mine and their
ancestors? I just felt inspired to do it.
Q:What kind of reader would enjoy this book?
A: The real theme of the book is the blessing and riches of
family life, and how much education you receive when you are all very
bonded and feel thankful for that. When you have received so much,
you feel a debt to share. (So I think) the average lay reader who
just enjoys reading, especially about family life, would enjoy this
book.
Q: Where can people buy the book?
A: Contact The Neumann Press at 1-800-746-2521 or
(The cost of the book is) $18.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I’m working on and planning “The Home and Family in
Literature;” it will go through the classics in literature, like
Homer’s “Odyssey,” where he shows you that home is the center of
civilization. I want to write this book because we see so much of the
erosion of the family all around us.
If you are a MetroWest author and have recently self published a
book, let us know and we may feature you in a future Writer’s Corner.
Send an e-mail to [email protected] with information about your book
and yourself, including the town you live in. If you have an upcoming
book-signing or event, please be sure to contact us at least three
weeks in advance of the event.