Opinion
The Irony Behind Armenian Pen Names
For years I did not know that Garo Adanalian and Christian Garbis were one and the same.
That is, until one day when I approached Adanalian and said, “Did you read that excellent story about Armenian independence by Christian Garbis?”
He looked at me with a smirk, then replied, “Not only did I read it, I wrote it.”
Only then did I realize
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Excellent piece by Tom.
I get the feeling that Armenians use pen names more than others. Is this because Raffi did it and we all aspire to his level of cool? Or is it that there was real danger in Ottoman Empire in speaking ones mind and thus the very real need for a nom de plume.
Tom- A very interesting article, but you forgot to mention my favorite Armenian pen name–
Levon Shant (or Chant in the French spelling).
Okay what am I missing here?
Mr. Hashian might as well have chosen the pen-name Trevanian, that would be his his business, however, the Trevanian who wrote “The Eiger Sanction” made into a movie in 1975 is Rodney William Whitaker (June 12, 1931 – Dec 14, 2005)
Whitaker had said that his wife chose the pen name Trevanian based on her appreciation of English historian G.M. Trevelyan.
Good point Tsayt. But whether or not it’s valid remains to be seen. Knew Jack Hashian for about five years and his claim to fame was having written the screen play to “Eiger Sanction” as Trevanian. Others who knew him well would corroborate that. Claimed to still be getting royalties from it. It’s like, “will the real Trevanian please step forward.” Hashian claimed that he had written the “Eiger Sanction” and Trevanian was his mother’s maiden name. He claimed to have sold the pseudonym to another author. For some reason, he isn’t credited anywhere on any of the on-line sites about the 1975 film starring Clint Eastwood. Perhaps Hashian was a ghost writer for Rodney William Whitaker. Anyway, the piece was about pen names and not movie rights so maybe we should just let it rest in peace like Hashian.
How true. pens names are great for us writers.
Albert the Armenian
Since I have now and then suggested making of the Plot Movie of jack Hashian entitled ¨ m a m i g o n ¨,I ´d like to comment here now-belatedly(reason for which is I have just discovered on Amazon.com ) that Trevanian is actually Jack Hashian .Apsedonym he adopted for reasons known to himself.
But I was gladdened that Script of this book has already been penned by a certain Bill Hoversten Davis. Furthermore in the comments section of Amazon.com it is mentioned that filming of this Plot movie could well be made to co incide with the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, when we do need such like movies for making it know n to the millions of the World public who are not acquaitned with out PLIGHT,nay Holocaust…
Hope others will join in and pursuade our film mkaers in Hollywood to join forces and bring this to pass..
i dare say it may well surpass movies like the ¨¨Schindler´s List¨.
Also very interesting that Script to the latter was written by an Armenian ,.namel Zindlian..
I knew Jack Hashian professionally from 1981 to 1984. He told me, totally earnestly, that the reason he wrote with a pen name was because he couldn’t write about sex under his own name because his mother would read those books and he would be too embarassed. He was fascinating and charming. His son, by the way, was the drummer for Boston.
My sister dated Jack around the time The Eiger Sanction premiered.He had rented a a theater for a private viewing.I believe the theater was located in the Seven Corners Shopping Center in Falls Church Va.We had a great evening.