Commentary
From Motherland to Foreignland
Once upon a time, I lived in Yerevan. Every morning on my way to school, I would look at Mount Ararat and breathe the fresh Yerevan air – feeling inspired and ready for another day […]
Culture
Travel
Kalavan: Once an Obscure Village in Armenia, Now Gaining International Fame
Far away in the mountains of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia near Lake Sevan, there’s an insignificant and inaccessible village known as Kalavan. Its population of 108 inhabitants are mostly survivors from Sumgait, Azerbaijan who […]
Memoir
Suburban America Through the Recipe Cabinet of My Immigrant Mother
For years, I’ve eyed my mother’s recipe cabinet longingly. Brimming with books slung together in no particular rhyme or reason, it occupies two giant floor cupboards in my parents’ kitchen. I have hoped to one […]
Announcements
Armenian Students Association’s Annual Poetry Competition Accepting Submissions
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Armenian Students Association (ASA) has announced its 8th annual poetry competition, in memory of Arthur Halvajian, a trustee who led its Board in sponsoring the first competition. As in past years, ASA is […]
Music
Tuning in to The Deenjes
In 2010 two friends, an Armenian film director and an Arab cameraman decided to record a song called “Togh u Gna” (which translates in English to “Leave! Go!”). They never imagined that just a few […]
Mothering in the Motherland
Identity Shouldn’t Be So Hard
My first-born started speaking late. He grew up surrounded by multiple languages, including three different dialects of Armenian, maybe even four. People told me to keep speaking different languages and eventually he would start speaking […]
Mothering in the Motherland
Mothering in the Motherland: A Column About Parenting in Armenia
The most common question I hear from the Diaspora in America these days is, “What is it like raising children in Armenia?” It feels ironic because if they knew the truth, I’m sure they would […]
Interviews
Vahram Zaryan and the Artistry of Contemporary Mime
French-Armenian mime artist Vahram Zaryan holds a unique place in today’s performance world. A graduate of Armenia’s National Conservatory in Yerevan and the École internationale de Mime de Paris, he has performed on world stages […]
Announcements
New Album: Samvel Galstian’s ‘ANDORR’
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Boston-based musician Samvel Galstian’s album ANDORR was released globally this month, premiering at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival which takes place annually at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This year the world-renowned institution celebrated […]
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Turkish: The Secret Language of My Childhood
Growing up as a child of two Syrian immigrants of Armenian descent, I had access to multiple clandestine languages that perfumed the ether of my childhood. Both my parents were Middle Eastern city-slickers, raised in […]