By Jennifer Manoukian

Victoria Rowe’s 2009 book, “A History of Armenian Women’s Writing: 1880-1922,” investigates an area of Armenian literature that has been largely neglected or minimized by historians and scholars: the contribution of Armenian women to literature. Although names like Gregory of Narek, Raffi or Taniel Varoujan may come to mind when thinking about Armenian literature, curiously absent from the canon is the work of the many clever and influential women writers who explored new, revolutionary themes, such as social equality and female empowerment, in their writing. Centering her study on a period of cultural renaissance that thoroughly transformed Armenian society, Rowe examines the work of six women writers and situates each one in her proper socio-historical context to highlight the strength and perseverance that were required of these women to succeed during an era where educational opportunities for women were scarce and where wife and mother were expected to be their only social roles.

Devoting a chapter to each writer, Rowe begins with Srpouhi Dussap, the first Armenian feminist, and the role model for future generations of women writers, known for her three controversial novels published in the 1880s. Rowe then discusses the writing and charitable work of Sybil (Zabel Assadour) in Constantinople and Marie Khatisian in Tiflis who both promoted education for girls under the Ottoman and Russian empires, respectively, and details Marie Beylerian’s struggle to establish Ardemis, a periodical devoted exclusively to Armenian women’s rights founded in Egypt in 1902. Rowe shifts to the Russian Empire to examine the poetry of Shughanik Kurghinian and finally ends with a study of Armenian literature’s most well-respected woman writer, Zabel Yessayan, tracing her life from her childhood in Constantinople, to her young adulthood in France and finally to her later years in Soviet Armenia

Rowe closes her book with an invaluable appendix for those interested in women writers, which lists all of the known works, criticism and translations for each of the six writers in addition to biographical information about other women writers of the period. Overall, Victoria Rowe’s groundbreaking book helps Armenian literature enthusiasts gain a new perspective on this revolutionary period and appreciate the obstacles that these women writers overcame in order to succeed.

Click on this link to browse A History of Armenian Women’s Writing: 1880-1922 on Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=mOvE4Ec-_oEC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

Jennifer Manoukian is a summer intern for the Zohrab Center. She is a recent graduate of Rutgers University and holds a B.A. in French and Middle Eastern Studies. She was delighted to come across this book while doing research for her seni0r thesis on Zabel Yessayan.

“The Fables of Mkhitar Gosh,” translated by Robert Bedrosian and edited by Elise Antreassian, highlight a collection of stories by this great intellectual figure. An Armenian cleric and scholar born in Azerbaijan in the 12th century, Mkhitar Gosh was asked by a prince of eastern Armenia to compile a set of legal guidelines, which became known as the historic Armenian Law Book and was used by the Armenians of Cilicia, the Caucasus and elsewhere.

“The Fables of Mkhitar Gosh” reflected Gosh’s world around him. He touched upon the subjects of animals, birds and plants, and his stories concluded with guidance and lessons to his readers. These included the condemnation of mixed marriages and conversion to Islam, as well as admonishment of the poor and weak and praise for the rich and strong. To read a digitized version of “The Fables of Mkhitar Gosh,” please click here.

The Zohrab Center is home to an extensive collection of the academic journal “Pazmaveb,” with issues dating back to 1904. “Pazmaveb,” published by the Mekhitarist Order in Venice, Italy, is the longest-running Armenian periodical and one of the oldest publications in Europe. Founded in 1843, its first editors were Gabriel Aivazovsky (1843-1848), and Ghevond Alishan (1849-1851) both of whom belonged to the Mekhitarist Order. Published primarily in Armenian, “Pazmaveb” contains scholarly articles ranging from Armenian history to politics to literature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Zohrab Center’s library collection contains over 20,000 books and resources ranging from Armenian literature, history and religion to Armenian newspapers, journals and periodicals. Each week, one of the center’s holdings will be highlighted to familiarize the general public about the contents of the Zohrab Center.

The Heritage of Armenian Literature, edited by Agop J. Hacikyan, Gabriel Basmajian, Edward S. Franchuk and Nourhan Ouzounian, is a three volume set that traces the anthology of Armenian literature. Highlighting periods of Armenian literature, from the oral tradition to the golden age to modern times, The Heritage of Armenian Literature contains Armenian literary masterpieces that have been translated into English in order to preserve the literary traditions of Armenians. The talented writers featured in these volumes include literary giants who have contributed significant value to Armenian culture and history, including Yeghishe, Movses Khorenatsi, Grigor Narekatsi, Mkhitar Gosh, Mesrop Mashtots, Sayat-Nova, Hakob Paronian, Siamanto, Daniel Varuzhan and Yeghishe Charents, among many others. Not only does The Heritage of Armenian Literature compile the biographies and literary pieces of each of these authors, it also provides historical context and covers the development of Armenian literature — one of the oldest in the world — over the past 3,000 years.

The series includes:

The Heritage of Armenian Literature Volume 1: From the Oral Tradition to the Golden Age

The Heritage of Armenian Literature Volume 2: From the Sixth to the Eighteenth Century

The Heritage of Armenian Literature Volume 1: From the Eighteenth Century to Modern Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Zohrab Center’s library collection contains over 20,000 books and resources ranging from Armenian literature, history and religion to Armenian newspapers, journals and periodicals. Each week, one of the center’s holdings will be highlighted to familiarize the general public about the contents of the Zohrab Center.

“Sacred Wrath: The Selected Poems of Vahan Tekeyan” contains 68 of this prolific writer’s works. The poems, published both in Armenian and in English (translated by Diana Der Hovanessian and Marzbed Margossian), fall under the themes of love, patriotism and religion. Some of the author’s most acclaimed poems are in this book, including “The Armenian Church,” “Your Name,”  and “The Armenian Spirit.”

To learn more about Vahan Tekeyan, please visit our “cultural tidbits” section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Zohrab Center’s library collection contains over 20,000 books and resources ranging from Armenian literature, history and religion to Armenian newspapers, journals and periodicals. Each week, one of the center’s holdings will be highlighted to familiarize the general public about the contents of the Zohrab Center.

The series “Azgapatum,” compiles the history of the Armenian Church and the Armenian people beginning with 301 AD, the year Armenia adopted Christianity, through the end of the 20th century. The author of the first three volumes, His Beatitude Maghakia Ormanian, (1841-1918) served as the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople from 1896 until 1908 when he was removed from office by the Young Turk Party. He spent the rest of his life writing several monumental books including  “Azgapatum” (National History). The work of noting important events in the Armenian Church’s history was continued by Rev. Fr. Zaven Arzoumanian, Ph.D who published three more volumes (divided into the following years: 1910-1930; 1930-1955; 1955-1995). An expert in the history of the Armenian Church, Rev. Fr. Arzoumanian received his Ph.D from Columbia University and has published numerous books about religion and philosophy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Zohrab Center’s library collection contains over 20,000 books and resources ranging from Armenian literature, history and religion to Armenian newspapers, journals and periodicals. Each week, one of the center’s holdings will be highlighted to familiarize the general public about the contents of the Zohrab Center.