A VISUAL AND POETIC JOURNEY THROUGH MONUMENTS OF ARMENIA AND ARTSAKH

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On Pentecost Sunday, May 28th, St. Vartan Cathedral and the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center will host a book presentation by author David Karamian with a piano performance and poetry recital after Badarak in Kavookjian Hall. All are welcome to attend!

In his book, Armenia – The Lone Stone, David Karamian brings a deeply personal and spiritual perspective to his Armenian heritage through breathtaking color and black-and-white photographs of the most spectacular monasteries and monuments in Armenia and Artsakh, taken over nearly two decades. While The Lone Stone can be experienced merely on a visual level, it has a multi-themed focus and is complimented by Armenia’s rugged and magnificent geography, architectural innovations, and aesthetic achievements in art, poetry, music, and literature, selections from which it contains within its pages. Armenia – The Lone Stone is a passionate love letter to Armenians everywhere, as well as an intelligent and emotionally compelling introduction to this extraordinary country, aimed at Armenians and non-Armenians alike.

David Karamian has worked and consulted for five Fortune 20 companies (United Technologies, Ford, GM, HP, and Microsoft) and has visited over 25 countries on five continents. In the mid-2000s, he was the founder and CEO of two technology firms (Siamanto and PACE). He is a part-time artist and photographer who loves history and architecture, especially in Armenia. His abstract photos have been published in the magazine Black and White Photography, and his book Armenia – The Lone Stone has been featured in Armenian Weekly, the Armenian Museum of Fresno, and the Armenian Museum of Moscow. He is the founder and CEO of NorArtGallery Publishing and is working on the second volume of The Lone Stone, as well as a book of his abstract photographs.

12 Lectures on Medieval Armenian Poetry Now on YouTube

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A 12-part lecture series on Medieval Armenian Poetry delivered by Zohrab Information Center director Dr. Jesse S. Arlen is available to stream on YouTube. The series was delivered through the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary Zoom public lecture series in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.

The scope of the series spans from the pre-Christian gusan (bardic) tradition of oral epic verse to the origin of sacred music and its various genres (sharakan, gandz, tagh, meghedi) to penitential poetry, biblical epic, laments, lyric and wisdom poetry, and the early modern ashugh (minstrel) tradition, featuring masters like Sayat Nova.

Upcoming Literary Evenings: Mar 29, Apr 3, Apr 13

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We invite you to join us for three upcoming in-person literary events in New York City, the first two of which are part of the Literary Lights series organized by the International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA), the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), and the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center: Deanna Cachoian-Schanz, translator of Shushan Avagyan’s A Book, Untitled, will be in conversation with Dr. Lisa Gulesserian on March 29, and Aram Mrjoian, editor of the anthology We Are All Armenian: Voices from the Diaspora, will be joined by volume contributors Chris Bohjalian, Nancy Kricorian, Scout Tufankjian, and Hrag Vartanian on April 3.

On April 13, the Zohrab Information Center is hosting a poetry night (քերթուածի գիշեր), featuring experimental and innovative young poets reading from their original works in English and Armenian: Hrayr Varaz (Հրայր Վարազ), Alina Gregorian (Ալինա Գրիգորեան), Aram Ronaldo (Արամ Ռոնալտօ), Jesse Arlen (Ճեսի Արլէն), Lillian Avedian (Լիլիան Աւետեան), Sharisse Zeroonian (Շարիս Ծերունեան).

See below for details of time and place!

Zoom Lecture Series on Medieval Armenian Poetry

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Zohrab Info Center director Dr. Jesse S. Arlen will deliver the final two lectures in the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary 2023 Spring Public Lecture Series.

Thursday, March 9th: “Nahapet Kuchak and the Hayren”
Thursday, March 16th: “Sayat Nova and the Ashugh Tradition”

For ZOOM registration, click here. To learn more about the series, click here. To watch the recordings of previous sessions in this series, click here.

In-Person Event: A Book, Untitled by Shushan Avagyan, with Deanna Cachoian-Schanz and Dr. Lisa Gulesserian

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On Wednesday, March 29th 2023, at 7:00pm in-person at Guild Hall of the Diocesan Center, the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center along with the International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) and the National Association for Armenian Studies & Research (NAASR) is proud to present the second event in the monthly reading series “Literary Lights” — A Book, Untitled by Shushan Avagyan, with Deanna Cachoian-Schanz (Translator) in conversation with Dr. Lisa Gulesserian (Harvard preceptor on Armenian language and culture).

The book is about an imagined encounter between two early twentieth-century feminist writers, Zabel Yesayan and Shushanik Kurghinian, juxtaposed with a conversation between the author and a friend. To learn more about the book and to purchase a copy, click here. Copies will also be available for purchase at the event along with a book signing by the translator.

Mkrtich Naghash: A Medieval Poet for Our Times

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Watch “Mkrtich Naghash: A Medieval Poet for Our Times,” a lecture by Dr. Jesse S. Arlen, to learn about the life and context of Mkrtich Naghash and get a taste of his verse in English and Armenian, to enhance your appreciation for the works of this great 15th century Armenian poet, bishop, and manuscript illuminator before the North American debut tour of The Naghash Ensemble.

Experience the Poetry of Mkrtich Naghash | Lecture & Performances

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On Thursday, February 23rd at 7:00pm by ZOOM, Zohrab Information Center director Dr. Jesse Arlen’s lecture series on Medieval Armenian Poetry continues with a lecture devoted to the poetry of 15th-century poet and priest, Mkrtich Naghash.

This lecture coincides with the start of the North American debut tour of The Naghash Ensemble, a musical group that performs the poetry of Mkrtich Naghash in original compositions arranged by John Hodian.

The lecture and performances offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to delve into the life, context, and works of this little known but very talented and profound poet of the fifteenth century and experience medieval poetry alive today in the twenty-first century.

To register for the lecture, offered through the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary Spring Public Lecture series, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkd-CuqD0qHtT36Lp4Zb8sodm9jmFR8q3W

For a list of tour dates and to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.naghashensemble.com/tours

On March 11th, the Naghash Ensemble performs at Carnegie Hall in NYC: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2023/03/11/The-Naghash-Ensemble-of-Armenia-Songs-of-Exile-0730PM

To read an article about the Naghash Ensemble, click here: https://asbarez.com/the-resurrection-of-naghash-and-hovhannes/

Monastic and Seminarian Life within the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople | Friday, Feb 17, 7:30pm Hybrid Event

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The Zohrab Information Center and St. Leon’s Armenian Church, along with Constantinople Armenian Relief Society (C.A.R.S.), Esayan-Getronagan Alumni Inc., Gomidas Choir, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, and Tibrevank Alumni Inc. are pleased to sponsor an Armenian-language lecture, entitled “Կ. Պոլսոյ Պատրիարքութեան Վանական-Դպրեվանականը Կեանքը” (“Monastic and Seminarian Life within the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople”) by Fr. Harutyun Vartabed Damadyan, with Prof. Roberta Ervine, Dr. Jesse Arlen, and Arthur Ipek, in-person and by Zoom on Friday, February 17 at 7:30pm at St. Leon Armenian Church (12-61 Saddle River Rd, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410). 

All proceedings will take place in Armenian. 

Registration requested for in-person and Zoom attendance at: https://bit.ly/Saint-Leon-Monastic-Life-Bolis. 

To watch on YouTube, click on https://bit.ly/StLeonEvents at the beginning of the program.

Literary Lights: Launch of Reading Series | Tues, Feb 7th | 8:00pm ET | ZOOM

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Join us for the launch of our reading series, Literary Lights, on Tuesday, February 7th at 8 PM ET by Zoom with Taleen Voskuni, author of Sorry, Bro. Click here to register.

Literary Lights is organized in partnership with International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). Audience members are invited to read along with the series, which you can become familiar with here.