Did Gomidas 'Go Mad'? Writing a Book on Vartabed’s Trauma‏

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013 Recent Articles from the Armenian Weekly... Did Gomidas ‘Go Mad’? Writing a Book on Vartabed’s Trauma Uprisings from Wall Street to Gezi Park: An Interview with David Barsamian New Book Highlights ‘Khodorchur’ ANCA Desk: Leo Sarkisian intern Tamar Purut Shares Her Impressions In Memoriam: Aram Hagop Kalikian (1924-2013) Yerevantsis Mobilize Against Price Hikes in Public Transport Search Armenian Weekly Did Gomidas ‘Go Mad’? Writing a Book on Vartabed’s Trauma The idea for this article came about when two individuals, one in Armenia, the other in the United States, asked what had led me to write a book on Komitas (Gomidas, in Western Armenian) and his psychological state. Below, I share my story with readers of the Armenian Weekly. Komitas (1909 photo) In 1994, an article appeared in the Armenian Reporter titled, “Story of Gomidas’ illness emerges in psychiatrist’s study.” The topic intrigued me, and so I kept a clipping. Until then, I knew Komitas as the great Armenian composer whose music I had heard and whose songs I had sung in choruses. I also knew Komitas as my husband’s grandmother’s—Marig’s—cousin, who was breastfed by Marig’s mother after his mother passed away in 1870. Many years later, in 2001, I read a book on a similar topic; Dr. Rita S. Kuyumjian in Archeology of Madness posited that Komitas as a young boy was a wandering lad. My husband’s cousin, Zareh Tashjian, remembered his mother’s—Marig’s... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Uprisings from Wall Street to Gezi Park: An Interview with David Barsamian For more than a quarter of a century, journalist and author David Barsamian has been a tireless voice for social justice, broadcasting programs from India, to Syria, to the United States. Barsamian, whom Howard Zinn called “the Studs Terkel of our time,” is the founder and director of Alternative Radio, based in Boulder, Colo. (www.alternativeradio.org). His interviews and articles appear regularly in “The Progressive” and “Z Magazine.” He is the co-author of a number of books with Noam Chomsky, Arundhati Roy, Edward Said, Tariq Ali, Howard Zinn, and Eqbal Ahmed, including, most recently, Power Systems with Noam Chomsky. Barsamian (R) with Mouradian. (Photo by Nanore Barsoumian) In this interview, Barsamian talks about the root causes and particularities of the global uprisings and protests. The conversation mines the connections between capitalism, climate change, poverty, and points to the need to “save pessimism for better times.” *** Khatchig Mouradian—How... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • New Book Highlights ‘Khodorchur’ “Khodorchur: Lost Paradise—Memories of a Land and Its People” is about the steadfast people and beautiful land of Khodorchur (currently Sirakonaklar, Turkey), a cluster of historic Armenian villages referred to as Little Rome in the late 18th century. Its pages bring to life the customs and traditions of a hardy people who toiled to keep their land and identity against all odds, and who were eventually deported and nearly completely annihilated by the Young Turks during World War I. The cover of ‘Khodorchur: Lost Paradise’ “In memory of this group of Armenian Catholics, isolated in their mountainous range north of Erzerum, we have only a few photographs and this famous work published by the Mekhitarist fathers, a memorial that is indispensable,” says Raymond Kevorkian, historian and author of The Armenian Genocide: a Complete History. This hushamadyan book is a complete translation of the original with enhancements. The volume contains 652 pages, 18 pages of... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • ANCA Desk: Leo Sarkisian intern Tamar Purut Shares Her Impressions ANCA Leo Sarkisian intern Tamar Purut shares her impressions of the program below. In a matter of just a few short weeks, I have made lifelong friendships with the most genuine and devoted group of people thanks to this summer’s Leo Sarkisian Internship program. My knowledge of Hai Tahd has developed significantly following my arrival. Working at the most influential Armenian-American grassroots political organization, I have learned that it is critical to maintain a distinct set of goals. To name a few, one must consistently work to foster public awareness in support of a free, independent, and united Armenia while also guiding United States policy on matters of interest to the Armenian-American community. As advocates for Hai Tahd, we must represent the collective Armenian-American perspective on matters of public policy, while serving as a liaison between the community and its elected officials. The ANCA, in particular, participates in an array of political and educational... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • In Memoriam: Aram Hagop Kalikian (1924-2013) Aram Hagop Kalikian, 88, formerly of Cranston, R.I., passed away July 1, 2013 in Frederick, Md. Born on Oct. 20, 1924 to Hagop Kalikian (born in Agn, Turkey) and Haigouhi-Artinian Kalikian (born in Bucharest, Romania), he grew up in Bucharest, Romania, with his sister Louisa (1921) and brother Garabed (1923). Due to the early and prolonged illness of his father, Aram had a very brief childhood and schooling, and became an apprentice to a master jeweler in order to help his family. Hardship followed Aram, as he lost his parents and brother in the early 1940’s. However, through hard labor and an honest application of his trade, he was able to survive the tough years during World War II in Romania and immigrated to Armenia in 1948 with his sister Louisa. Unbeknownst to him, the same ship that transported him to Armenia was also carrying his future bride, Vassilica Effeian. In Armenia, Aram quickly earned a reputation as a trusted and well-respected master jeweler, and trained many... Read More »      • Email to a friend • Article Search • Yerevantsis Mobilize Against Price Hikes in Public Transport YEREVAN, Armenia (A.W.)—The government’s decision to increase prices for public transport entered into force on July 20. Commuters using mini-buses (marshootkas) and buses saw fares increase by over 30 percent, from 100 to 150 drams (25 to 40 cents). Meanwhile, the fare for trollies doubled in price, from 50 to 100 drams. The decision was met with outrage from the public, and the reasons were manifold. The protests against bus fare hikes in Yerevan gain momentum. “We won’t pay 150 drams!” (Photo by Nayiry Ghazarian, The Armenian Weekly) The public is unwilling to accept any increase in prices due to the staggeringly low minimum monthly wage for one person (35,000 drams, or approximately $85), coupled with high levels of unemployment, and other economic concerns. Second, there is a lack of any apparent justification for the decision. The main reason is said to be the rise in natural gas prices (natural gas is used as fuel for public transportation in Armenia),... Read More »