At the best of times, maintaining a career as a poet is a challenge. For an “ethnic” American poet it is even more so. David Kherdian has not only only flourished as an Armenian-American poet but has done so with brilliance for more than half-a- century.
An award-winning and prolific poet, writer, editor, anthologist, publisher, and memoirist, Kerdian was born in Racine, Wisconsin (1931). A first-generation Armenian-American, he is best known for “The Road from Home” which has been translated to many European languages and to Japanese. The book is based on his mother’s childhood.
Early in his literary career Kherdian was secretary to William Saroyan. Recognizing Kherdian’s literary talents, Saroyan urged him to write “for and about himself.” Kherdian’s has done so with grace. When Kherdian began to publish his
work, Saroyan remarked that Kherdian is “a poet with authentic voice and style, with universal appeal.”
The author of scores of books, Kherdian has devoted a large chunk of his work to growing up Armenian-American in the ‘30s and the ‘40s. As a result, he has been recognized as one of the first “ethnic” writers to place ethnic-American writers within the canon of American literature. Reviewing Kherdian’s “Root River Return”, critic Bonnie Bekken wrote: “No one speaks more poetically of his heritage. Pure gold.”
Despite his age, Kherdian is as busy as ever, averaging a book a year. “David of Sassoun” is his latest project. In the below
letter to Keghart Editor Jirair Tutunjian, Kherdian reports that publishing the book has come to a dead end due to financial problems. Through Keghart, Kherdian is seeking support for the epic’s publication.
Following Kherdian’s call for support is
an interview by novelist Aris Janigian. In the interview Kherdian talks about his love of the “David of Sassoun” stories and the importance of the epic.
Dear
Keghart.com reader,
Since the inception of
Keghart.com Viken L. Attarian has been an unconditional supporter of the website. Besides contributing articles, he has acted as a silent translator, proof-reader and part-time editor on many occasions. Moreover, his help in organizing public events initiated by
Keghart.com have been crucial, such as the roundtable
Policy Directions in
Post-Election Armenia in 2008 and the
Unity Symposium of 2011 which were attended by a significant number of Armenian-Montrealers. Bearing in mind his close affinity to the overall activities of
Keghart.com it is understandable that his most recent Open Letter (
ԲԱՑ ՆԱՄԱԿ) be posted here.
Throughout its nine-years of existence,
Keghart.com has tried to adhere to the basic norms of transparency and journalistic ethics, such as ascertaining the authenticity of not only contributors but also commentators. After the advent of the electronic media more than thirty years ago, people--including even journalists--are still unsure of the regulations and principles governing the publication of material from chat groups.
Keghart.com has made a practice of contacting the authors, obtained their consent to publish, and mailed the edited material to the authors for their approval. It seems AZG.AM of Armenia has failed to do so in publishing
ՆՈՐ ԲԱՑԱՅԱՅՏՈՒՄՆԵՐ ԴՐՈՅԻ ԱՆՑԵԱԼԻ ՎԵՐԱԲԵՐԵԱԼ article allegedly written by Attarian. The below open letter highlights the flaws, according to Attarian.
Մոնթրէալ 9 Նոյեմբեր 2017
Պատուարժան Խմբագրութիւն ԱԶԳի,
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