March 10, 2005

Reflections on Genocide: The Armenian Genocide in Poetry

SF Poet Laureate and Famed Armenian Poet Diana Der Hovanessian at Poetry Event

San Francisco, CA –  At a unique event in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, renowned Armenian poet and translator Diana Der Hovanessian and San Francisco’s poet laureate Devorah Major will read selections from their work.  The evening of poetry and arts, hosted by the Bay Area Armenian National Committee will take place on April 19, 2005 at 7:30 pm at the San Francisco State University Poetry Center.  In addition to other readings, the event will also include music performed by Armenian composer and singer Gor Mkhitarian, and an exhibit of paintings by local Armenian-American artist Nanor Ekmekjian.

Diana Der Hovanessian, well known as a poet and one of the world’s finest translators of Armenian poetry, was a Fulbright professor of American poetry at Yerevan State University in 1994 and 1999. She is the author of 21 books of poetry and translations, and has won awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, PSA, Pen-Columbia Translation Center, National Writers Union, American Scholar, Prairie Schooner, and Paterson Poetry Center, among others. Her poems are often aired on National Public Radio and have appeared in the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and journals worldwide.  She is currently president of the New England Poetry Club.

"Reflections on Genocide," also features Devorah Major, San Francisco’s Poet Laureate. In addition to being a poet, Major is a novelist, spoken word artist, activist, and arts educator. Her most recent books are two volumes of poetry: "Where Rivers Meet Ocean" (City Lights Publishing, 2003) and "With More Than Tongue" (Creative Arts Books, 2003). An anthology of her work will be released in May 2005 by City Lights Publishing.

The evening will also include readings by native San Franciscan poet Sevana Panosian, who holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University’s prestigious writing program. Her work has been anthologized and translated in "Birthmark: An Anthology of Armenian American Poetry", and she is the first place recipient of the New England Poetry Club’s "Daniel Varoujan" award.

Los Angeles poets William Archila and Lory Bedikian will also read selections of their work.  Each holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Oregon. Bedikian was awarded the Dan Kimble First Year Teaching award for poetry and her work has appeared in journals nationwide. Archila, exiled during El Salvador’s civil war, has been anthologized in Another City: Writing from Los Angeles published by City Lights Books.

Musician Gor Mkhitarian who will perform songs from his award-winning CDs "Episode," "Yeraz," and "Godfather Tom," A recitation in Armenian by UC Berkeley student Hasmig Tatiossian will also take place. Tatiossian is in her senior year at UC Berkeley, International Relations with an Emphasis on Genocide and Human Rights Violations. Mixed media paintings by local artist Nanor Ekmekjian will also be featured at this extraordinary event. Born and raised in Lebanon, Ekmekjian’s work revolves around themes of displacement and exile. Her work is predominantly mixed media in both figurative and abstract paintings.

The SFSU Poetry Center is located on the fifth floor of the Humanities Building, room 512. For further information, contact the Bay Area Armenian National Committee at (415) 387-3433.