Paying Tribute to Diana Der Hovanessian with Poetry, Recollections
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NOVEMBER 17, 2018 Mirror-SpeTHE ARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXIX, NO. 18, Issue 4562 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 INBRIEF Humanitarian Mission Paying Tribute In Solemn Paris Ceremony, Macron To Be Dispatched to To Diana Der Leads Armistice Commemorations Syria YEREVAN (Armenpress) — A humanitarian Hovanessian Pashinyan Speaks at mission of the Armenian Defense Ministry will be Peace Forum sent to Syria after procedures prescribed by memoranda are fulfilled, Acting Defense Minister With Poetry, PARIS (Reuters) — President of Armenia David Tonoyan told reporters this Emmanuel Macron led tributes to week. the millions of soldiers who died dur- “At the moment some memorandum proce- Recollections ing World War I on Sunday, dures over material and technical supply are November 11, holding a solemn cere- coming to an end. It can end very quickly, maybe mony attended by dozens of world by the end of the year or the beginning of the By Alin K. Gregorian leaders in Paris to commemorate the next year. The group is fully ready and can be dis- centenary of the Armistice. patched immediately after the completion of the Mirror-Spectator Staff US President Donald Trump, procedure,” Tonoyan said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, ARLINGTON, Mass. — On the afternoon German Chancellor Angela Merkel Armenian Government of November 4, the award-winning late poet and dozens of princes, monarchs, Diana Der Hovanessian was feted at the presidents and prime ministers Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks at Returns Former Armenian Cultural Foundation (ACF) by an see CENTENARY, page 3 the Paris Peace Conference enthusiastic audience of about 150 people Presidential Palace to in the manner that she would have appre- ciated: through poetry, family, food and impeccable judgement and taste as a poet. ate of Boston University and did graduate work President friendship. He also recalled that the ACF had hon- at Harvard. She worked as a poet in the YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The Armenian govern- An array of people from Diana’s life as ored her in that very room in 1999. Massachusetts schools and frequently lectured ment on Thursday, November 8, drafted an a friend, mother, aunt and fellow poet Der-Hovanessian, who during her life on Armenian poetry in translation, and the lit- amendment that will restore the former presi- recited her poems while sharing stories championed Armenian poetry, poems dear erature of human rights at various universities dential palace in Yerevan back to the president. to her father — works by both here and abroad. After a constitutional reform carried out dur- Daniel Varoujan, Vahan After Marc Mamigonian of the National ing the previous administration, curtailing the Tekeyan and Siamanto — Association for Armenian Studies and powers of the president in favor of the prime as well as new poets, died Research (NAASR) recited her poem “Salt,” minister, former President Serzh Sargsyan con- in March at age 83. Mary Buchinger, president of the New tinued to occupy the building located in 26 She was the author of 30 England Poetry Club, recalled the sharp Baghramyan Avenue even after becoming books of poetry and transla- wit of Der Hovanessian, the longtime presi- Armenia’s prime minister on April 17. tions, several plays, and dent of the New England Poetry Club, not- In line with a controversial law enacted before twice was a Fulbright pro- ing that when decades earlier, upon joining that, the prime minister would also have a sec- fessor of American Poetry. the group she had been asked to take the ond official seat located in the central govern- She received awards from role of secretary. She had retorted, “I don’t ment offices in Republic Square. NEA, Poetry Society of do shorthand.” Instead she headed the Armenia’s newly elected President Armen America, PEN/Columbia organization, founded by Amy Lowell, Sarkissian, meanwhile, was given a less sumptu- Translation Center, National Robert Frost and Conrad Aiken in ous official seat in another location in central Robert Mirak opened the program. (Aram Arkun photo) Writers Union, Armenian Cambridge in 1915, for three decades. Yerevan. Writers Union, Paterson “Diana led with a broad vision,” Some two months after unseating Sargsyan Poetry Center, Prairie Buchinger said. “She invited international and becoming prime minister Nikol Pashinyan about her warmth, hospitality and simul- Schooner, American Scholar, the Armenian poets and established a poetry prize. She pledged that he and his staff would eventually taneous love for her Armenian heritage Ministry of Culture, and many others too walked by Longfellow’s House [in vacate the building that was used as a presiden- and her cosmopolitan outlook. numerous to list. Her work has appeared Cambridge] and had the idea to bring poet- tial office for decades and would return it to the Opening remarks were provided by ACF in Poetry, Agni, Nation, the New York Times, ry to the old poet’s house.” president. President Robert Mirak, who praised her for CDM and the Paris Review. She was a gradu- see TRIBUTE, page 15 Pashinyan, who had criticized his predeces- sor’s decision to convert the presidential palace into the prime minister’s main office, explained Michigan Progressive then that he could not relocate immediately Mari Manoogian Wins because such a move would require certain legal procedures. House Race During an event marking Armenia’s Independence Day on September 21 the gates to DETROIT (Combined sources) — Mari the former Presidential Palace’s spacious yard Manoogian, a 26-year-old former US State were opened and Pashinyan declared the place Department worker, won the Michigan open to the public. State House District 40 seat, currently held In order to take effect the government’s deci- by Republicans on Tuesday, November 6. sion will need to be approved by parliament. Birmingham resident and Democrat Manoogian defeated Republican David Wolkinson . “Tonight, after 15 months of campaign- ing across every corner of this district, I’m INSIDE honored to have earned my neighbors’ trust to serve as the next State Representative for Michigan’s 40th district.” Manoogian said in a victory post. Gyumri in see MANOOGIAN, page 9 Guests at the event Austria Exotic Tekeyan Hall in Cairo Opens Page 14 CAIRO — On Thursday, November 8, the opening of the renovated and revamped additional partitions of Goganian club took place in a glamorous atmosphere. Goganian’s garden was flooded with lights, and the garden was elegantly set by dec- INDEX orations and comfortable armchairs. Arts and Living . 12 Dr. Kevork Yerzengatsian, the chairman of Goganian club, in his opening speech, Armenia . 2,3 emphasized the club’s aim to provide a warm, pleasant and Armenian-flavored wel- Community News. 5 come to the visitors of this cozy club, inviting Sato Sarkissian-Apkarian, who had Editorial . 18 planned and supervised the works, to present her a commemorative souvenir. International . 4,5 see EGYPT, page 5 Mari Manoogian 2 S ATURDAY, N OVEMBER 1 7 , 2 0 1 8 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Yerevan Slams Belarus Leader’s Indian Nationals Comments On CSTO Subjected to Forced YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenia on firming his position when he met on In early 2017, Lukashenko also Labor in Yerevan by Tuesday, November 13, denounced November 12, with a senior diplomat sparked a bitter diplomatic row with Belarusian President Alexander from Azerbaijan. He noted another Yerevan after ordering Belarusian law- Countryman Lukashenko for objecting, at a meeting Russian-led bloc, the Eurasian enforcement authorities to arrest and YEREVAN (Armenpress) — The organized crime with an Azerbaijani official, to its Economic Union, is also run by an hand over to Azerbaijan a Russian- department of Yerevan police said on November 12 it efforts to install another Armenian sec- Armenian. Israeli blogger who had repeatedly vis- received reports that the owner of an Indian restau- retary general of the Russian-led “This is a very heavy burden for a ited Nagorno-Karabakh without Baku’s rant in the Armenian capital is subjecting his employ- Collective Security Treaty country which is going through a peri- permission. ees to forced labor. Organization (CSTO). od of transition,” added Lukashenko. The Armenian Foreign Ministry con- Both the restaurateur and the employees are from Russia and five other ex-Soviet states “Can Armenia carry that burden?” demned the move and implicitly brand- India, police said. The restaurant is located on Davit making up the alliance agreed in 2015 Lukashenko’s comments raised eye- ed Belarus a “dictatorship.” Senior Anhaght Street. that their representatives will take brows in Yerevan. Local politicians and Armenian lawmakers launched even Police said the owner of the restaurant is current- turns to run the organization on a commentators believe he deliberately more scathing attacks on Lukashenko ly abroad. rotating basis. They appointed made them at a meeting with at the time. Four employees were brought in for questioning. Armenia’s Yuri Khachaturov as CSTO Azerbaijan’s ambassador in Minsk in They said they had been deceived by the restaurateur secretary general in 2017. order to add insult to injury. with promises of high salaries. They were recruited The new Armenian government cut The Armenian Foreign Ministry in India and brought to Armenia. short Khachaturov’s three-year tour of spokeswoman, Anna Naghdalian, also Justice Minister In Armenia, their passports have been forcefully duty after he was controversially criticized the remarks. “Armenia taken from them. The employees found themselves in charged in July in connection with the regards the CSTO as a platform for dis- Attends Meetings a vulnerable and difficult situation due to language 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan. cussions on the collective security difficulties and exaggerated debts over repayment for It hoped that another Armenian official agenda applying to six states … This the trip.