Armenian Poet Oshagan Dies

[Guest]

Armenian Poet Oshagan Dies

 

PHILADELPHIA--Vahe Oshagan, critically acclaimed Armenian-language poet,

has died of complications from heart surgery. He was 78.

Oshagan died June 30 at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

He was famed in Armenian intellectual circles for his eight volumes of poetry, six

volumes of fiction, and many short stories, plays and commentaries. Most of his works

were written in Armenian but some have been translated into English.

Oshagan is credited with having revolutionized Armenian poetry by rejecting its

imposed formality, often writing in colloquial language. He was also hailed for giving a

voice to the Armenian diaspora.

Oshagan was "the most important poet of this generation," said Marc Nichanian, a

professor of Armenian studies at Columbia University.

"For a long time his work was not even accepted as poetry," Nichanian said. "He

had a hard time imposing himself as poet."

Oshagan was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, grew up in Cyprus and Jerusalem, and

studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, where he received a doctorate in comparative

literature in 1951.

He taught in Lebanon for the next quarter-century while writing, but came to

Philadelphia with the advent of civil war in Lebanon in 1975.

From 1976 to 1982, he taught Armenian language, history and culture at the

University of Pennsylvania. His 1980 poem "Ahazank" ("Alert") includes several street

scenes and landmarks of Philadelphia.

[Guest]

Vahe Oshagan's Statement at the Armenia-Diaspora Conference, 1999

 

From: Razmik Panossian <R.S.Panossian@lse.ac.uk>

Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 18:00:02 -0800 (PST) >

 

[This is Vahe Oshagan's presentation at the Armenia-Diaspora

Conference, delivered on 09/23/1999. These notes are basically a

transcription of the recorded speech (delivered in Armenian), with

minor omissions. Please Note: This is not an official translation,

nor am I a professional translator. I have done this for my own

use, and would like to share it with Groong readers. Comments in

round brackets are my own additions -- Razmik Panossian]

 

Statement at the Armenia-Diaspora Conference

Vahe Oshagan

 

.... On Tuesday we watched with pride the forces of Armenia,

yesterday with delight we heard the voice of the diaspora; and we

saw its power, its essential importance -- that force, that inner

force through which Armenians persist.

 

One nation, one fatherland, yes; but you have noticed how many

differences there are between the various diasporan

communities. Every country has its own means and rhythm of

development, and the diasporan Armenian has to fit into that, and

to resist it. In the diaspora we do not have a common thread except

Armeniannes. One nation, yes; one fatherland, yes; but one culture?

This is a question.

 

I am amazed to see how little, you the hayasdantsis know about the

diaspora. We live in the diaspora, and we are surprised by its

diversity. It is essential for Armenia's intellectuals, church

leaders and people to come to the diaspora in order to know its

second half. After that they will understand the difficulties we

encounter in the diaspora.

 

For the diasporan intellectuals there are a few fundamental

problems related to the defence and development of our

culture. First, to find the boundaries of Armenianness. Who is an

Armenian? What is an Armenian? You, here in Armenia, do not have

this kind of crisis. We, every minute, ask what does it mean to be

Armenian in America, in Beirut, in India?

 

Anyone who comes and tells me, in any language, that he is willing

to protect his Armenian heritage (ter ke kangnim im hayutian

jarankis) and struggle for its future, that person is for me an

Armenian.

 

The conditions of the diaspora demand this, so that we can endure

in spirit.

 

In a personal formula, I put this notion as such: "The Armenian is

he who suffers for not being an ideal Armenian [haye ain e vor ke

taknapi ideal hai ch'ellalun hamar]." That ideal is in all of us,

in whatever language.

 

We must find the boundaries of diaspora. We do not know what is

diaspora. We do not have a theory of it. The people of Armenia have

a clear formulation about their country. Is diaspora a condition of

mind? a geographic location? a spiritual feeling? a left over of

traditions? What is it? We still do not know what it is. But our

biggest problem is the continuation of its culture. We must keep

and develop our western Armenian culture, and also the diasporan

culture. These are our essential characteristics of our raison

d'etre.

 

We come to the issue of language and spelling. For us, for me, it

is clear that the Mesropian [classical] spelling will eventually

win out [much applause at this point, no doubt by all the

diasporans --RP]. Sooner or later, the wisdom of the Armenian

people will win out. And it will reinstate [...unclear...] thanks

to the new and old spelling/ orthography.

 

Let me add a strong personal belief, that language is a personal

and national factor, and no one -- not the linguist, not the government

-- has the right to change it. A big mistake was made in 1922, but

you cannot fix one mistake with other mistakes. We must establish a

committee which will only deal with this issue, ask the opinion of

the people, of the intellectuals, etc. The people must have a say

in this. It is essential to respect people's identity. Changing

language, changing orthography/spelling means playing with people's

identity.

 

The defence of the fatherland and of Artsakh is our next major

issue. We will succeed together, or we will fall together. We are

either all together or all... [applause, applause].

 

The diaspora is a front. As much as Artsakh was, and Armenia. We

are all soldiers of the Armenian people. With this psychology we

fight for Armenianness in the diaspora.

 

A few minutes on issues related specifically to literature. We

negate/disown (uranal) all the icons. We accept none of the

icons. Everything and everyone is open to criticism, reexamination

and restructuring; be it Daniel Varuzhan, Hakop Oshagan, Tumanian,

Charents. No one must be protected from the sharp mind of

criticism. Total independence of the intellectual. I would have

been happier if the state in Armenia was looking after its

intellectuals a bit more. [is this not a contradiction? --RP.]

 

The literature of the diaspora is healthy. Our instincts are

healthy. We are passing through a weak period, there are a few

writers, but writers have always been a few. Today, our language is

suffering a bit, but the talent of the Armenian people, from

Argentina to America, to Iran, India and Beirut, Armenian

literature is healthy; it could be healthier but it is ok.

 

Our ideal remains unity of the Armenians in their historic lands;

the mixing of our two cultures in the process of creating one

Armenian culture; and to burry once and for all the eastern

Armenian and western Armenian intolerance.