essay / 2

[ara baliozian]

MASSACRISM

**************************

According to a book review I just finished reading, still another young Armenian-American writer has published still another work of fiction inspired by the massacres.

Nothing wrong in that, of course. We need more such books that will remind the world of our "forgotten genocide." Publicity is bound to advance our cause and expose the lies of the criminals.

Yes, yes! I am familiar with these arguments. Even so, I feel ill at ease with the sudden proliferation of massacre books.

Kierkegaard once defined theologians as individuals who use someone else’s crucifixion to make a comfortable living. I feel the same way about ambitious young writers who produce best-sellers about the suffering and degradation of countless victims.

To those who say there is nothing morally questionable in raising the consciousness of the world, I say: What about our own consciousness? How many of us can tell the difference between the Hutus and the Tutsis? How many of us give a tinker’s bell about someone else’s crucifixion? Why should nations that have suffered a genocide or, for that matter, nations guilty of genocide care to have their consciousness raised by us?

It seems to me, very much like charity, consciousness-raising should begin at home, otherwise it becomes an exercise in one-upmanship and thus runs the risk of backfiring.

[nairakev]

Chapeâu, Maestro!

--

I'm sorry to ask you this question now, I would have done it may be earlier. If my memory, doesn't give me up, you told once that you wrote about 30 books (if I'm mistaken, I appologise).

Can you give me the titles of your books. If you can all of them, I'll be greatful. If it is impossible. Thank you, anyway.

[Boghos]

This is incomplete but might help: http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/lit...u/baliozia.html

[nairakev]

Thanks Boghos!

I found only this on that page:

Baliozian, Ara. Book Reviews/Interviews (Los Angeles, CA: G Printing, 1982).
________. "Dreams/Nightmares," "Haiku," and "The Human Condition," poems in Armenian-American Poets: A Bilingual Anthology, ed. and trans. Garig Basmadjian (Detroit, MI: Alex Manoogian Cultural Fund of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, 1976).
________. Fragmented Dreams: Armenians in Diaspora (Kitchener, Ont.: Impressions, Publishers, 1987).
________. In the New World (New York: Voskedar, 1982).
________. Intimate Talk (Kitchener, Ont.: Impressions, Publishers, 1992).
________. Pages From My Diary, 1986-1995 (Kitchener, Ont.: Impressions, Publishers, 1996).
________. Portrait of a Genius and Other Essays (Los Angeles, CA: A/G Press, 1980).
________. That Promising Reality: New Vision and Values, the Armenian Revival (Kitchener, Ont.: Impressions, Publishers, 1992).
________. The Armenians: Their History and Culture (Toronto, Ont.: Kar Publishing House, 1975).
________. The Armenians: Their History and Culture (New York: Ararat Press, 1980).
________. The Armenian Genocide and the West (Jerusalem: Armenian Case Committee, 1984).
________. The Call of the Crane, The Ambition of a Pig (New York: Voskedar Publishing Corp., 1983).
________. The Greek Poetess and Other Writings (Kitchener, Ont.: Impressions, Publishers, 1988).
________. The Horrible Silence (Pasadena, CA: Maral Press, 1982).
________. Undiplomatic Observations (Kitchener, Ont.: Impressions, Publishers, 1995).
________. Voices of Fear (Kitchener, Ont.: Impressions, Publishers, 1989).

[nairakev]

those who might be interested in information about ara baliozian's works, here is additional page at Amazon.com < http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-h...1947255-4146918 >