Pakine 60th Anniversary:: A voice from the Diaspora - 1 -

Vahe H. Apelian

 

“In the history of our literature, especially in circumstances that do not bestow the backing of a state, sixty years is a long time for a literary periodical. Pakine’s 60 years coincides with an opportune period of that history, when our nation was budding again in the different conditions of the Middle East and the literary tradition was living the beautiful days of its flowering which were characterized a little everywhere, especially in Beirut.” (Pakin 60^th anniversary issue).

Yesterday or the day before it, I received the special edition of the Pakine Armenian literary periodical. It seemed it was mailed from Beirut. This special edition of Pakine (which means alter), turns of to be a roster of pieces from 60 of those who have contributed to the eminent literary magazine during its 60 years of existence. Surely, the sixty writers who were selected to have a sample of their literary work placed in the 60^th anniversary commemorative edition of Pakine, were not all who contributed. I know that my cousin Ara Apelian MD, during his medical studies, contributed to the magazine regularly but for a brief period of time.  

The editors in their introduction - the customary “Two Words – Yergou khosk” - outlined the what were the considerations that drove them to select pieces from the sixty of the contributors to the Pakine. The earliest piece in the commemorative issue, appeared in in 1962, the latest in 2022. Consequently, almost all of the sixty years of Pakine’s existence is adequately presented to the readers. The selected pieces do not seem to have been included in a chronological order, or apparently in any order, other than maybe giving priority to the prominent well known established writers and regular contributors.

The editorial staff rightfully notes that it has no illusion to consider this special issue a bouquet of the Diaspora literature. The special issue is anthology of literary pieces published in Pakine during its sixty years of existence.  The editorial notes that the founding of Pakine periodical came about in an opportune time when the Armenian literature was budding again in foreign lands, such as in Middle East, America and in Europe, but especially in Beirut. Along with  Pakine there were other literary magazines as well in Beirut, such as Antranig Zarougian’s “Nairi”weekly, Simon Simonian’s “Spurk”Weekly, “Chanasser” of the Armenian Evangelical community and for a few years “Ahegan”, an independent literary periodical for an  avant-garde, if I may say so, community of writers. “Pakine” and “Chanasser” have endured, the rest have not.

Pakine, for me, distinguishes itself by its hallmark as the eminent forum of Armenian lettered literature. There was a time when I regarded Pakine as THE eminent voice of Diaspora Armenian literature. Pakine now is a voice of the Diaspora Armenian literature. During the last few decades non-Armenian scripted, mostly Latin lettered Armenian literature, has colored the Armenian Diaspora literature. That trend will continue. With language, inevitably different mindsets come about. It is undisputed that language influences thinking, norms and values. After the second world war, the young and upcoming Japanese seemed to espouse western social values when responding to an English language questionnaire. But a statistically similar group of young Japanese seemed to uphold to traditional Japanese socially conservative leaning norms, when they were similarly tested to the same questionnaires in Japanese. 

Recently, I read a remarkable and uniquely readable book titled “We Are All Armenian – Voices from the Diaspora”. The book presented literary pieces of eighteen Armenian American authors whose native language of expression is English. The book is ably edited by Aram Mrjoian, who claims, “My name, yes, is Armenian. My heritage, yes, is Armenian, But I don’t speak the language. I don’t attend the church. I’ve never spent much time in Armenian communities. I’ve never traveled back to the land of my ancestors.  I am still constantly learning the basics of diasporan Armenian culture, feeling simultaneously distant from and near to this part of who I am.” But Aram Mrjoian edited one of the most captivating books I am reading.

Reading about the authors I also came to learn of an “International Armenian Literary Alliance” (IALA) that “supports and celebrates writers by fostering the development and distribution of Armenian literature in the English language.”

The visualization of the Armenian literature naturally is not what it was when Pakine was founded in 1962. One of its founders Yetvart Boyadjian was our Armenian language teacher in Sourp Nshan Armenian school during the years I attended it. I have no recollection of having any other Armenian language teacher up to my graduation in 1962, the year Pakine was founded.

Life goes on, Diaspora evolves, so does the Armenian literature. Pakine may continue to remain steadfast on its mission as the premier Armenian lettered literary magazine perpetuating the vision of its founders. It may continue to be the forum where the young and upcoming Armenian Diaspora writers, aspiring to make inroad in Diaspora Armenian lettered literature, would look forward having their literary work published in Pakine, for charting their course in Armenian literature.