PHILATELY: AMERICA: Land of Superlatives

On May 27, 2006, the USPS issued a stamp sheet honoring 40 American natural and man-made superlatives. The stamps were issued in Washington, DC during the 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition.  While they don’t honor each of the 50 states specifically as previous large se-tenant sheets had, they do represent every region of the country. Artist Lonnie Busch, who had created the artwork for the 2002 Greetings from America issue, illustrated the stamps.  Each of the Wonders of America stamps features large lettering describing the superlative plus smaller type detailing the name or location of the featured subject.  More information about each of the wonders was also printed on the backs of the stamps describing the tallest, loudest, longest, deepest, largest, windiest, hottest, and the fastest as a colorful set of 40 stamps ((#4023-72). Courtesy Mysticstamp.com

 

 LARGEST REPTILE: American Alligator

The largest American reptile, the adult alligator can reach up to 18 feet in length and can weigh 600 pounds.  They can live 35 to 50 years in the wild.  Alligators feed mainly on fish, small mammals, and birds.  Large males sometimes attack dogs, pigs, or even cattle, but usually avoid man.  Once hunted extensively for their hides, alligators were given protected status from 1967 to 1987 and have made an excellent recovery.

LARGEST SEA CLIFFS: Moloka’i Cliffs

The northern side of the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i is an almost-continuous towering cliff, reaching to 3,600 feet and intersected by deep valleys.  The sea cliffs along the northeastern coast of Moloka’i are the highest in the world.

LARGEST CACTUS: Saguaro Cactus

The largest American cactus, the saguaro, grows in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico, Arizona, and California.  It can reach close to 60 feet tall and weigh up to 10 tons.  Saguaros begin to grow upward-curving arms at about 65 to 75 years old and are considered mature at 125 years old.  The largest plants, with more than five arms, are estimated to be 200 years old.

LARGEST GLACIER: Bering Glacier

The Bering Glacier near Cordova, Alaska, is North America’s largest glacier.  It is about 126 miles long and about 30 miles wide near its end in Vitus Lake.  Large amounts of snow in the region build up and turn into ice.  At some point, the ice becomes so thick that it begins to move downhill under the pressure of its own weight.  The glacier surges, or moves rapidly, every 20 years or so.  These surges are generally followed by periods of retreat, so despite periodic advances, the Bering Glacier has been shrinking overall.

TALLEST DUNES: Great Sand Dunes

The Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado are the tallest dunes in North America, with crests reaching 750 feet.  Creeks carry loose sand from the east and north sides of the dune field and re-deposit it where prevailing winds can carry it back to the dune field.  The Ute tribe called the Great Sand Dunes “the land that moves back and forth.”

LARGEST ESTUARY: Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the US.  It is almost 200 miles long along the Maryland and Virginia coastline and varies from three to thirty miles wide.  Until later in the 20th century, Chesapeake Bay was famous for seafood production, particularly rockfish (striped bass) and shellfish.  (Chesepiooc is an Algonquian word meaning “Great Shellfish Bay.”)  The bay still yields more fish and shellfish than any other estuary in the US.  With environmental controls and fishing limits, rockfish, once almost extinct, have made a comeback.

LARGEST CLIFF DWELLING: Cliff Palace

The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, is the largest cliff dwelling in America.  Cliff dwellers built their homes in sandstone canyon walls between 1000 and 1300 A.D.  Structures were built several stories high of hand-hewn stone and adobe.  Logs and branches were mortared for ceilings.  Even after 700 years, the masonry walls are well preserved.  The Cliff Palace contained 150 rooms and 23 kivas (ceremonial rooms) and held a population of approximately 100 people.

DEEPEST LAKE: Crater Lake

Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States, lies in the heart of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains.  The lake is 1,943 feet at its deepest point.  Crater Lake was formed about 6,600 years ago when lava escaped from underneath 12,000-foot-high Mount Mazama.  No longer supported by the lava, the top of the mountain collapsed, leaving a huge depression.  This bowl-shaped crater gradually filled with melted snow and spring water.

LARGEST LAND MAMMAL: American Bison

The American bison is the largest land mammal in North America.  Measuring up to 11 feet long, it can weigh more than a ton.    Millions once ranged between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains.  But with the Westward Expansion of white civilization, the bison was slaughtered for meat, hides, and sport.  By 1889, only a few hundred could be found.  Protective measures allowed the bison to survive and multiply.  Today, there are approximately 250,000 in the United States.

LARGEST REEF: Coastal Reef Off the Florida Keys

Stretched beside the chain of Florida Key Islands is a ribbon of coral, America’s longest barrier reef.  Barrier reefs lie between the water near the shore and the open sea, protecting the mainland.  Coral reefs are living organisms created over thousands of years by the limestone deposits of tiny creatures called polyps.  Coral reefs need water above 70°F.  The reef along the Florida Keys is possible because of the warm flow of the Gulf Stream.

LONGEST HIKING TRAIL: Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail is the nation’s longest designated hiking trail.  It follows high crests of the California, Oregon, and Washington mountain ranges from Canada to Mexico.  In 2,650 miles, it crosses many national and state forests and parks, using paths made by the Indians, pioneers, trappers, and shepherds.  The trail passes through zones ranging from desert to arctic alpine.  It rises from about 200 feet at the Columbia River to more than 13,000 feet in the High Sierras. 

TALLEST MAN-MADE MONUMENT: Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch, designed by architect Eero Saarinen, is America’s tallest man-made monument.  It rises 630 feet above the city of St. Louis, Missouri, as a national monument to President Thomas Jefferson and America’s Westward Expansion.  Construction of the stainless steel arch began in 1963 and was completed in 1965 for a cost of less than $15 million.

OLDEST MOUNTAINS: Appalachians

The Appalachians are the oldest mountains of North America, formed some 480 million years ago.  The major ranges in the Appalachian Mountains include the White, Green, Taconic, Catskill, Berkshire, Allegheny, Blue Ridge, Black, Cumberland, and Smoky Mountains. Large, broad-leaved deciduous forests flourish in the southern Appalachians, and a mix of northern hardwoods and conifers predominate in the north.

LARGEST FLOWER: American Lotus 

Growing in lakes, ponds, and streams, the American lotus, or yellow water lily, is the country’s largest flower, up to ten inches across.  The flowers and leaves stand above the water’s surface as high as three feet on rigid stems.  The center of the flower, the seed pod, is cone-shaped and is used in dried flower arrangements.

LARGEST LAKE: Lake Superior

The largest of the five Great Lakes, Lake Superior is also the largest body of fresh water in the world.  It covers 31,700 square miles, an area the size of South Carolina.  Of all the Great Lakes, it is the deepest and coldest, 1,330 feet at its deepest point.  About 200 rivers empty into Lake Superior, some forming waterfalls as they plunge over high, stony headlands.

FASTEST LAND ANIMAL: Pronghorn

Pronghorn are America’s fastest land animal, running up to 60 miles per hour.  They are found only on North America’s western plains and deserts where they have roamed for the last million years.   With no cover to hide in, the pronghorn has to be able to outdistance wolves and coyotes.  At high speed, it covers the ground in great strides of 14 to 24 feet.

OLDEST TREES: Bristlecone Pines

One species of bristlecone pine, the Great Basin bristlecone, lives longer than any other tree.  It is found at the timberline in the mountains of California, Nevada, and Utah.  Dense, resinous wood and slow growth help keep the trees from drying out and protect the bristlecones from insects, harmful bacteria, and fungi.  The oldest living tree when this stamp was issued was a 4,765 year-old bristlecone pine named “Methuselah,” growing in the White Mountains of California.

TALLEST WATERFALL: Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Falls is 2,425 feet, the highest waterfall in North America.  Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, Yosemite Falls has three distinct sections.  From the 1,430-foot sheer drop of the Upper Falls, the water travels through a series of cascades, rapids, and small plunges that stretch for 675 feet.  The 320-foot Lower Falls ends in a plunge pool frequented by visitors and nature photographers.

LARGEST DESERT: Great Basin

  The Great Basin is the largest desert in the United States.  It includes most of the state of Nevada as well as areas of California, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon.  It encompasses nearly 200,000 square miles, making it larger than California.  The region is actually formed by a series of basins, surrounded by the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, the Columbia Plateau, and the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.  The Basin’s deepest depression is Death Valley, which lies 282 feet blow sea level.

LONGEST SPAN: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Opened in 1964, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is the longest span in North America.  The suspension bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island is 13,700 feet long.  The bridge is supported by two 693-foot towers and more than 143,000 miles of cables.  The bridge is named for Giovanni da Verrazano, the first European explorer to sail the area.

WINDIEST PLACE: Mount Washington

Mount Washington, the windiest place in America, is located within the Presidential Range of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.  Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeast at 6,288 feet above sea level.  On April 12, 1934, a wind gust of 231 miles per hour was recorded on Mount Washington.  That is the maximum wind gust ever recorded on land that was not associated with a tornado or hurricane.

LARGEST CANYON: Grand Canyon

America’s largest canyon, the majestic Grand Canyon, was carved by the Colorado River over thousands of years.  The canyon stretches for 277 miles, is 18 miles across at its widest place, and more than one mile at its deepest.  Humans have lived in the canyon for more than 4,000 years.  Members of Coronado’s 1540 expedition were the first white men to discover the canyon.  Congress declared the area a National Park in 1919.

LARGEST FROG: American Bullfrog

The American bullfrog is America’s largest frog.  Adults may reach more than six inches in length and weigh up to one pound.  They have strong legs capable of leaping up to six feet, teeth, and a muscular tongue.  Adult American bullfrogs are fierce predators who prey upon snakes, birds, fish, baby ducks, insects, and even other frogs.

TALLEST DAM: Oroville Dam

Oroville Dam is America’s tallest dam.  Located in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, the dam stands 770 feet tall and measures 6,920 feet long at its crest.  The reservoir, Lake Oroville, holds 3.5 million acre-feet of water for densely populated cities in dry southern California.  A hydro-electric system housed in a giant underground cavern beneath the lake generates 2.8 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually.

FASTEST BIRD: Peregrine Falcon

The world’s fastest bird, the peregrine falcon, has the capacity to dive with speeds up to 200 miles per hour.  The bird uses its speed and agility to seize prey in mid-air.  Cones in the falcon’s nostrils regulate breathing at high speeds with such efficiency that the design was incorporated in fighter jets.  The peregrine falcon was added to the endangered species list in 1970.  Conservation efforts allowed the species to be removed from the list in 1999. 

LARGEST DELTA: Mississippi River Delta

America’s largest delta is located at the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana.  The Mississippi River Delta covers approximately 11,000 square miles, or about one fourth of the state.  The delta was formed over thousands of years.  As the Mississippi River slows to meet the Gulf of Mexico, suspended particles sink and form the sediment that add to the delta. 

TALLEST GEYSER: Steamboat Geyser

Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, is recognized as the world’s tallest active geyser.  Although eruptions of 10 to 40 feet are common, the geyser is capable of sending massive plumes of steam 300 feet into the air.  These infrequent, major eruptions last 3 to 40 minutes, followed by powerful jets of steam lasting up to 48 hours.  

LARGEST NATURAL BRIDGE: Rainbow Bridge

The world’s largest natural bridge, Rainbow Bridge in Utah, is an arch left after Bridge Creek eroded softer sandstone layers.   The breathtaking arch is 290 feet tall and 275 feet across.  The Navajo consider it a sacred symbol of the gods responsible for clouds, rainbows, and rain.  For centuries, difficult access and a remote location kept the bridge hidden from white men.  In 1909, native Paiute guides led the Douglas-Cummings survey party to the landmark.

LARGEST FRESH WATER FISH: White Sturgeon

The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America.  The enormous species has inhabited Pacific coast rivers and bays for more than 175 million years.  In the 1800s, a white sturgeon was caught in Idaho’s Snake River that reportedly weighed 1,500 pounds and measured 20 feet long.  The more common maximum size today is around 12 feet long. White sturgeons may live to be over 100 years old

LONGEST MOUNTAIN CHAIN: Rocky Mountains

America’s longest mountain chain, the Rocky Mountains, extends north and south more than 2,000 miles in the western The Rocky Mountains form the Continental Divide, which separates rivers flowing west to the Pacific from rivers flowing east to the Atlantic.  Lewis’ and Clark’s explorations of the mountains in 1804 were followed by fur traders, Mormons, and adventurers.  The first wagon train crossed the Rockies in 1832.

TALLEST TREES: Coast Redwoods

Coast redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, standing from 200 to 350 feet tall and living up to 2,000 years or more.  They range from southern Oregon to central California.  Groves thrive within 50 miles of the ocean, where the climate provides abundant water and a moderate  temperature.  Most new redwoods grow from sprouts that shoot up around the base of an existing tree.  When the parent tree dies, the new generation of trees rise around it in a circle known as a fairy ring.

LARGEST RODENT: American Beaver

The American beaver is the largest North American rodent, living throughout the continent.  Although the average beaver ranges from 30 to 60 pounds today, a few specimens have been found that weigh over 100 pounds.  The height of a North American beaver standing upright is about three feet.  The average life span of an American beaver is 11 years.  Beavers build lodges in deep, slow-moving water.

LARGEST RIVER SYSTEM: Mississippi-Missouri River System

The Mississippi-Missouri river system is the longest in the US, stretching more than 3,700 miles.  It begins in Montana, flows into the Mississippi River in St. Louis, and drains into the Gulf of Mexico.  America’s great Westward Expansion relied heavily upon the Mississippi-Missouri river system.  

RAINIEST SPOT: Mount Wai`ale`ale

Mount Wai`ale`ale, on the Hawaiian island of Kaua`i, is the world’s rainiest spot with an average annual rainfall of about 460 inches.  In 1982, a record 683 inches of rain fell.   Kaua`i is conical, exposing all sides of the mountain to winds and moisture.  Moist Pacific trade winds are funneled into Mount Wai`ale`ale’s crater by neighboring mountain ranges.  The cool elevation condenses the moisture into rain.

MOST ACTIVE VOLACANO: Kilauea

The world’s most active volcano is located on the island of Hawaii.  Kilauea had 45 separate eruptions in the last century.  The current eruption began in 1983 and produces more than ten million cubic feet of lava every day.  Kilauea is a shield volcano, made almost entirely of basalt (hard, shiny volcanic rock).  Unless moisture enters the vent area, shield volcanoes rarely exhibit the explosive nature of composite volcanoes.

LONGEST CAVE: Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest recorded cave system.  With more than 360 miles mapped, it is at least three times longer than any cave known.  Geologists estimate that there could be an additional 600 miles of undiscovered passages.  The cave lies in a central-Kentucky limestone ridge.  Over millions of years, mildly acidic water ran through cracks and wore away limestone to form the cave.

LOUDEST ANIMAL: Blue Whale

The world’s loudest animal, the blue whale, has a call that reaches 188 decibels and carries through hundreds of miles of ocean.  (A jet engine only reaches 140 decibels.)  The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived, up to 100 feet long and 196 tons.  Today, only about 12,000 blue whales remain.  The largest concentration in the world, approximately 2,000, feed off the coast of California in the summer and fall. 

HOTTEST SPOT: Death Valley

Death Valley lies chiefly in east-central California.  Pioneers heading for the gold fields of California named Death Valley after they crossed it in 1849.  The valley is 156 miles long.  It has the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere, 282 feet below sea level.  The highest temperature ever recorded in the United States, 134˚F, was reported in Death Valley on July 10, 1913. 

LARGEST COVERED BRIDGE: Cornish-Windsor Bridge

The Cornish-Windsor Bridge is the longest wooden, covered bridge in the US and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world.  It is 450.5 feet long at floor level.  The bridge crosses the Connecticut River and connects the towns of Cornish, New Hampshire, and Windsor, Vermont.  The plank-covered roadway is wide enough to permit two-way traffic.  The present bridge was built by James Tasker and Bela Fletcher in 1866 at a cost of $9,000.  It was framed on a nearby meadow and later moved to its present location.

LARGEST PLANT: Quaking Aspen

Aspens send roots out horizontally underground.  New shoots grow from these roots and develop into tree trunks.  Each new trunk sends out a set of roots to form still more shoots.  All the growth that started from one tree is called a clone and shares an interconnected root system.  One quaking aspen clone in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, named Pando, has more than 47,000 trunks. This clone may be the world’s most massive organism, weighing about 13 million pounds.

PEVEG: KESSAB FRUIT GROWN IN THE MILD (2)

Hagop Tcholakian

 

Hagop Tcholakian has been posting about fruits, berries and herbs that grow in nature in Kessab that have been used by the Kessabtsis for their use and as cash crop. The attached is my translation about PEVEG – ԲԵՒԵԿ. Vahe H. Apelian

Բնագիրը կցուած է ներքեւը

2. PEVEG – ԲԵՒԵԿ

 In Kessab dialect it is called POUVIG – ԲՈՒՎԻԿ. It belongs to the Anaacardiaceae plant family. According to an old Armenian root dictionary, it is “a sort of small black nut from which an oil is extracted. In Latin it is called Pistacia terebinthus. According to Wikipedia: “Pistacia terebinthus also called the terebinth /ˈtɛrəˌbɪnθ/ and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus Pistacia, native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and southeastern Turkey. At one time terebinths growing on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea (in Syria, Lebanon and Israel) were regarded as a separate species, Pistacia palaestina, but these are now considered to be a synonym of P. terebinthus."

In the native language the plant PEVEGENI – ԲԵՒԵԿՆԻ, is called PVGENA-ԲԸՎԿԻՆԱ. A well-kept bush may grow to look like a tree. It exists as male and female plants. The female does not bear nuts. The bush grows in temperate regions. It is a deciduous plant. The leaves are leathery. The leaves foam when squeezing in between the two palms in water and has cleansing properties.  It is a resinous plant.  It buds during the spring. Its fresh shoots are edible and make for a good salad.

The fruit it bears are like cluster of grapes on vine.  They are shaped like small nuts. At first they white in color, then turn red and attain a dark blue color when matured. Dark colored fruits are also noted but are not found in Kessab. 

The small nut like fruits is harvested by rubbing its cluster between the two palms. The collected fruits are put in water. The blue colored mature nuts settle in the bottom while the reddish ones and the twigs float.  The blue colored nut like fruits is collected, mixed with salt and spread to dry. The dried fruits are stored in bags. During winter they roast them with wheat or chickpeas for snack. The roasted mix is a favorite snack as such or with wine. The roasted fruits are also powdered and used for flavoring some kinds of meals. 

Next to the cluster of the fruits, a horn like empty pod also grows.

Every household in Kessab tended a plant somewhere around the house. Some would grow into a large tree. The fruits would be harvested, and the tree would become a hunter’s favored spot. During the month of August, as the fruits become dark blue, they become a favored feed for the birds.  The birds attracted to the pevegeni tree are also caught by the sticky sticks Kessabtsis prepared to hunt birds. The sticks are placed on the tree. The bird that happens to sit on it is caught by the sticky mass.

Extracting oil from the plants in Kessab is not known to me.

The plants were grafted to grow Aleppo pistachio. The first person who  attempted grafting the pouvgeni tree is Rev. Dikran Koundakjian in 1908. The graft had been successful, but the pistachio shells grown on the grafted branch had not split open due to the more humid air of Kessab. A few such crafted trees may still be aound in Kessab. 

The fruits of the pouvgeni tree have been merchandized in Kessab.

Ripening onto blue to dark blue color

Growing among rocky crevices in the wild

ՔԵՍԱՊԻ ՎԱՅՐԻ ՊՏՈՒՂՆԵՐ

2․- ԲԵՒԵԿ

Բարբառով՝ ԲՈՒՎԻԿ, հին հայերէն՝ ԲԵՒԵԿՆ։ Աղտորազգիներու պատկանող բոյս․ Anaacardiaceae: Ըստ Հայերէն Արմատական բառարանի՝ «մի տեսակ սեւ ու փոքրիկ պտուղ, որից պատրաստում են բեւեկնի իւղը, լտ․ Pistacia terebinthus”: 

Արաբերէնը՝ պըդըն, թրքերէնը՝ մենենկիչ։

Բոյսը՝ բեւեկնին, բարբառով՝ բըվկինա, վայրի թուփ է, խնամուածը՝ կրնայ ծառի տեսք ունենալ։ Կայ երկու տեսակ՝ որձն ու մատակը, մատակը պտղատու չէ։ Բեւեկնին կ՛աճի բարեխառն միջավայրի մէջ։ Տերեւաթափի կ՛ենթարկուի։ Բուռ մը տերեւ ջուրի տակ ափի մէջ տրորելու ատեն կը փրփրի ու մաքրելու յատկութիւն ունի։  Խէժոտ բոյս  է։ Գարնան կը ծլի․ թարմ մորջը՝ մուրջէկ, ուտելի է, ընտիր աղցան կ՛ըլլայ։ 

Պտուղը ողկուզաձեւ է, հատիկները մանր, նախ ճերմակ է, ապա կը կարմրի եւ Օգոստոսի կիսուն կը կապուտնայ (կը լըրջանու)։ Արմատական բառարանի յիշած սեւ տեսակը անծանօթ է մեր միջավայրին։ Քաղը կը կատարուի երկու ափի մէջ ողկոյզը տրորելով։ Կը դնեն ջուրի մէջ, կապոյտը կը նստի յատակին, իսկ կարմիր հատիկները եւ խեշերանքները  կ՛ելլեն ջուրի մակերեսին։ Կապոյտը աղով կը խառնեն ու կը փռեն չորցնելու։ Տոպրակով կ՛ամբարեն, ձմռան՝ սիսեռի, ցորենի հետ կը բովեն՝ աղանձ պատրաստելու համար՝ գավուրմու։  Ձմռան երեկոյթներուն գաւաթ մը գինիի հետ փնտռուած աղանդեր էր։ Բովածը կը ծեծեն ու կը գործածեն կարգ մը ճաշատեսակներու մէջ։

Պտուղի ողկոյզին կից կ՛աճի եղջիւրի նմանող խէժոտ պարապ պարկուճ մը։

Ամէն տուն պարտէզին մէկ անկիւնը անպայման բեւեկնի մը կը խնամէր։ Հսկայ ծառ կ՛ըլլայ։ Պտուղը կը քաղէին կամ ծառը որսատեղ կ՛ընէին։ Օգոստոսի երկրորդ կիսուն, երբ հատիկները կապուտնան, հոն թռչունները կերի կ՛իջնեն։ Թռչնորսի համար ծառին վրայ տեղբի ուռեր կը փռեն։ Կայ թռչնատեսակ մը, որ բըվկա կը կոչուի։

Բեւեկնի ձէթի արդիւնաբերութիւն Քեսապի մէջ ծանօթ չէ ինծի։

Բեւեկնին կարելի է պատուաստել Հալէպի պիստակ։ Առաջին փորձը կատարած է Քեսապի Աւետարանական եկեղեցւոյ հովիւ վերապատուելի Տիգրան Գունտաքճեան, 1908-ին։ Պատուաստը յաջողած է, բայց պիստակի կորիզը չէ ճեղքուած՝ Քեսապի խոնաւ եղանակին պատճառով։ Այդ ծառերէն մէկ-երկու հատին տակաւին կարելի է հանդիպել շրջանին մէջ։

Բեւեկի մթերքը կը վաճառուի Քեսապի շուկային մէջ։

SUMAC: KESSAB FRUITS GROWN IN THE MILD (1)

Hagop Tcholakian

 

Hagop Tcholakian has been posting about fruits, berries and herbs that grow in nature in Kessab that have been used by the Kessabtsis for their use and as cash crop. The attached is my translation about Kessab sumac.Vahe H. Apelian

Բնագիրը կոցուծ է։

 

1.      AGHDOR - ԱՂՏՈՐ

In Kessab dialect the plant is called AGHDOOR – ԱՂՏՈՒՐ and in old Armenian its AGHDOR – ԱՂՏՈՐ.  It is an Anacardiaceae family plant. (According to Wikipedia: “The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and, in some cases, produce urushiol, an irritant”.

According to an Armenian root dictionary, “it is a kind of bitter herb, the powder of which is sprinkled on eggs, fish and lula kebab in the Caucasus and Persia. In Latin language it is known ass SUMAC, which comes from the Assyrian word sumaga, which originally meant red.”

The plant, in the local dialect, is called AGHDERENA - ԱՂՏԻՐԻՆԱ . It is a wild bush but when it is well-kept, it can grow to look like a tree. It usually grows in land that has come about by landslides. It starts defoliating during fall. The fruit is in cluster, like a cluster of grapes on vine. It turns red in the second half of August. It is an extremely sour berry. They are picked and dried, then pounded in a pestle, sieved, and the powder is widely used as a favoring spice in dishes and salads. 

Some also prepare a sour paste. The berries are put in water, the water is boiled for a long time until a sour thick liquid is obtained, which is widely used in the preparation of certain meals.

For many people the powdered herb and the sour paste was a tangible source of income, making use of Kessab native forestry.

  

ՔԵՍԱՊԻ ՎԱՅՐԻ ՊՏՈՒՂՆԵՐ

1․- ԱՂՏՈՐ

Բարբառով՝ ԱՂՏՈՒՐ, հին հայերէն՝ ԱՂՏՈՐ։ Աղտորազգիներու պատկանող բոյս․ Anaacardiaceae: Ըստ Հայերէն Արմատական բառարանի՝ ՛՛մի տեսակ թթու բոյս, որի փոշին Կովկասում եւ Պարսկաստանում ձուածեղի, ձկան եւ լուլա քեբաբի վրայ են ցանում։ Օտար լեզուով՝ սումախ, որ կու գայ ասորերէն՝ սումագա բառէն, որ սկզբնապէս կը նշանակէ կարմիր։

Բոյսը՝ աղտորենին, բարբառով ՝աղտիրինա, վայրի թուփ է, խնամուածը կրնայ ծառի տեսք ունենալ․ կ՛աճի գլխաւորաբար գետնասահքի ենթարկուած գիտիններու մէջ։ Տերեւաթափի կ՛ենթարկուի։ Պտուղը ոզկուզաձեւ է; Օգոստոսի երկրորդ կիսուն կը կարմրի։ Չափազանց թթու պտուղ է, խէժոտ։ Կը քաղեն, կը չորցնեն,  ապա սանտի մէջ կը ծեծեն, մաղէ կ՛անցընեն, հունտը կը թափեն,  ու փոշին իբրեւ ընտիր համեմունք լայնօրէն կը գործածեն ճաշատեսայներու եւ աղցաններու մէջ։ 

Ոմանք աղտորէն թթու մածուկ կը պատրաստեն։ Ողկոյզները կը դնեն ջուրի մէջ, ապա ջուրը երկարօրէն եռացնելով  կ՛ունենան  թթու թանձր հեղուկը, որ լայնօրէն կը գործածուի կարգ մը ճաշերու պատրաստութեան մէջ։

Քեսապի անտառային տնտեսութեան մէջ շատերու համար բաւարար եկամուտ կ՛ապահովեն ա

May Your Song Never Die, Sireli Shant

Vahe H. Apelian

Google-ի Հայերէն Թարգմանութիւնը կարդալ սեղմելով Armenian տարբերակը

Shant Mandarin

A chance encounter on the Facebook brought Shant Madarian and I together. It all started when I came across a note in Armenian he had posted that said that we realize the value of something only after we lose it. The note reminded me of Krikor Zohrab’s story that was a required reading in some Armenian schools. A few years ago, I had translated the story and posted it in my blog. The title of the story in translation is “After Breakage” ( see below ). I linked my translation, which I had  posted in my blog in a comment to his posting. To my surprise I received a message from him letting me know that he wanted to get acquainted with me as a friend. Somehow we connected although, I soon found out, that a 50-years long  gap puts each of us across half a century chasm. 

Shant seemed to be a mature young man for his age.  I found out that he is a Syrian national but is born and raised in Lebanon. He said his father has told him that he, the father, was born and raised in Aleppo but was married and settled in Lebanon where Shant was born and raised.  Other than a five-years long stay in Syria, in his younger years, he has been living in Lebanon. His family’s plight struck a cord in me and aroused long buried sentiments in me, for I knew,  all too well the plight of the Syrian Armenians in Lebanon. There is no naturalization process in Lebanon. Consequently, the Syrian national Armenians, including their children who were born and raised in Lebanon, retained their Syrian nationality. The situation put them in a bind and created a lot of obstacles for them. The natural way out of the impasse for them was to immigrate. Many, if not most, did.

Shant noted that he attended Sofia Hagopian high school, but he left the school early before graduation and apprenticed with his father to work in the family trade which is manufacturing ladies’ bags. However, the family is struggling, he noted, as many buy the cheaper Chinese imported bags that apparently has decimated that trade that was once an Armenian dominated trade in Lebanon. It is not hard to imagine that the monetary collapse in Lebanon has also exacerbated the situation and is causing inordinate hardship. The dire situation has adversely affected his father’s health who  has not been able to attend to work for the past two years.

Shant likes singing. He wrote that he liked singing since his very young age and that he is now 24 years old and has built a good reputation as a singer.  I heard a song he has posted on the YouTube. It is titled “Mi Mout Kishervan Metch”, “In a Dark Night”. It is an original song. I liked the song and his singing. His singing style reminded me of the late Paul Baghdadlian, who was known as “the king of the Armenian love songs”. Who knows what’s in store for Shant on the music scene?

Shant confided that he does not have sufficient schooling to read musical notes and that he relies on his ears. A few Armenian singers I know were no different, but they left their mark in the Diaspora Armenian pop music. Yes, who knows what’s in store for Shant on the music scene?

Shant and his family contemplate moving to Armenia if they can put things in order. Things have gotten really bad in Lebanon, he justifiably claims. "Arach Asdvadz" - God's will - he says. 

Along his personal FB group, Shant maintains a FB page where he invites to book him for an event of Armenian songs. But, in his Latin scripted Armenian he wrote, “payts kordz chiga, yerke merav”, “but there is no work”, he noted and emphatically said, “the song died”. 

In that few words - but the song died - Shant summed up the inordinate plight the Lebanese Armenians are experiencing with their countrymen.

May your song never die, Sireli Shant.

Another song:

https://www.facebook.com/shant.madarian.9/videos/962130904678798

****

Note; After Breakage by Krikor Zohrab:

https://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2017/04/after-breakage.html

A Bosom Friendship: Murad and Varoujan

Vahe H. Apelian

Recently I came across this picture of Sepastatsi Murad. The picture caught my attention. The eminent freedom fighter- the fedayi – was not pictured in a customary pause, with his rifle firmly in hand, let alone pointing it to an imaginary enemy, as many of the era did. On the contrary. He had his rifle resting on his shoulder and instead the rifle, he had a piece of paper in his hands and appeared to be reading it.

That pose reminded me of the unusual friendship between Taniel Varoujan, the eminent poet and Murad, the eminent fedayi. Both hailed from Sepastia.

I reposted below, the story of their unusual friendship I had posted in my blog several years ago.

There is a French saying that rhymes well. It reads, “qui se ressemble, s'assemble”, which literally means those who resemble, assemble. In English we have come to know the saying as “birds of a feather, flock together”. For all appearances, the eminent poet Taniel Varoujan and the legendary freedom fighter Sepastatsi Murad were not “birds of a feather” but surely their love of their Armenian nation must have coalesced into their mutual admiration if not also a bosom friendship. They stood by each other at one of the most auspicious events of their short young lives. Each officiated and enabled the other’s marriage. 

Both hailed from Sepastia. Murad (nee' Khrimian) was born in the village Govdoon in 1874. Taniel Varoujan (ne' Tchboukkiarian) was born in 1884 in the village Pekernik, often spelled as Prknig (Բրքնիկ). 

Both are iconic figures although each had a different upbringing and pursued a different calling. Taniel Varoujan came from a middle-class family. His father worked in Constantinople. After attending the local schools Varujan was sent to Constantinople where he attended Mkhitarian School after which he attended the Mourad-Rafaelian School in Venice and then Ghent University in Belgium. 

Murad, on the other hand, was born to a poor rural family. His biographers do not mention him attending school with any regularity. After working as a shepherd and a farm laborer, he moved to Constantinople to eke out a living when still in his teens, much like many other Armenian teens, some as young as fourteen years old, did. There he worked as a porter but was also drawn by a fervor for social justice. He first joined the ranks the Hnchagian Party and subsequently, the A.R.F. Taniel Varoujan was also driven by social justice and was a humanist.

By the time of the Ottoman Constitution was enacted in 1909 both had made a name for themselves. Murad had also become a legend among the other freedom fighter luminaries. Taniel Varoujan had emerged as a promising poet having authored two books, Shivers (Սարսուռներ, 1906, Venice) and The Heart of the Race  (Ցեղին սիրտը, 1909, Constantinople)

The promise of liberty, equality, and justice promised by the Young Turks had engulfed both. Murad returned to Sebastia in 1909. An amnesty that accompanied the said reforms enabled him to do so. In Sepastia he became active in organizing Armenian schools and participating in charitable and civic organizations where he met a girl named Agapi. Both remained attracted to each other.

The euphoria of the Ottoman Constitution had captivated Taniel Varoujan as well. In 1909 Varoujan also returned to his village and started teaching for a career. To supplement his teacher’s meager salary Varoujan gave private lessons to a young girl named Araxie, the daughter of a wealthy family. As was the local customs at the time, Araxie had been promised in betrothal to the son of another wealthy family when she was still in her crib. That’s why Araxie’s mother always chaperoned her daughter and attended her classes. Yet, the improbable happened. The teacher and the student fell madly in love with each other.

Rumors started flying in greater Sepastia. The classes ended abruptly and Araxie’s parents and the prospective in-laws began hasty plans for an earlier-than-planned wedding, but Araxie remained adamant refusing to comply with her parent’s wishes. Instead of a wealthy husband, she preferred the country teacher of meager means.

The event became the talk of the town among the Armenians in Sepastia. Many regarded the incident scandalous. Some supported Varoujan and wanted the lovers to marry. Others blamed Varoujan for having seduced his young student. The animosity toward him became so great that Varoujan began carrying a stick for defending himself should he be attacked.

Finally, the prominent Armenian freedom fighter, Sepastatsi Murad intervened on behalf of Varoujan. Murad's stature was such that his intervention quelled all gossip. Araxie’s parents relented and the prospective groom’s parents gave up pursuing the understanding they had with Araxie’s parents. Varoujan and Araxie’s were wed in 1912, after which they moved to Istanbul where Varoujan became the principal of St. Gregory The Illuminator School. By 1915, this young couple had three children: Veronica, Haig, and Armen.

Apparently, Murad was hesitant to commit himself having a family of his own. Remaining non-committal was a tacit code of honor among the freedom fighters. When Kevork Chavush broke that code and married in secrecy, he caused so much havoc among the ranks that the A.R.F. Bureau intervened to restore order. In 1910 Murad was already 36 years old, way past the marital age at the times. However, at the urging of his friends, he relented and married Agapi in the St. Nshan Monastery. Taniel Varoujan became their matrimonial godfather, although in some other accounts Taniel Varoujan is listed as being a witness to their marriage. At his wedding, Murad is quoted having said: “By getting married, I am not resigning from my struggle. Anytime, my fatherland calls on me, it is the voice that I will follow, always loyal to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s glorious banner”. By 1915 they had a son whom they named Kevork, presumably after Murad’s comrade-in-arms Kevork Chavush, who was martyred on May 26, 1907.

Unbeknownst to these two families as well as to countless other Armenian families across their ancestral lands, a sinister plan was being put in place for their annihilation. Taniel Varoujan in Constantinople was apprehended on April 24, 1915 and put to the death a few months later. He was 31 years old. His last legacy, the unpublished collection of his poems was somehow salvaged from his captors and published posthumously as The Song of the Bread (Հացին երգը, 1921, Constantinople). His wife and children survived and immigrated to the United States of America.

All along, Murad had remained mistrustful of the promises the Young Turks made. In March 1915 with a group of Sepastatsi compatriots he escaped the deportation order and after a horrific odyssey, they arrived in Tbilisi. In the ensuing mayhem, Murad lost his family and his relatives but he never wavered from his calling in the defense of his people. He participated in the ensuing battles that laid the foundation of the present day Armenia.  He was killed during the Battle of Baku on August 4, 1918.

Literary critics hail Taniel Varoujan as one of the most eminent poets who graced our literature. In the last book he had published, “Pagan Songs” (Pagan Songs (Հեթանոս երգեր, 1912, Constantinople), Varoujan has a long poem titled “Pegasus” (Pegas). He dedicated that poem to "comrade Murad and his horse that runs like a lightening", drawing a resemblance of Murad’s famous horse Asdghig to the mythical winged horse Pegasus. 

The diary Murad kept and the inscriptions he jotted down showed that Murad harbored a poet’s tender heart. Apparently, the poet harbored a rifle in his heart while the freedom fighter harbored poetry, mutually admiring each other and attracting one to the other in an unlikely friendship as two other immortals in our tumultuous history. (http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-poet-and-freedom-fighter.html)

Thoughts from Boghos Snabian – Մտածումներ Պօղոս Սնապեանէն (2/2)

The attached is my translation of excerpts from the eminent author Boghos Snabian, Nora Parseghian had posted in Aztag Daily on August 13, 2022.  The original quote in Armenian is included with the translated text. Vahe H. Apelian

Language is not a simple tool in literature.........

Language is not a simple tool in literature. Language in literature is the creator and is also being created at the same time. This phenomenon is common among the great writers. No need to cite examples. When a person recalls the works of Tourian, Medzarents, Varoujan, Oshagan, Indra, Charents, everything becomes clear. They did not only appropriate what was already there (in the language), but also endowed it with newness, with freshness and strength enriching what was already there. (see poster)

Լեզուն գրականութեան մէջ պարզ գործիք մը չէ, գրականութեան մէջ լեզուն արարիչ է եւ արարած միաժամանակ: Մեծ գրողներուն մօտ յաճախադէպ է այս երեւոյթը: Օրինակներու հարկ չկայ: Կը բաւէ մտաբերել Դուրեանի, Մեծարենցի, Վարուժանի, Օշականի, Ինտրայի, Չարենցի երկերը եւ ամէն ինչ պարզ կը դառնայ: Ասոնք եղածը չիւրացուցին միայն, այլեւ իրենց խառնուածներուն թարմութեամբ եւ ուժգնութեամբ նոր յաւելումներով օժտեցին եղածը:

*****

I write with faith, putting all my sentiments on the pages and after the writing is published, I do not deal with its fate, with the firm conviction that if it has merit, it will definitely serve its purpose, and if it does not, it is pointless to brood over it .

Կը գրեմ հաւատքով, ամբողջ խանդաղատանքս դնելով էջերուն մէջ ու գրուածքը հրատարակութեան տալէ ետք` չեմ զբաղիր անոր ճակատագրով, այն հաստատ համոզումով, որ եթէ արժէք մը ունի` անպայման տեղ կը հասնի, եթէ չունի` զուր է վազել անոր ետեւէն:

*****

Whether we like it or not, we have different outlook, different perspective, we have different breath, and aroma... All of these are necessary for the whole humanity, we bring variety to humanity as we are not like each other. For example, if our literature is to be similar to others, then what value would it add? It is valuable when it is not like other literature. The people are the same too, they add value to humanity because they are not like each other.

Մենք, ուզենք-չուզենք, տարբեր նայուածք ենք, տարբեր ապրում ենք, տարբեր հեռանկար ենք, տարբեր շունչ ենք, տարբեր բոյր ենք… Այս բոլորը անհրաժեշտ են ամբողջ մարդկութեան, այսինքն` մենք յաւելումներ կը բերենք մարդկութեան, եւ ոչ թէ իրենց պէս մէկը ըլլանք: Օրինակ մեր գրականութիւնը, եթէ անիկա ուրիշներուն պիտի նմանի, ի՞նչ արժէք ունի ուրեմն. արժէք ունի այն ատեն, երբ ուրիշներուն չի նմանիր եւ արժէք է: Նոյնն է նաեւ ժողովուրդը, ուրիշներուն չնմանելով արժէք է, ատոր համար ալ արժէք է մարդկութեան մէջ:

*****

"Yes Ayt Shoun Em" ( I Am That Dog), a collection of 
short stories in Western Armenian by Boghos Snabian.

I have concerns about our people, both from abroad and in Armenia. Distancing ourselves from the collective is a danger to both sides. The more our people leave the Middle East, the faster they will endanger themselves, their psychology, philosophy, their outlook, their hue, and everything else, also in Armenia.

I am very concerned about the emigrants from Armenia because the motherland solves all the difficulties in Armenia. The motherland is such a power that absolves all the difficulties, but the dissolution is inevitable in abroad; we will be absorbed there. Enduring in the homeland, living a long life, and patience are really crucial for us.

Արտասահմանի մէջ ալ, Հայաստանի մէջ ալ մտահոգութիւն ունիմ մեր ժողովուրդին վերաբերող: Հաւաքականութենէն անջատուիլը վտանգ կը նկատեմ երկուստեք: Որքան Միջին Արեւելքէն հեռանայ մեր ժողովուրդը, այնքան արագ վտանգի կ՛ենթարկէ ինքզինք, իր հոգեբանութիւնը, փիլիսոփայութիւնը, իր հայեացքը, իր գոյնը, ամէն ինչ, նաեւ` Հայաստանի մէջ:

Շատ մտահոգ եմ Հայաստանէն արտագաղթողներուն համար, որովհետեւ Հայաստանի մէջ բոլոր դժուարութիւնները հայրենիքը կը լուծէ, հայրենիքը այնպիսի ուժ է, որ բոլոր դժուարութիւնները կը լուծէ, բայց արտասահմանի մէջ լուծումը անխուսափելի է, բոլորովին կը լուծուինք հոն: Հայրենիքի մէջ դիմանալը, երկար կեանք ապրիլը, համբերութիւնը մեզի համար իսկապէս վճռական նշանակութիւն ունի:

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When I stopped teaching, I missed my students, because their budding and maturation gave me great pleasure and satisfaction. I was proud of them.

Երբ դադրեցայ ուսուցչութենէն, միշտ ալ կարօտցայ աշակերտներս, ուսանողներս, որովհետեւ անոնց ծլարձակման ձեւը, աճման ընթացքը կեանքիս մէջ մեծ հաճոյք եւ գոհունակութիւն պատճառած են: Հպարտ եղած եմ անոնցմով:

 

 

 

Thoughts from Boghos Snabian – Մտածումներ Պօղոս Սնապեանէն (No.1)

The attached is my translation of excerpts from the eminent author Boghos Snabian, Nora Parseghian had posted in Aztag Daily on August 13, 2022. Vahe H. Apelian

Բնագիրը կցուած է

In the Jarankavorats School (Seminary) of Jerusalem, I had the good fortune having the great writer, teacher, and literary critic Hagop  Oshagan, under whose tutelage my life also turned to literature.

Երուսաղէմի Ժառանգաւորաց վարժարանին մէջ բախտը ունեցայ հանդիպելու մեծատաղանդ գրագէտ, մեծատաղանդ ուսուցիչ, մեծատաղանդ քննադատ Յակոբ Օշականի, որուն շունչին տակ իմ կեանքս ալ դարձաւ դէպի գրականութիւն:

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When the people of Musaler resorted to the mountain, it was not for their salvation; rather it was their determined attitude towards dying; affirming that they will die fighting, as they want to die, but they will not die as others want them to die. Therein is the crux and the beauty of this movement. Fighting for forty days, during which they were victorious in three battles, they recorded the glorious pages of that heroic battle.

Երբ մուսալեռցիները լեռ բարձրացան, փրկութեան հարց չկար հոն, այլ մեռնելու ձեւ մը որոշեալ էր անոնց կեցուածքին մէջ` հաստատելով, որ իրենք իրենց ուզածին պէս` կռուելով պիտի մեռնին, մեռցնելով պիտի մեռնին, եւ ոչ թէ այլոց ուզածին պէս: Հոս է առանցքը, գեղեցկութիւնը այս շարժումին: Քառասուն օր կռուելով, երեք ճակատամարտներու մէջ յաղթանակներով արձանագրեցին այս հերոսամարտի ոսկեայ էջերը:

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When we came to Ainjar, it was a desert entirely covered with thorny bushes. They let us among in thorns and went away. After a day or two they distributed tents. We lived under the scorching sun for about 6 months. But from the first day, with the help and guidance of the French, they started building houses consisting of a single room and an outhouse. But even so, my father would say that this is not an exodus, but it is a paradise. While it is true that there was no clothing, there was no food, there was nothing for rudimentary comfort, but there was also no Turk oppressing us, there was no one putting a yoke around our neck; there was a freedom. We remained on our own alone, living in these horrible and terrible conditions left to our own fate.

Երբ Այնճար եկանք, բոլորովին անապատ մըն էր ասիկա, ուղտափուշերով ծածկուած անապատ մը, փուշերուն մէջ եկան նետեցին մեզի, մէկ-երկու օր ետք վրաններ բաժնեցին, կիզիչ արեւուն տակ ապրեցանք շուրջ 6 ամիս: Բայց առաջին օրէն սկսան ֆրանսացիներուն օժանդակութեամբ եւ ղեկավարութեամբ տուներ շինել` մէկ սենեակ ու լուացարան: Բայց եւ այնպէս հայրս կ՛ըսէր, որ ասիկա գաղթականութիւն չէ, այլ դրախտ է, որովհետեւ, ճիշդ է` հագնելիք չկայ, ուտելիք չկայ, դիւրակեցութեան պայմաններ չկային, սակայն նաեւ քեզ ճնշող թուրք չկայ, վզիդ եաթաղան դնող չկայ, ազատութիւն մը կար: Առանձին երբ մնացինք ահաւոր, սարսափելի պայմաններու մէջ ապրեցանք` ձգուած մեր ճակատագիրին:

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It must be said that both the Musa Ler battle and the events of settling in Ainjar were not haphazard happenings, but there was an organized force behind all of this, and that force was the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. It still is the same. Since 1910, this village has been managed by ARF bodies. All of us must accept this, we have already accepted it. If that party was not there, even our friends would have “devoured” us. The collective community is very important for us, and if that party doesn't exist, that rally would not exist either. Even in Ainjar, if this party did not exist, this rally would not have taken place. The party is necessary, especially in the diaspora, where it plays the role of a state.

Թէ՛ Մուսա Լերան ճակատամարտին, եւ թէ Այնճարի գաղթականութեան պարագային պատահածները, պէտք է ըսել, տարերային շարժում չէին, այլ կազմակերպուած ուժ կար այս բոլորին ետին, իսկ այդ ուժը Հայ յեղափոխական  դաշնակցութեան մէջ բջիջն էր: Մինչեւ հիմա ալ նոյնն է, այս գիւղը 1910-էն ի վեր կը ղեկավարուի ՀՅԴ-ի մարմիններուն կողմէ, ասիկա պէտք է ընդունինք բոլորս, ընդունած ենք արդէն: Եթէ այդ կուսակցութիւնը հոն չըլլար, մեր բարեկամներն անգամ կու գային եւ մեր միսը կ՛ուտէին: Հաւաքականութիւնը շատ կարեւոր է մեզի համար, իսկ եթէ այդ կուսակցութիւնը չըլլայ, այդ հաւաքականութիւնն ալ չ՛ըլլար: Այնճարի մէջ ալ եթէ այս կուսակցութիւնը չըլլայ, այս հաւաքականութիւնը չի գոյանար:  Կուսակցութիւնը շատ անհրաժեշտ է յատկապէս սփիւռքի մէջ, ուր պետութեան մը դերը կը կատարէ:

*****

A real writer does not get spoiled, nor does he lose hope. The act of writing subordinates itself to an inner command and is not influenced by external responses. It seems to me that the writer who is too preoccupied with the reactions to his published work and does not immediately commit himself, can hardly be worthy of a writer’s noble calling. The enduring and the persistent quality of person, whose calling is to be a writer, is a labor and not a self-deceptive joy.

Իրական գրողը ո՛չ կը շփանայ, եւ ոչ ալ կը յուսալքուի: Գրելու արարքը ներքին հրահանգի մը կը հպատակի եւ արտաքին երեւոյթներէն չ՛ազդուիր: Եւ յետոյ` ինծի կը թուի, թէ այն գրողը, որ հրատարակութեան տուած գործին արձագանգներով շատ կը զբաղի եւ անմիջապէս նոր տեսիլք մը նուաճելու ճիգին չի լծուիր, դժուար թէ կարենայ արժանի ըլլալ գրողի բարձր կոչումին: Կոչումով գրողին մնայուն վիճակը նորութեան ծարաւն է, տեւական երկունքը եւ ոչ թէ երջանիկ ինքնաբաւութիւնը:

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Literary work should foremost exude life, it must be full of ideas, written in an elegant language that moves a soul... Literature is a difficult task... It must be able to bring (a reader) out of indifference.  Whenever I read something, I should not forget what I read a short while later...

Գրական ստեղծագործութիւնը նախ ապրում պիտի ունենայ, գաղափարներով թրծուած պիտի ըլլայ, փառաւոր լեզուով գրուած, շարժուն հոգեշարժ… Գրականութիւնը քիչ մը բարդ խնդիր է… Անիկա պէտք է կարենայ զիս իմ չէզոքութենէս դուրս բերել: Երբ որ կարդամ, քիչ ետք պէտք չէ մոռնամ կարդացածս…