Questioning the Unquestionable: Marc Nichanian’s "Mourning Philology"

Karen Jallatyan

 

Have you ever felt that contemporary philosophy is useless? That you do not have the time to think about the intangible and unimportant questions that it asks? This is how I used to feel when I was an undergraduate at UCLA some years ago, studying chemistry and biology, and striving to attend medical school after graduation. But everything changed when I started reading Marc Nichanian. His books and essays did not just restore my faith in the need for philosophy; they made me think about the ways in which I could negotiate between my diasporic life and Armenian heritage, creatively and philosophically.

Armenian Poetry Project

Jennifer Manoukian

The Armenian Poetry Project [Armenian-Poetry.blogspot.com] has been an essential resource for readers interested in Armenian poetry since its founding five years ago. Formatted as a blog, the site features daily posts with poetry from both nineteenth and twentieth century masters, like Taniel Varoujan and Vahan Tekeyan, and lesser known contemporary poets writing around the world. Although the majority of the poems are written in Armenian, in an attempt to more accurately represent the diasporic nature of the Armenian people, the site also includes a significant number of poems written on Armenian topics, but in languages more familiar to the poets. Additionally, English or French translations occasionally accompany the Armenian text to expand the reach and impact of Armenian poetry beyond Armenian-language readers.