Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2007

"IT IS NECESSARY TO CREATE NEW IMAGES IN LITERATURE IN ORDER TO
PRESERVE NATIONAL IDENTITY," AMERICAN ARMENIAN WRITER OSHIN
KESHISHIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Nowedays, when tendencies for
globalization and global developments of culture prevail over the
spheres of politics, press, and culture, the role of the national
identity obtains a peculiar significance." This statement was made by
Levon Ananian, the Chairman of the Writers Union of Armenia, at the
conference held under the title "National identity issue in
Diaspora", which was held in the RA National Academy of Sciences on
October 11 within the frameworks of the second conference of Armenian
writers in foreign languages.

In the words of Levon Ananian, the recent researches show that under
the circumstances of a colossal leakage of information first of all
small nations and peoples, the foundation-stones of the national
identity, that is, the language and culture, suffer damages, which,
according to him, finally leads to the abolition of the national
identity.

In the words of the Chairman of the Writers’ Union of Armenia,
fortunately, Armenia keeps away from such dangers. However, according
to him, there is a problem of preserving the national identity in the
Diaspora. "We should think what we should do so as our compatriots of
the Diaspora are not gulped down by globalization," Levon Ananian
stressed.

American Armenian writer Oshin Keshishian mentioned in his report
that it is necessary to bring new images into literature in order to
preserve the national identity. "An Armenian is always presented as a
victim of the genocide in the American literature. It is our task to
create the image of a new Armenian, so as foreign readers read about
our achievements, and not only about genocide and lamentation," the
American Armenian writer mentioned.

In the opinion of translator Alexander Topchian, the fact that
certain Armenian writers consciously present works merely on the
subject of the genocide to generations is a very deplorable one, the
same can be said for the cinema and the theater. Thus, in his words,
"we make it archaistic in our national cultural consciousness."

Author: Hakobian Hasmik
Editor: Eghian Robert