APIGIAN-KESSEL: GLENDALE’S CATHERINE YESSAYAN: BUDDING WRITER IN THE WINGS
By Betty Apigian-Kessel
9/10/14/apigian-kessel-glendales-catherine-yessaya n-budding-writer-in-the-wings/
October 14, 2009
I find people interesting, granted some more than others, but I
feel everyone has a story to tell. Such is the case with Glendale’s
Catherine Yessayan, a multi-faceted, deeply fascinating woman born
in Tehran, Iran, who came here 30 years ago with her husband.
By her own admission, Catherine was a "stay at home mom" to her four
children, in the finest of Armenian tradition. Even during those
nurturing years, her light could not be hidden beneath the bushel. She
is, as they say, "a doer."
She has always been active in the Glendale schools and community. In
2000, she unsuccessfully ran for the Glendale School Board,
but nevertheless found the political arena to be a stimulating
experience. I discovered she is good friends with Glendale School
Board presdient Greg Krikorian, nephew to our local Anne and George
Krikorian. She is involved with the PTA, the homeowner’s association,
and civic organizations. It’s no wonder that in 1998 Yessayan was
selected as one of the most influential citizens by the Glendale
News Press.
I became acquainted with Yessayan when a friend sent me an article
printed in Appo Jabarian’s "Armenian Life Magazine" written by the
talented Catherine-her first time being published, but certainly
not her last. I have read several of her stories which I found to
be stimulating.
She knows how to put words together to capture your interest. Her
vignette, entitled "So I Hear…and the World Watches…" clutched my
emotions. I immediately fired off a note of congratulations to her on
her finely written article, stating I was happy to know a knowledgeable
Hyegagan woman capable of being a strong voice for the Armenians. And
that through her activism she has brought honor to her ancestors. Quite
soon her message arrived thanking me for encouraging her.
Her children are now grown and Catherine recently became a first-time
grandmother to Markar, born in New York City. For 10 years she helped
her husband in his real estate business. Now it is Catherine’s time
to blossom. She is taking writing courses at UCLA in order to write
her memoirs. As a community activist, she already has a portfolio of
over 200 letters to the editor of various newspapers. She is a woman
of substance.
Her piece "So I Hear…" has an original style encapsulating the
Armenian Cause with a time line beginning on April 25, 2009. She
received emails stating "Obama betrays Armenians" and "Armenians have
rallied to continue their effort to have the U.S. officially recognize
the genocide." She says, "So I hear." She then reminds us of Obama’s
pre-campaign promise to acknowledge the genocide, his statement about
the Medz Yeghern, and the recall of Ambassador John Evans.
She takes us back to April 24, 1995, driving her kids to Montebello
to view the Genocide Memorial, then to Hitler’s words as to "Who
Remembers the Armenians," to March 15, 1921 when Soghomon Tehlirian
assasinated Talat, back to her ancestors being slaughtered in Ottoman
Turkey, and finally to April 24, 1915, when Talat ordered the arrest
and persecution of Armenian leaders and intellectuals, followed by
the genocide of over 1.5 million Armenians. "And the world watches
the first ethnic cleansing of the 20th century." You’re going to like
reading Catherine when she starts delivering.
Our correspondence grew, as we found we have much in common besides
writing, decorating, and real estate. We are both antique buffs,
readers, and women with a restless spirit possessing many varied
interests. She is a certified home stager, whereby she redesigns
homes to improve their marketability.
She told me of her happy years in Iran during the Shah’s regime
and that she got her BA degree in English literature from Tehran’s
American Women’s College-Damavand. She also studied Armenian, French,
and Persian literature.
She began writing her memoirs two years ago. Says Catherine, "Since
I was very young, I had an inborn tendency to write and when my
Dad passed away at age 92, I realized there were so many unanswered
questions. There were so many things we never communicated."
She decided to blend her life story with history.
Catherine wants to unfold her inner knowledge and to reflect on
her life experiences, many of which are very interesting since
she essentially grew up during Shah Reza Pahlevi’s regime in Iran
before his expulsion-an era of grandeur, opulence, and the lovely
Queen Soraya. She describes her life in Tehran before the Islamic
Revolution as "beautiful," telling of the active social environment
common to those of her age at the time. Quite different than what
plays out today.
Catherine the intellectual? She likes writers Robert Fulgham and Erma
Bombeck’s wit and humor. She includes French Renaissance thinker-writer
Michel de Montaigne. "In his essays he engages philosophical sayings
by great orators, something I’d like using in my writings," she says.
Friendships are born and forged in the least unlikely ways. It won’t
be long before, through Catherine’s published writings, you too will
be mesmerized by this intelligent Armenian woman’s essays. Even I
can hardly wait.