Fr. Andon Atamian New Priest at Belmont’s Holy Cross Armenian Church

Reflecting on his experiences in the US, he said, “America is an ocean which will swallow us up. … It is a struggle here, where forces are unequal. We must wage that struggle, but the end is not ours — not that the Armenians will disappear, but they become more American-Armenian.” The national element of language and culture, may not remain, though the Catholic Armenian church will survive. He concluded: “We, all of us, form one heart, one people and one force. We must construct our community, building toward something better. We must add beautiful stones to adorn our national structure. This is done through culture. Culture can unite us, through our poetry and our talent. It binds us together.”

Fr. Atamian is a prolific lecturer as well as an author. He travels frequently to various parts of the US, Canada and Europe to give talks on literary, religious and Armenian national issues. He likes giving talks on notable Armenian writers, ranging from medieval figures like Krikor Naregatsi and 19^th century poets like Bedros Turian, to contemporary writers like Razmik Davoyan. Furthermore, he speaks on various Armenian radio shows on the same issues. For example, every week for the last four years he had a one hour show on Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m. on ArmenianVoice.com, based in Fresno. People ask him for advice and send questions based on the theme of the lecture of that day. His old shows are archived and still accessible. He also sometimes gives talks on the Armenian Independent Broadcasting of Boston’s program (produced and directed by Yevgine Gharibian).

He gets his messages across to an even larger audience of thousands through his Facebook page.

Naturally he also disseminates his ideas and messages through sermons every Sunday in church, and tries to have events with community participation of other denominations and groups.

He writes often in the Los Angeles Armenian newspaper Nor Hayastan and also in the Beirut Armenian newspapers Zartonk and Aztag, usually in free verse. He knows classical and colloquial Arabic, French, Italian and Latin, aside from Armenian. He primarily writes in Armenian and Arabic, and has published poetry in Arab newspapers in Lebanon. Sometimes they also translate his poems from Armenian into Arabic, as in the Beirut newspaper An-Nahar. Fr. Atamian is the author of three books, all in Armenian. He explained that he sits down and writes without much prior preparation, almost in a stream of consciousness style. He said, “I always give both religious and Armenian national messages in church and in my books. I write on society, unity and love.” Current issues affecting Armenians in the diaspora, such as the plight of Syrian Armenians, or the situation in Armenia and Karabagh, are reflected in his writing.

His first book, published in 2001, is entitled Koyabaykarin ozhide [The Dowry of the Battle for Existence], and the second, called Gaydz ev ambrob [Lightining and Thunder], appeared in 2013 and was reprinted last year.

Fr. Atamian’s latest volume is titled Meronapoyr mrunchner (“Miuron-Scented Whispers,” Glendale, California, 2015). It consists of poetry of a patriotic Armenian nature, and religiously and culturally inspired poems. They are all relatively short, from four to sixteen lines. He finds inspiration in Mesrop Mashtots, Ghevond Erets, and Grigor Narekatsi’s works. It includes a preface by Dr. Vartan Tashjian, and words of praise concerning Atamian’s prior book, Gaydz ev ambrob, from Catholicos-Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni of the See of Cilicia of the Catholic Armenians, and from Edmond Y. Azadian. The 256-page volume ends with a short biography of the author penned by Antoine Karamanlian.

A presentation of this new book and signing opportunity will take place on November 21 at 7 pm at Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church in Atinizian Hall, with a presentation by Avik Derentz Deirmenjian.