NEW YORK — With April being National Poetry Month, what better way to celebrate than with an evening of poetry recitals?
On Thursday, April 13, several Armenian writers from across the country came together at the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center to share their original poetry in a celebration of creative expression. The event was jam-packed with young literary talent, featuring poets Hrayr Varaz, Aram Ronaldo, Alina Gregorian, Lillian Avedian, Sharisse Zeroonian and Jesse Arlen. Arlen is also the director of the Zohrab Center.
In a bid to make the event more interactive and positive, members of the audience were also given the opportunity to read their own works as well after the scheduled program. Those included Lilly Torosyan, Levon Kafafian, Vanya Nadirov and Seta Mary. The poems encompassed a variety of subjects and were written in both Armenian and English.
Before the event began, Arlen welcomed participants and audience members with a short speech thanking all who came to read, and gave a special nod to those who would be reading works in Armenian, praising them for “doing amazing things with language” and making the effort to write in their ancestral tongue – regardless of how fluent they may or may not be.
Zeroonian, a Boston-based writer and filmmaker, said the night was a valuable experience not just from a professional standpoint, but a social one as well.
“It’s always wonderful to see members of the Armenian community coming out to support each other, especially when it comes to the arts,” Zeroonian said. “The environment was so warm and positive, and I ended up bonding with other writers whose work I want to continue to support. Participating in this event helped me make more personal and professional connections in the Armenian writers’ community.”