by Anoush Tatevossian
NEW YORK — On June 8, the Tumanyan Storytelling initiative’s co-founder Anoush Tatevossian and New York City-based author Aida Zilelian, co-hosted An Evening of Armenian Storytellers at the Atamian Hovsepian Curatorial Practice in Manhattan.
This was the first event of its kind in New York, showcasing the art of oral first-person storytelling. With an audience of approximately 70 attendees, the standing-room only event offered an intimate and joyful opportunity to hear from six talented artists who shared their personal stories of the Armenian-American diasporan experience.
Anoush Tatevossian opened the event by sharing the story of the founding of the Tumanyan International Storytelling Festival (www.tumanyanstoryfest.com) in the aftermath of the 2020 war in Armenia. It is a new cultural initiative dedicated to re-connecting contemporary audiences with the rich tradition of storytelling, and serves as a platform for both preserving culture, and enabling the creation of new Armenian narratives. Co-organizer Aida Zilelian shared a reflection on reconnecting with distant cousins who she came to find were connected to her Armenian family roots through shared traditions.
Anoush Froundjian told a story of marrying a non-Armenian, and the process of having him baptized as an adult so that they could be married in the Armenian church.
Rob Paravonian reflected upon his recent discovery of photo slides from his father’s visit to Soviet Armenia. He told a story of how his uncle was a missionary Christian who visited Soviet Armenia and was one of the few linkages he has to the country and culture.
