Talar Chahinian

Talar Chahinian is a lecturer in the Department of Comparative Literature at UCLA, where she recently received her Ph.D.

You can Talar Chahinian or any of the other contributors to Critics' Forum at comments@criticsforum.org. This and all other articles published in this series are available online at criticsforum.org . To sign up for a weekly electronic version of new articles, go to criticsforum.org/join. Critics' Forum is a group created to discuss issues relating to Armenian art and culture in the diaspora.

Of pedagogy and cultural production: Armenian-language instruction in the diaspora

Feb 04, 2009: Talar Chahinian explores the difficulties of teaching Armenian to children in Armenian schools in Southern California.  more...

Mapping Armenian literature of the diaspora

Nov 07, 2008: This is the third of a four-part exploration by Talar Chahinian of issues in modern Armenian literature. The previous parts appeared in the September 20 and October 11 editions.  more...

Mapping Armenian literature in the diaspora

Oct 11, 2008: This is the second of a four-part exploration by Talar Chahinian of issues in modern Armenian literature. The first part appeared in the September 20 edition.  more...

Mapping Armenian literature in the diaspora

Sep 20, 2008: During the past two decades, it has become increasingly difficult to maintain a singular narrative of the literary history of the Armenian diaspora. Armenia's independence and the formation of a state that provides an official home for a national literature, the shifting profile of diasporan communities where the Eastern and Western forms of the language (with their multiple dialects) coexist, and the ever-increasing leverage of English as a "global" language not only shatter any notion of singularity in the diaspora, but raise questions about the possibility of continuity for Armenian-language production outside of Armenia. In other words, it is truly an exciting time for Armenian literature. I do not say this with hints of cynicism or sarcasm, rather with the conviction that periods of ambiguity can be looked upon as productive moments, for they require an introspective gaze. This process of inward-looking and self-critical examination can be realized only through dynamic discourse and dialogue.  more...