Metal Dreams (Erevan, 2018) is the second book and first novel of the Western Armenian writer Christian Batikian. It is significant on a number of levels, not least of which pertains to its contribution to the vitality of Western Armenian, an endangered language. This presentation however, will not focus on the often-discussed topic of the vitality of Western Armenian, the status of diasporan languages, etc. but rather will be a literary reading of the novel. Metal Dreams revolves around the…

In the years immediately following World War II, what was once referred to during the years of post-genocide dispersion as թրքահայութիւն , ցրուածութիւն , գաղութահայութիւն , գաղթահայութիւն , and արտասահմանի հայութիւն became solidified as սփիւռք , and came to imagine itself as a transnationally organized homogenous entity. This presentation focuses on this period of transition and examines the making of diaspora’s grand narrative, founded on the notion of national cultural production in exile. I discuss how the articulation of diaspora’s…

The site of Adab, situated in Southern Mesopotamia between Nippur and Umma, was mostly active in the Old Akkadian period. Its mounds revealed palaces, temples and workshop installations. Around 3000 cuneiform sources were excavated either as part of the original or later illegal digs; their distribution in various archives dated to different sub-periods make this corpus particularly interesting for diachronic investigation. This talk exposes the social network of the elites of Adab and its correlation with the pantheon over time.…

Mr. Chenian is a financial advisor with a long history of public service. In his presentation the speaker will focus on the role of strategic individuals in advancing community objectives in contrast to many of the diasporic institutions currently embedded within it that were founded in another place and time and are therefore perceived as increasingly irrelevant in meeting 21st century challenges. Chenian then identifies the potential afforded by a "Think Tank Culture" and explores how such a structure might…

This free workshop will provide a hands-on introduction to Islamic manuscripts and manuscript culture, using the extensive holdings of the Special Collections at UCLA's Charles E. Young Research Library. It is intended for advanced students and scholars with backgrounds in Islamic studies and/or manuscript studies. Sessions will be devoted to such topics as parchment and paper, bindings and structures, quires and codices, scripts and hands (paleography), and historical and paratextual elements. Participants will learn to produce accurate basic descriptions of…