To Say with Passion: Why Am I Here? Paperback – October 27, 2025

This is a facing-page bilingual (Armenian and English) edition of Tenny Arlen’s (1991–2015) book of Armenian poetry posthumously published in 2021 under the title ԿԻՐՔՈՎ ԸՍԵԼՈՒ՝ ԻՆՉՈ՞Ւ ՀՈՍ ԵՄ. It includes the original and translation of everything found in the Armenian edition, including an appendix of the author’s poetic prose works, as well as an afterword by her professor Dr. Hagop Gulludjian in which he reflects upon Tenny's creative journey—from being a new learner of the language to her remarkable achievement of having produced the first full-length work of creative literature written in Armenian by an American-born writer. New to this edition are a second appendix with three newly discovered writings found among Tenny’s papers, a third appendix with images of the first drafts of eight of her poems (some showing Dr. Gulludjian’s edits), and a new afterword by Arthur Ipek in which he reflects on Tenny's poetry as an example of exophony (creative writing in a non-native language), highlights some principal themes in her work, and evaluates her place in the Armenian literary tradition.PRAISE FOR THE BOOK“Hauntingly beautiful poems… A sparkling mind, mature and sophisticated well beyond her youthful years. I remember Tenny as among a handful of the most brilliant students I have encountered throughout my life.”– Sebouh David Aslanian, UCLA Professor and Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History“While respecting the classic writers, Tenny was not a slave to their style or ideas, but with that same self-confidence which was the hallmark of all her endeavors, she fashioned her own instrument to be the vessel of her thoughts. As in their own time, Zahrad and Khrakhuni opened a new path for Armenian poetry, Tenny’s creative work marks a new phase in the literary history of the Diaspora… Tenny has become a pioneer by her literary path.”– Peter Cowe, Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies at UCLA“Miracles do happen.”– Arpi Sarafian, Armenian Mirror-Spectator“To describe Tenny Arlen as a trailblazer would be to bestow that term upon the artist without exaggerating its definition.”– David Garyan, poet, journalist, and editor of LAdige literary journal“Magnificent, profound, and profoundly beautiful writings… This book, Tenny’s work, has illuminated the creative path for all of us.”– Alexia Hatun, writer and doctoral student, UCLA“A watershed moment for the Armenian literary tradition… In addition to inaugurating a return to the classics of Armenian literature, this collection simultaneously ushers in a new moment for the Armenian literary tradition, in the idiom of the New World. In this New World, there are Armenian speakers who might be completely new to the language, yet may have much to contribute to the creation of works in Armenian… Both a profound soul and linguistic dexterity characterize Arlen as a poet. Her extant work is a manifestation of a poetic consciousness unique to her.”– Arthur Ipek, poet and literary scholar“From the very beginning, Tenny attempted to create in Armenian, even when she did not understand much of the language. She understood her journey toward the language as a creative process, a means and a way to achieve selfactualization through creation… Vitality, vigor, revitalization of the language—all these things happen not by honoring it as a sacred relic, but by playing with it, wrestling, flirting, making love with it, in the words of the title of this book, by saying passionately, why am I here?– Hagop Gulludjian, UCLA Senior Lecturer of Western Armenian, Kachigian Family Lecturer in Armenian Language and Culture Read more