Greek Poetess and Other Writings, The

Born in 1936 in Athens, Greece, Ara Baliozian received his Armenian education at the Mekhitarist Moorat-Raphaelian College in Venice, Italy. While in Venice, he furthered his studies in economics and political science at the University of Ca Foscari. Now residing in Ontario, Canada, he has made his gifts as an essayist, creative writer, book reviewer, translator, and critic available to the world-wide Armenian communities. Preserving one's heritage in a land and language foreign to it is a formidable—some would even say impossible—endeavor. Yet this is the task that Ara Baliozian has taken upon himself. Because he is a voice worth listening to, he has won several prizes and government grants for his literary work. His diverse contribution to the body of Armenian literature has earned him the respect of his peers. An incisive focal point for the Armenian diaspora, he has rescued from certain obscurity works of Zarian, Yessaian, Zohrab and other literary luminaries. It would not be too far-fetched to compare him to the iconoclast H. L. Menken. While Ara Baliozian's opinions and critiques can sometimes be abrasive and cause discomfort, the integrity of his work has certainly earned him well deserved recognition. His works include The Armenians: Their History &• Culture, Armenia OlJsen>ed, Fragmented Dreams, and several other books both original and in translation.