Like Water on Stone Read online

  The journey of Shahen, Sosi, and Mariam is entirely imagined, though with the benefit of many hiking trips in the cold above the tree line. They stayed along the ridge lines of real mountains and passed through archaeological sites such as mystical massive stone heads on Nemrut Mountain and the Byzantine ruins known collectively as the Dead Cities of Syria. When the Turkish state was founded in 1922, many place names were changed. Kharpert, the city where Shahen would have gone to college, is now Elâzığ. Constantinople is today’s Istanbul. To map the young ones’ journey, I linked today’s names to those from the time of the genocide.

  International relief work in the Ottoman Empire had begun during the Hamidian Massacres of 1895 to 1896, with Clara Barton, national hero, nurse, and founder of the American Red Cross, leading the American efforts. As the violence intensified in 1915, so did international aid. In Aleppo, orphanages were established by priests such as Hovaness Eskijian and the Swiss missionary Sister Beatrice Rohner. In the greater region, the Near East Relief organization founded orphanages, hospitals, and refugee camps and sponsored food, clothing, and medical supply drives through direct appeal to the American public. But by 1917 the Ottomans had closed down most aid efforts within their borders. Aleppo’s international orphanages were replaced with ones run by the state only for those young enough not to remember their Armenian identity. A lucky few, like Shahen, Sosi, and Mariam, were hidden by families of Arabs and Kurds and even Turks like Mustafa. While Ottoman authorities used a rhetoric of jihad to incite the murder of Armenians, the sharif of Mecca called for Muslims to save them. After the war ended, Near East Relief continued their work, ultimately saving the lives of 132,000 orphans.

  One of the largest of the Near East Relief orphanages was located in Gyumri, a city that sits on the closed border between present-day Turkey and Armenia. From 1918 to 1920, Armenia briefly had the status of an independent republic. According to the Treaty of Sèvres, signed by the Ottoman government and the Allied powers in 1920, this republic was to include much of the land that is eastern Turkey today. Turkish nationalists under the leadership of Kemal Attatürk opposed this treaty; war erupted, and the fledgling republic collapsed. What remained of Armenia was absorbed into the Soviet Union. On September 21, 1991, Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union. This small nation has remained independent since then.

  I took a bit of purposeful poetic license with a few facts. In this story, Ardziv calls the Ottoman Turks “drum caps,” identifying them by the felted fezzes they wore. Though the fez was certainly part of the Ottoman army uniform, Armenians also wore these stylish hats at the beginning of the twentieth century. We mongrels know that identity lives in social surfaces.

  And what of people who marry across social boundaries, as did Anahid and Asan? In 1914, the lives of Armenians, Kurds, and Turks near Palu were socially intertwined. The rare “love matches” that undoubtedly occurred contrast with the many acts of violence committed against women during the genocide. Some Kurdish groups were well known for helping and hiding Armenians.

  Genocide, the systematic extermination of one people by another, always includes a phase of dehumanization that links those who will be eliminated with animals, diseases, vermin—things humans have permission to kill. Genocide ends when denial ends. Healing involves finding our shared humanity, achieving justice for the harm done, and finding the space in our hearts to forgive.

  Acknowledgments

  Though always a voracious reader, I came to writing late. Writing is never a solitary act, but depends upon the insights and responses of others. I have been fortunate to have such varied, wise, and generous others in my life.

  My first forays into creative writing were sustained by writing retreats filled with conversations about craft. Heartfelt thanks to Mary Atkinson, Franny Billingsley, Toni Buzzeo, Jennifer Jacobson, Sarah Lamstein, Cindy Lord, and Carol Peacock for inspiration and guidance, and for sacred writing time and space. Sarah Aaronson, Katie Bayrel, Ann Cardinal, Nicole Griffin, Kate Hosford, Daphne Kalmar, Adi Rule, and Zu Vincent gave me the faith to continue to revise with the benefit of their insights. From the earliest drafts to the work that this book is now, Jacqueline Davies was my trusted reader and friend.

  Sharing writing with Burlington area poets/writers Sarah Bartlett, Sue Burton, Jaina Clough, Lee Ann Cox, Stephen Cramer, Sharyl Green, Marilyn Grigas, Laban Hill, Major Jackson, Jill Leininger, Melissa Pasanen, Grace Per Lee, and Liz Powell shaped the lines of this book. Special thanks to Adrie Kusserow, who also inhabits that liminal territory between anthropology and creative writing, and to Beebe Bahrami, who long ago inspired me to enter that space.

  Vermont College of Fine Arts transformed me into a writer. Four brilliant advisors—Julie Larios, Tim Wynne-Jones, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Margaret Bechard—mentored me with unparalleled generosity and rigor. Thanks to my stellar workshop faculty, Kathi Appelt, Alan Cumyn, Louise Hawes, Uma Krishnaswami, and Martine Leavitt; my workshop mates; the members of my class, all of whom “keep the story;” and to Jane Resh Thomas, who propelled me toward the program. Every lecture, reading, and moment at VCFA was a gift.

  Friends nurtured me throughout this journey, each with their special gifts. Thanks to Emmanuelle Dobbs for always valuing my “arménianité,” and to the Manuelyan family, Hasmik Baghramyan, and the members of Lokum for helping me hang on to it in northern Vermont. Thanks to Fletcher Boote, Paula Duncan, Mary Hill, Jill Lyons, Polly Menendez, Yvette Pigeon, Dianne Shullenberger, Janet Van Fleet, and Martha Whitney for movement, flow, and voice, and to Robert Lair for the abundant tulips.

  My Vanetsi brother and genocide scholar, Dr. Harutyun Marutyan, opened doors in Armenia for me and was always ready for a deep conversation about the place of art in social change. Dr. Hayk Demoyan graciously welcomed me into the research library and the community of scholars at the Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute in Yerevan. He, along with Asya Darbinyan, Hasmik Grigoryan, Gohar Khanumyan, Mihran Minassian, and Naira Melisetyan, was particularly helpful as I researched the details of this story. Any errors that remain are mine alone. Thanks to Dr. Vahé Tachjian, who directs Houshamadyan, a remarkable reconstruction of life in the Ottoman Empire in 1914. Dr. Rubina Peroomian of UCLA generously shared her wisdom and knowledge with me. Dr. Rouben Galichian kindly shared period maps and his expertise on maps of the region with me. Anna Berberyan and her dance group welcomed me into their midst, shaping the music and dance threads of this story (Shad shnorhagalutyun, Bari Khoomp!). Vahan Bournazian guided me on details of Armenian grape growing and connected me with the haunting music of Palu. Through her efforts to improve my Armenian handwriting, Anahit Avetisyan inspired little Mariam to write. I am indebted to the Fulbright Scholar Program, the Vermont Studio Center, Vermont College of Fine Arts, the Vermont Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts for support while I worked on this book.

  Agent extraordinaire Ammi Joan Paquette believed in this book and found such a good home for it. Editor Michelle Poploff always asked just the right questions with perfect timing, clarity, and grace. Her unwavering commitment to the hard truths of this subject kept me safe as I wrote. Special thanks to Rebecca Short for the kindest constancy, and to Alison Impey, Heather Kelly, Colleen Fellingham, Laura Antonacci, Beverly Horowitz, and the rest of the superb team at Delacorte Press for sustaining the story’s spirit through every phase of production.

  My parents, Alice and David Walrath, imparted their love of books to me, a gift that outlasts a lifetime. My sister, Suzy Walrath Mehrotra; my mother’s sister, Rose Robischon; and her cousin, Toros Hovivian, gave me love and solid memories, and Aunt Sona Takoushjian shared the wonders of her kitchen and other arts. I am especially grateful to my three sons, Nishan, Tavid, and Aram, for countless precious moments and for the person each of you has become. And above all, my dear husband, Peter Bingham, has been with me every step of every journey and makes the magic of the oud sing wherever we are.

  Glossary

  Alashkerti
kochari (ah-lash-KER-tee KOH-char-ee): The kochari is a series of line dances that includes lots of knee movements. It is popular with Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Kurds. In the version from the western Armenian village of Alashkert, men link arm to waist and “fly” as they support one another, moving quickly to a haunting duduk melody.

  alik (AH-leek): The Armenian word for “wave.”

  anoush (AH-noosh): The Armenian word for “sweet.” Also a girl’s name.

  ardziv (ar-DZIV): The Armenian word for “eagle.”

  astidjan (AH-stih-DJAHN): The Armenian word for “step.”

  ayran (ai-RAHN): The Turkish word for a cool drink made from watery yogurt.

  baba (BAH-bah): The Arabic word for “dad.”

  baran (bah-RAHN): The Armenian word for rows of grapes in a vineyard; used as a unit of measure.

  baron (bah-ROHN): The Armenian title used to show respect for a man.

  bastegh (BAH-stegh): A sweet made from cooked fruits spread into thin sheets.

  basturma (BAHST-oor-mah): A dried, spiced meat.

  charukh (CHAR-ookh): A simple shoe consisting of a thick piece of leather pierced with holes for thick leather laces that bind them to the wearer’s feet.

  chetes (CHEH-tez): Killing squads of criminals, generally of Kurdish origin, released from prison to carry out the Ottoman policy of extermination.

  choor (chure): The Armenian word for “water.”

  Der Hayr (der hire): A married priest in the Armenian church.

  digin (dee-GEEN): The Armenian term of respect for a woman. Gin means “woman.”

  dolma (DOHL-mah): The word used throughout the region for savory foods such as grape leaves, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and cabbage, stuffed with rice and/or ground meat and other vegetables and spices, served hot or cold.

  door (dure): The Armenian command for “you give.” Choor door means “Give me water.”

  duduk (DOO-dook): A double-reed wind instrument made from the wood of an apricot tree. The name duduk comes from Turkish. The traditional Armenian name was tsiranapogh, meaning “apricot horn.”

  dumbek (DOOM-bek): A goblet-shaped hand drum made of metal, clay, or wood, usually with a goatskin head. Its name comes from Arabic.

  gavour (GAH-voor): The Turkish word for “infidel” (one without faith), used as an epithet against Christians in the Ottoman Empire.

  goozem (goo-ZEHM): “I want” in western Armenian.

  halva (HAHL-vah): A dense sweet made of sesame paste, butter, and sugar.

  hijab (hee-JAHB): The head scarf worn by some Muslim women.

  hos egoor (hos eh-GOOR): The western Armenian phrase “come” (egoor) “here” (hos).

  jagadakirus (djah-GAHD a KEER-uhs): The Armenian phrase meaning “my fate,” literally “written” (krel, to write) “on the forehead” (djagad). The -s ending indicates the first person.

  jan (djahn): The Armenian term of endearment, used after names constantly in everyday speech.

  jbid (zhuh-BEED): The Armenian word for “smile.”

  jori/joreni (ZHOH-ri/ZHOH-ren-i): Armenian words (among others) for “persimmon tree.”

  kabalak (KAH-bah-lahk): A somewhat conical cloth-wrapped helmet with a chin strap modeled after a Black Sea hat, introduced to Ottoman troops by Enver Pasha in 1914.

  kadayif (kah-DYE-eef): A dessert made with shredded phyllo dough and ground nuts.

  keffiyeh (keh-FEE-uh): The head scarf worn by Arab men, sometimes tied and sometimes draped and secured with a braided ring.

  keri (KEH-ree): The Armenian word for a maternal uncle. A paternal uncle is a horyeghpayr (father’s brother).

  kilim (KIH-lim): Flat tapestry-woven carpets that are distinct from thicker knotted carpets.

  koonuh (KOO-nuh): The Armenian word for “the sleep.” Koon is “sleep”; the -uh suffix is the definite article.

  lahmajoon (LAH-mah-joon): A very thin flat bread covered with meat, vegetables, and spices.

  madzoon (MAH-dzoon): The Armenian word for “yogurt,” often considered a source of longevity.

  mahlap (MAH-lahp): A spice made from ground cherry seeds.

  manti (MAHN-tee): Dumplings made of dough stuffed with ground meat and spices, baked and then served in a broth and topped with a yogurt and garlic sauce.

  maqam (MAH-kahm): A musical mode or scale structure used in the music of the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa.

  meg (meg): The Armenian word for the number one.

  mizrap (MEEZ-rahp): A five-inch-long flexible pick used to play the oud, a string instrument. The traditional eagle quill has been replaced by plastic.

  oud (OOD): A fretless eleven-stringed instrument with a large oval chamber that is the precursor to the European lute. The word lute comes from the Arabic al oud.

  Soorp Hayr (sourp highr): The name for celibate priests, literally “holy father.”

  tamzara (TAHM-zah-rah): An Anatolian line or circle folk dance in a 9/8 rhythm that includes stomping at the end of each phrase, symbolizing stomping away all bad things.

  tan (tahn): The Armenian word for a cool drink made of watery yogurt.

  teshekkur ederim (TESH-eh-kiur eh-DEH-rum): The Turkish word for “thank you.”

  thobe (tob): The traditional long, loose robe worn by Arab men.

  tonir (TOH-neer): The traditional underground wood-fired clay oven for baking Armenian flat bread (lavash). In western Armenian towns and villages such as Palu, each home had its own tonir.

  trchoon (tur-CHOON): The Armenian word for “bird.”

  yalla (yal-lah): The Arabic phrase meaning “let’s go” or “come on.”

  yerek (yeh-REK): The Armenian word for the number three.

  yergoo (yer-GOOH): The Armenian word for the number two.

  zurna (ZUHR-nah): A double-reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood with a bell-shaped base that has a piercing oboelike sound.

  Resources

  NONFICTION

  Akçam, Taner. The Young Turks’ Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012.

  The Armenian Genocide Museum Institute, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. genocide-museum.am.

  Armenian Genocide Resource Library for Teachers. teachgenocide.org.

  Armenian National Institute. armenian-genocide.org.

  Auron, Yair. The Banality of Denial. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 2003.

  Balakian, Peter. The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.

  Dadrian, Vahakn. The History of the Armenian Genocide: Ethnic Conflict from the Balkans to Anatolia to the Caucasus. Providence/Oxford: Berghahn Books, 1995.

  The Genocide Education Project. genocideeducation.org.

  Houshamadyan: A Project to Reconstruct Ottoman Armenian Town and Village Life, houshamadyan.org/en/home.html.

  Hovannisian, Richard. The Armenian Genocide: Cultural and Ethical Legacies. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 2007.

  Kaiser, Hilmar. At the Crossroads of Der Zor: Death, Survival, and Humanitarian Resistance in Aleppo, 1915–1917. Princeton: Gomidas Press, 2002.

  Kévorkian, Raymond. The Armenian Genocide: A Complete History. London: I. B. Tauris, 2011.

  Miller, Donald E., and Lorna Touryan Miller. Survivors: An Oral History of the Armenian Genocide. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.

  Stanton, Gregory H. The Eight Stages of Genocide. A briefiing for the U.S. State Department in 1996. genocidewatch.org/aboutgenocide/8stagesofgenocide.html.

  Suny, Ronald Grigor, Fatma Muge Gocek, and Norman M. Naimar. A Question of Genocide: Armenians and Turks at the End of the Ottoman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

  Totten, Samuel. Teaching About Genocide: Issues, Approaches, and Resources. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing, 2006.

  Üngör, Uğur Ümit, and Mehmet Polatel. Confiscation and Destruction: The Young Turk Seizure of Armenian Prope
rty. London/New York: Continuum, 2011.

  MEMOIRS

  Arlen, Michael J. Passage to Ararat. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1975.

  Balakian, Peter. Black Dog of Fate. New York: Basic Books, 1997.

  Çetin, Fetihye. My Grandmother: An Armenian-Turkish Memoir. New York: Verso, 2012.

  Hovannisian, Garin K. Family of Shardows: A Century of Murder, Memory, and the Armenian American Dream. New York: Harper Collins, 2010.

  Mardiganian, Aurora. Ravished Armenia: The Story of Aurora Mardiganian, the Christian Girl Who Lived Through the Great Massacres. New York: Kingfield Press, 1918.

  Morgenthau, Henry. Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story. New York: Doubleday, 1918.

  FICTION

  Bagdasarian, Adam. Forgotten Fire. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2000.

  Bohjalian, Chris. The Sandcastle Girls. New York: Random House, 2012.

  Edgarian, Carol. Rise the Euphrates. New York: Random House, 1994.

  Kherdian, David. A Road from Home. New York: Greenwillow, 1988.

  Marcom, Micheline Aharonian. Three Apples Fell from Heaven. New York: Riverhead Books, 2001.

  Pamuk, Orhan. Snow. London: Faber and Faber, 2004.

  Saroyan, William. My Name Is Aram. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1940.

  Saroyan, William. “Seventy Thousand Assyrians,” from The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1934.

  Shafak, Elif. The Bastard of Istanbul. New York: Viking, 2007.

  Werfel, Franz. The Forty Days of Musa Dagh. New York: Viking, 1934.

  FEATURE FILMS

  Ararat. Directed by Atom Egoyan, 2002.

  The Color of Pomegranates. Directed by Sergei Parajanov, 1968.