~This Blog~
Passages Home is devoted to the notion that the paths of our travels across physical, literary, expressive and human landscapes are of much greater consequence than our illusive and ever-changing destinations.
If so, you may ask, then what about home? Something fixed–attached to a particular terrain, a native language, an enduring friendship, habits of heart and mind? Or something one carries in a voyager’s sack, vulnerable to the morning wind, the foreign language, the lost loves, the sense of the earth trembling under one’s feet?
Perhaps none of these, or all of them. A friend writes: “Home is where you are.” Or where you find yourself.
Winding roads, fair winds.
~About Taline Voskeritchian~ (Contact: talinedv@gmail.com)
Born in Jerusalem, educated in Lebanon, Jordan, and the US (University of Iowa), I teach writing at Boston University’s College of Communication, and the American Short Story for BU’s Evergreen Program. I have also taught at BU’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of General Studies, as well as the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) and the American University of Armenia (Yerevan). For many years, I also taught literature and writing to high- and middle-school students in Boston, Los Angeles, and Beirut. In April 2011, and as part of the international delegation of writers to Palestine Festival of Literature, I conducted writing/translation workshops in Palestinian universities. For fall semesters, 2016 and 2017, I was on leave from Boston University to teach writing at the American University of Armenian, Yerevan.
In October, 2016, the film “Vahe Oshagan:Between Acts” (for which I translated the entire film into English, including Oshagan’s poetry) was screened in Yerevan, at the American University of Armenia, and at Mirzoyan Library. I was co-producer of the film. This subtitled, upgraded version of the film was made possible through a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation.
My prose and translations (from Arabic and Armenian) have appeared in American Literary Review, Ahégan (Beirut), London Review of Books, The Nation, Agni Review, Book Forum, Words Without Borders, The Daily Star/International Herald Tribune (Beirut), Journal of Palestine Studies, MERIP/Milddle East Report, Alik (Tehran), Warwick Review (UK), artsMedia (Boston), The Transnational Review (Berlin), Solstice (on-line), the radio program “On Being,” the on-line journals Jadaliyya, HowlRound, The Common, and Bangalore Review, among others.
I would like to believe that I divide my time between Boston (where I live with my cat, Splendid) and other places–imagined, and actual.
~~~
Passages Home Blog 
I can imagine you wearing a black beret and sipping strong coffee at the cafe adjacent to your 3rd floor walk-up. Have you been to THE place yet? You know, the one with the panoramic view? I await all of your stories; real and imagined.
Dear Belmont Neighbor,
Beautiful weather here–absolutely breathtaking. The city was bathed in light last evening when we strolled up the Canal to the barge.
Not yet, but as with all events in this enchanting city, an encounter awaits around the corner, perhaps.
Hope you’re all well, including my younger friends Ben, and Lindsay and Justine.
PS. I eat, I drink strong coffee and my stomach seems to like it all. And my heart, as well.
T.
Hi Taline, I just came across your blog through a connection as I was searching for information on the death of Varoujan Khedeshian, a mutual close acquaintance whom we both seem to have admired and worked with and whose memory is lodged deep in the folds of my mind. Having read about you, I find we are connected in more ways than one. I and my sister, Anni, had the greatest fortune of meeting up with your mom in Jordan in 1976 when I was en route to the U.S. We spent a few good days at the home discussing oh so many views on nationalism, women, independence, family, work, education, while she sometimes prepared material for her students.
I’m glad to have discovered your site.
I am enjoying reading the writing.
Silva
Hello Silva.
What a nice, hamov response to my post! My mother was, indeed, one-of-a-kind, and our home was open to visitors from near and far. Tell me more about yourself, if you wish, and where you live.
Thank you for your good words!
Taline