DEARBORN, MI - The Society For Armenian Studies, whose president is Professor Dennis R. Papazian, Director of the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, is pleased to announce the publication of the internationally known Journal of the Society For Armenian Studies, No. 10. This journal is the latest in a series which began in 1984.

On October 3, the announcement that the latest issue of the Journal was ready for distribution was accompanied by a traditional Armenian-style book christening by Professor Papazian, and enthusiastically witnessed by his entire Armenian history class. The event, which was photographed by university relations director Terry Gallagher, took place on the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus. Journal Editorial Assistant Gerald Ottenbreit, Armenian Research Center Assistant Aram Alkazoff, and the students of the class joined Professor Papazian in participation in the colorful event. A cross section of the latest Armenian-American newspapers were examined by the class; the Journal was reviewed and discussed; Professor Papazian gave a interesting study in early Armenian history; and the afternoon proved very entertaining and unique. Volume No. 10 of the Journal is 200 pages long, containing nine articles, thirty book reviews, and related academic notes and correspondence. "The reader can browse through this volume and find a plentitude of scholarly facts, theories, and ideas relating in one way or another to the Armenians," stated Dr. Papazian. "Not only are the articles themselves invaluable, but the book reviews are probing, entertaining, informative and up to date, as are the academic notes." The respected series, published by the Armenian Research Center of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, under the auspices of the Society for Armenian Studies, is sent to scholars, students, libraries, universities, ethnic societies, and non-academic patrons on every continent. The Journal is ably edited by Professor Papazian, director of the Armenian Research Center, and his editorial assistant, Gerald Ottenbreit Jr. It is the only Armenian academic journal published in the United States.

The articles make good reading as an overview of the articles will illustrate.

Christina Maranci, of Cambridge, MA, writes about the relation between Armenian architecture and the architecture of Europe, particularly as regards the Gothic style. Among other works, she analyzes the early studies of Frederic Dubois (1798-1849), Charles Texier (1802-1871), Austin Henry Layard (1817-1894), and H.F.B. Lynch (1862-1913). She comes to the conclusion that, despite the rough and dangerous conditions under which they worked, their publications were accurate and made a distinct contribution to the study of Armenian architecture.

Levon Chookaszian, Yerevan University, writes on the life of Prince Lewon (later King Lewon II [III]) and one of his specific portraits. After a wide-ranging explanation, Choookaszian concludes that the portrait is of special interest not only to historians studying Toros Roslin's works, but also to scholars who research the history of the Cilician State, as well as Armeno-Byzantine, Armeno-French and Armeno-Italian relations.

Tom Sinclair, University of Cyprus, demonstrates the use of Armenian colophons and Minor Chronicles in the writing of Armenian and Turkish history. While the colophons and Minor Chronicles have already been used in the writing of Armenian history, Sinclair now shows how important they are for writing Turkish history.

Michael Papazian, Berry College, GA, speculates on the authorship of an Armenian commentary on Aristotle's "Prior Analytics," suggesting that the work might consist of lecture notes of David "The Invincible Philosopher," or of a contemporary Greek, Elias. These notes, in the Armenian, found their way into the Armenian canon of David the Invincible.

James R. Russell, Harvard University, provides us with a rich and far-ranging scholium (academic explication) on an Armenian-speaking demon, the tale of which seems to have inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge in writing the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and perhaps the poem "Kubla Khan." In the process, Russell demonstrates one of his recurring themes, the interaction and interrelation of Eastern and Western literatures.

Jasmine Dum-Tragut, Graz, Austria, gives a preliminary report of an ongoing project, which has the potential of being a distinct contribution to Armenian linguistics.

George Bournoutian, Iona College, who has already published a selection of documents in the Russian archives relating to Armenia and the South Caucasus, 1797-1889 (which is reviewed in Volume 10), translates into English and annotates some new archival material. The present translation serves to illustrate the value of Russian archival documents for a study of the trade carried on by Armenian merchants with Europe and Asia during the mid-seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

Rubina Peroomian, UCLA, explores the literary presentation of resistance to genocide in a comparison of the Armenian and Jewish cases, an analysis which brings us closer to an understanding of the differences and similarities between these two defining genocides of the twentieth century.

Nelida Boulgourdjian-Toufeksian, Buenos Aires, Argentina, writes on the history of the Armenian community in Argentina, particularly on the foundation of the Armenian Church, the Armenian school network, and other community institutions. She argues that the Argentine experience is somewhat different from the Armenian experience in other parts of the Diaspora, inasmuch as the Armenians of Argentina attempted to institute a millet system, as in the Ottoman Empire, so that the leaders of the community would serve as an interface with the state.

The numerous book reviews in Volume 10 are a collection of interesting observances by many well-known writers, scholars, and educators on a variety of books dealing with many colorful and informative subjects relating to Armenians and Armenian history.

The Society of Armenian Studies is composed of 222 scholars and students (and non-academic patrons of Armenian Studies). Its membership is international, although the overwhelming majority is based in the United States and Canada. The current Executive Council of the Society for Armenian Studies includes Dr. Dennis R. Papazian, President, and Editor of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies; Dr. George Bournoutian, Vice President; Dr. James Russell, Treasurer; Dr. S. Peter Cowe, Secretary; and Dr. Robert Hewsen, Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian, and Dr. Dickran Kouymjian; along with ex-officio council member Mr. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Editor of the SAS Newsletter.

The distinguished Editorial Board of the Journal consists of Levon Avdoyan, Library of Congress; Anny Bakalian, College of Notre Dame of Maryland; Nelida Boulgourdjian-Toufeksian, University of Buenos Aires; George Bournoutian, Iona College; Marco Brambilla, Domus Design; S. Peter Cowe, University of California, Los Angeles; Richard Hovannisian, University of California, Los Angeles; Joseph Kechichian, Kechichian & Associates, L.L.C.; Dickran Kouymjian, California State University, Fresno; Rubina Peroomian, University of California, Los Angeles; James R. Russell, Harvard University; Lorne Shirinian, Royal Military College of Canada; Abraham Terian, St. Nersess Seminary; Robert W. Thompson, University of Oxford, and Speros Vryonis, Jr., Center for the Study of Hellenism.

The Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) was founded in 1974 by a group of scholars from the universities of California, Fresno, Columbia, and Harvard. The aims of the Society for Armenian Studies are to promote the study of Armenian culture and society, including history, language, literature, and social, political, and economic questions; facilitating the exchange of scholarly information pertaining to Armenian studies; and sponsoring panels and conferences on Armenian studies.

It does so in part by the publication of a Newsletter on the Society's activities and on current research in Armenian Studies, the publication of an Occasional Papers and Reprint Series, and, of course, the publication of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies.

Members of SAS receive the Journal as part of their annual membership. Non-members and the general public can obtain Volume Ten of the journal (or back issues) for $20 per copy, postage included, by sending orders to the Society for Armenian Studies, Armenian Research Center, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128-1491.

The Armenian Research Center is located on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Director Papazian and his assistant Ottenbreit Jr. have done a magnificent job of making it a significant center for research, study, intellectual exchange, and the collecting of historical and current books, magazines, newspapers, etc relevant to Armenian history and affairs. It has a significant research library for Armenian studies, including history, literature, religion, art, and architecture, as well as Russian, Eastern European, Transcaucasian, Turkish, and Kurdish materials. The library is cataloged in a computer database consisting 40,501 records (which include important books and articles located in other collections). The ARC collection includes 5,764 books; 22,243 newspaper, journal, and manuscript articles (in vertical files accessible through the database); as well as many other kinds of material including personal archives. Researchers are welcome to use all facilities, and the Center has had numerous notable visitors who used and commented favorably on the collections and positive atmosphere, including in the past few months Michael Lemmon, U.S. ambassador to Armenia; Dr. Taner Akcam, a Turkish-born scholar who has written several books in Turkish on the significance and truth of the Armenian Genocide; historian Dr. George Bournoutian, author of the two-volume work, A History of the Armenian People and several other books, and Thomas Goltz, author of Azerbaijan Diary.