OPINIONS ABOUT Sona Van
***
I'm fascinated by the power and beauty of Sona Van's poetry. The collection
"Libretto for the desert" is full of powerful live images which follow the reader like ghosts, speaking with the lips of one and a half million innocent victims whose voices were brutally silenced during the Armenian Genocide and are still covered in the desert sand. It's wonderful that the book has been translated into many languages, and with the universal poetry language
it will be able to penetrate into the hearts and minds of different nations,
telling them and causing their sympathy towards this shameful, monstrous and
dark page of humanity.
Adam Schiff US Congressman
***
"...This is a decent nudity poetry, which brings not the wild eros, but rather gives rise to a sense of tragedy and compassion towards women's unprotected body and to the anger of the abused passion, like feminine nakedness depicted in Rembrandt’s paintings."
Yuri Belyavskiy
Editor-in-Chief of the magazine "Culture",
Moscow
***
The lyrical character of this book is a woman-warehouse of emotions,
a personality who has psychological depth and inner abyss, who has something to
tell us, and she is so talented in saying it that you understand that the
heroine tells you a secret. The book's title is great. "I have no name", the name of which, first of all, means - I'm a woman, a woman's soul...a night rose...existing, real, but mysterious... Sona Van reaches the poetic revelation with an unprecedented spiritual combination of feelings and
perception of these feelings. Sona Van represents the Armenian poetry of the
21st century. The charm of her poetry is a thin line between reality and fiction. It's a magic, a poetic story of life or a poetic life of stories. Let's applaud the queen of the contemporary Armenian literature...
David Gasparyan Doctor of
philology,Professor
***
"…What to do "when even artificial flowers dries up in the pot…". I guess this is exactly the poets, which must be written, like in this book - full of pain and anxiety, that all of usrecognize, which the poet draws the unlike glance. For me Sona Van’s poems are like sleep and awake, madness and wisdom, spiritual warmth and pain sets."
Sona Van's poetry looks like penetrated by the blessed Savior.”
Maghvala Gonashvili /Poet,
The President of Writers' Union of Georgia
***
In the time of zigzags and associations almost seems strange novelty, the creative mind to preserve the health and realism is the test itself, and Sona Van passes it without visible effort, every time coming out victorious from own trap. This trick is based on the capacity to maintain the header line movement with a passionate focus, which often has talented painter’s line accuracy.
Amina Mohamed Art critic Los Angeles, Paris
***
"Sona Van’s conceptual chronology starts at least from Narekatsi (10-11 cc)… Sona Van inherited from her ancestors the combination of ontological openness and practicalingenuousness. Sona is known as a new Saph. She is new in everything. But the most important thing is the natural sense of time, which is deeper and more pre-historic." Ilya Falikov
poet, translator and literary critic
***
Sona Van is one of the most reviewed authors of our time. The eloquent testimony to thisfact is that her books bring the need for the deep reflection and dialogue. The upcoming publication "Uninterrupted Shaherazade" collection will feature excerpts from about 70 literary articles, the writings to other poets and reviewers, where Armenian and other prominent figures in literature and art are responding to Sona Van’s poetry peculiarities."Sona Van surprisingly manages to touch the reader's soul and intellect top layers, causing a real sense of human experience. Our meeting, first between the strings and then personally, is my life's most precious and colorful surprises. Sona Van is the greatest phenomenon of our times."
Inna Lisnyanskaya
Russia's "Poets’' Prize laureate, critic,
***
Realistic, artless words. Slender lines. Inner strength of motion. Warm breath of emotional experience. These qualities all together create the poetry of Sona Van. Sona Van's poetry is a powerful force for everyone who appreciates and lives with the Armenian language and literature. The poetry whisper and scream in her writings [that brings us back to our childhood] are also combined with Armenian poetry whispers and screams, coming from the depth of centuries.
Tigran Mansuryan Armenian Composer, Honored Worker of Art of Armenian SSR, People's Artist of Armenian SSR
***
Sona is a great woman. She is wise, emotional, with a great sense of patriotism. As a poet, she is unique. Sona Van is a phenomenon. Mankind needs people like her. I've never met a person like Sona. Artashes Hovsepyan
Sculptor, RA Honored Worker of Art
***
...It seems that if you want, you can hear the poet's heartbeat at the moment these lines were written. And if the poet unconditionally believes in something, then it is the silent, undecipherable and endless game. A game with which everything earthly is denied and confirmed at the same time...for one second everything is spinning around the Earth's axis and becomes immaterial and weightless, pointing out another foothold located far away...somewhere, in an unknown fourth dimension. This is a story of bread which quickly turns into cosmic history. This is a song that is created and sounded only once, but is converted into a mystery. Sona asks, and hundreds or thousands ask...
Artashes Aram /Poet
***
Motivated by Whitman’s "Leaves of Grass" life detection system and Silva Plata’s confession language skills and aspirations, Sona Van in own way interprets the boundaries of her inner world, provides a new measurement and meaning to the reality, by becoming an advocate for natural realities.
As in Van Gogh's "Old Man Shoes" canvas, Sona Van’s books also present human destiny, the way people living, that much deep is the unity of emotion, color and subject.
Artem Harutyunyan
poet, literary critic,
Professor in Foreign Literature
***
Reciter I like Sona Van's writing style. She is a unique talent. When you read
her writings, you find yourself in an infinite space of kindness, you feel the
sensual world of the modern woman that is returned to the reader in its
nakedness and surprisingly doesn't lose its aesthetics. It's a process of
joyful self-discovery, a journey in which the poet doesn't hide her emotions, instincts,
desires, on the contrary, discovers them, making them transparent. During the
process, the poet gets to know her own self and helps you, tenderly touching
your shoulder for helping you to get to know your own self...
Silva Yuzbashyan RA Honored Artist,
***
I have known Sona for already 20 years. Her poems are emotional philosophies. Her poetry has a unique style and a message that is never repeated. The atmosphere of her poems fully reflects her lifestyle. It is her art. She is surrounded by people who are kind and honest. I'm happy for having such a friend and whenever I speak with her I fall under the charm of her poems. I wish Sona to live and write for her nation and friends. Let the aura of her love covers all us.
Michael Poghosyan Actor, Director
***
... God granted Armenians amazing spiritual talent...And here
is one of them, who again surprises with her talent, making our land sacred. I
read Sona Van's writings and remember "Chinar", "Sona yar"
of Komitas. This is the same Sona...I also remember the generation of talented
people coming from Van with their ancient songs. Love is also old in the songs
of Sona Van. Love is too old, the feeling is in a pure stance faced with the
fact of the 20th century, faced also with the Tower of Babel, in which her
love, the love of the universe, our love is secretly hidden.
Arthur Shahnazaryan Composer, Researcher
of Komitas works
***
It's impossible not to recognize your line and words, not to understand that it is your one and only... The most difficult part begins then, when you try to comprehend what you felt. You go, go, penetrate into the depths, but there is still much to go... The road is boundless and bottomless, wise and simple. It is infinite as you yourself are boundless and bottomless, wise and simple, clear and pure, loving and fierce, and most importantly, you don't look like others SONA VAN...Oh, I have so much to say... Drunk on you - Vahe Shahverdyan.
Vahe Shahverdyan RA People's Artist
***
Worker of Art Sona is a great woman. She is wise, emotional, with a great sense
of patriotism. As a poet, she is unique. Sona Van is a phenomenon. Mankind
needs people like her. I've never met a person like Sona. \Artashes Aram Poet
...It seems that if you want, you can hear the poet's heartbeat at the moment
these lines were written. And if the poet unconditionally believes in something, then it is the silent, undecipherable and endless game. A game with which everything earthly is denied and confirmed at the same time...for one second everything is spinning around the Earth's axis and becomes immaterial and weightless, pointing out another foothold located far away...somewhere, in an unknown fourth dimension. This is a story of bread which quickly turns into cosmic history. This is a song that is created and sounded only once, but is
converted into a mystery. Sona asks, and hundreds or thousands ask...
Gohar Galstyan Poetess, Essayist Poetess
***
Our friendship with Sona Van is nearly 30 years old, and her first collection of poems was written nearly 30 years ago. At that time I was shooting a film - "The first Armenian" - which is based on that collection. The film was the result of my admiration of Sona Van's poetic line. My second encounter with Sona's works was recently - in the film "The silence of Vardapet", in which her poetic world gradually penetrated and harmoniously intertwined with the narrative of the film. Nature has generously endowed Sona Van with beauty, talent and intellect, optimism and compassion, virtue and patriotism. All these are the bases for Sona Van's nature and poetry.
Vigen Chaldranyan Armenian Film Director, Actor, Screenwriter, Producer
***
Sona Van - a favorite name. She is a popular poetess.
As a person, Sona Van enchants people thanks to her modesty, good heart and special hospitality. I met her during my concerts in California and Yerevan. She attended the concerts together with her husband Noubar Janoyan, a well-known surgeon in California. Her works are popular not only in Armenia, but also abroad. Thus, we can say that Sona Van is internationally popular name. I wish Sona Van only success, healthy and happy days.
Hovhannes Chekijian Choirmaster, conductor, RA Honored Worker of Art
***
The works of Sona Van are emotional and eye-catching thanks to special flexibility of mind, filled with content, and they even convey the mood. Her lines are endowed with tremendous power, and it is interesting that the reader immediately feels that power. It proves that Sona and her descendants will shine in the Armenian poetry. She is not only a great poetess, essayist, but also a respectable person with rich inner world and worldview.
Aram Satyan
Chairman of RA Composers’ Union, RA Honored Worker of Art
***
Sona Van's revelation in the Armenian literature was a wonderful surprise. She came, shone and immediately became the brightest star in the constellation of the Armenian writers. This is the poetry of a citizen of the world who is equally concerned about the fate of the loved ones and the whole planet. It is free from the classic nostalgia of the emigrant who lost everything. It is free from the victim psychology. The genetic grief of the Armenian people indicates the poet's roots, coming from Vaspurakan, shows the true face of an intelligent Armenian woman as well as her mature tenderness. Sona Van's cultural activities should be also noted. With the help of the "Narcissus" magazine she managed to dictate new artistic criteria and settle a cultural space. Thanks to numerous translations from different languages, she showed the real image of the contemporary Armenian poetry [in the context of world literature]. I'm happy and proud that I'm a contemporary of Sona Van, that such a wonderful ambassador of the Armenian language and literature lives and creates in our Diaspora.
Hranush Hakobyan RA Minister of Diaspora
***
Sona - my beloved, fairytale Sona. For me she is the symbol of kindness, beauty and
uniqueness...Sona always surprises me with the radius of wide coverage of
words, thoughts, beautiful shades of forms for expression. Sona Van is one of
the most unique personalities of our time who carries her deafening stream to
moving milestone of eternal literature...
Hripsime. Poetess
***
I don't remember when I first met Sona Van, although it isn't much important. I have a
feeling that I know her as much as myself. Once Sona admitted that the tone of
my voice reminds her of her prematurely deceased brother's voice. I'm not a fan
of mystery, but the opportunity of being her "brother" is also an
assessment, because Sona Van's sincerity will never betray her, her readers,
and most importantly, her poetry. Sona Van has her own style, own storehouse of
expressive means. In short, Sona Van's voice can't be confused with anyone
else's, even in a noisy crowd. She is a complete literary phenomenon, and if it
is assumed that the human's body on 80% consists of water, in the case of Sona,
I'm sure that her body consists of poetry instead of water.
Samvel Kosyan Poet, Playwright
***
Sona Van's writing style is unique, gentle and dramatic. It is
directly imprinted in the reader's mind. She is a great intellectual who is
concerned about the spiritual future of her motherland. She and her husband
Noubar Janoyan have always supported the "Golden Apricot" film
festival, patronized the "Narcissus" magazine and other initiatives. We
are lacking of such artists as Sona Van.
Harutyun Khachatryan Film Director,
Producer
***
...Not a single unnecessary move, only dense, tense and full phrases. The sharp rhythm and speaking pauses become determining factors for stressing the moment of inevitability. There is an attractive element of intrigue in the dramatic development of words. Sona Van gives freedom to her thoughts. She is breaking all the barriers, coloring the empty frames of life.
Being and non-being, remembering and forgetting, real and fictional coexist here. The strength of contradictions generates a collision, one side of which is a struggle between a man and the universe, on the other side - against God and against himself hereinafter. The ideas are born from the present, but they don't rely on it. Even the promise of future's eternity doesn't attract the poet. A new dimension of time is born - the future of the future which is the
freedom of the soul...and the eternity and death are ironically ignoring from
that height of time...This is a solo performance...a speech that gets cosmic
scale in the deepening abysses of intrapersonal experiences.
Ruzanna Aristakesyan Literary Doctor of Philology
***
I became familiar with Sona Van's literary activities in the mid-90s of the last century, when the "Let there be light" magazine started to reach us from the United States of America. At that time, Sona was acting as a publicist and publisher, devoted to the revival ideas. In the era of the post-Soviet crisis she and her "colleagues" were keeping and disseminating the art and the way of thinking. Later, after 2000, Sona appeared before us as a poetess who was generously giving the God-given wealth of her soul to people. I'm impressed by her knowledge of the biblical texts. The poetess makes a person speak with the Creator, and the Creator - with a person. Perhaps, this divine talent Sona inherited from her ancestors who were priests.
Once you like one of her poems, you like her poetry.
I wish Sona Van good health for many years. We pray for her creative ideas to bear new fruit.
Leader of Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan
***
The "raw materials" for Sona Van's works are based on her thoughts given from Lord, their large range, and this is the way of her linguistic thinking, as a result of which the line is born, which is perceived by receptors not only figuratively and verbally, but also with the rhythms of mortal terror and life. With unexpected changes in time, exact tones of lights and shadows, she keeps the readers in extraordinary psychological tension.
Samvel Smbatyan
Director, Screenwriter
***
Poet of word and silence Today, Sona Van's name has a special place in the contemporary Armenian poetry for her word, line, imagined world, musical narration, female coquetry, kind and gentle attitude towards the motherland. The art criterion for me is the unexplainable, insurmountable shiver running through your body. It means that the poet's word turns upside down the reader's inner world. Sona Van's poetry leads the reader to completely different world - simple, pristine, as a child's look, who discovers world from the windows of his home. It seems that Sona is keeping the clock arrows with two hands. What a poetic loyalty to life! I'd like poetess Sona Van to find the blessed "panacea of salvation" [for herself and for us] on the way of her continuous quest.
Ani Ter-Gulanyan Poetess, Editor of "Andin" magazine's poetry column
***
If Sona and Poetry lived in different planets, some cosmic forces would definitely
intervene and make sure that they met - Sona and Poetry. What I have said is
neither a compliment, nor an exaggeration. Open any book of her on a random
page and read. I would say that in her case, the reading isn't just reading.
Leave aside the state of mind, open your heart, turn on the work of your
thoughts, cut off for a moment from the street noise and read... I first heard
about Sona in 2001, in Los Anegeles, when she was reciting her poems at a meeting in the framework of the pan-Armenian conference of writers. The reading wasn't yet completed, and I knew that I was listening to a poet. She finished, took her seat, and I was already sure that starting from that day, I would be waiting for her new works, would believe in sincerity and pragmatism of her lines combined with a special recipe. So many years have passed since that day, and the poetry of Sona Van continues to make me wait and believe. As a sincere
friend, I'm only happy for her poems. I respect the life she lives. I'm admired
with the universal magnetism of her wisdom and femininity. And the fate
Karine Khodikian Playwright, Essayist
"In the world literature only Lev Tolstoy and Walt Whitman managed to avoid the writer’simposed alienation. Sona Van was able to overcome the indifference andmisunderstandings towards poetry. There is a famous thought: "Tumanyan gave his talent to literature, the talented person - to life." Sona Van is a hero for many people in modern life."
Tigran Israelyan
Poet, translator
***
I got acquainted with Sona Van in
Armenia. Our families have very close relations. First of all, I know Sona as a
woman. She is very witty, cheerful woman who most of all loves to make people
around her be happy. Most of all I appreciate her positive attitude towards
life. She knows the art of speech, communication and the ability to live, and
it is beautifully displayed in her poems.
Nina Hovnanian Director, Founder of
"Treasures of Armenia" Organization
***
I don't remember when I first met Sona Van, although it isn't much important. I have a feeling that I know her as much as myself. Once Sona admitted that the tone of my voice reminds her of her prematurely deceased brother's voice. I'm not a fan of mystery, but the opportunity of being her "brother" is also an assessment, because Sona Van's sincerity will never betray her, her readers, and most importantly, her poetry. Sona Van has her own style, own storehouse of expressive means. In short, Sona Van's voice can't be confused with anyone else's, even in a noisy crowd. She is a complete literary phenomenon, and if it is assumed that the human's body on 80% consists of water, in the case of Sona, I'm sure that her body consists of poetry instead of water.
Samvel Kosyan
Poet, Playwright